Autism Spectrum Disorder is often misunderstood, leading to lots of confusion for kids and adults alike. Books are a great way to introduce kids to the topics of neuro-diversity and the idea that their friends may think and feel differently than they do. Today’s book is a great resource for teaching kids about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and how they can help them to feel more comfortable.

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Stewie BOOM! and Princess Penelope: Handprints, Snowflakes and Playdates was written by Christine Bronstein and illustrated by Karen L. Young. In this sweet story, a young girl named Princess Penelope shares how she and her brothers like to do lots of the same things, but they also like different things too. Her teacher at school teaches her that everyone likes different things because every person’s brain is unique. When her mother invites one of her classmates over for a playdate, she explains to Penelope and her brothers that the little boy, Eric, is “on the spectrum”.

After explaining to them what that means, she shows them how they can make him feel comfortable at their house. Penelope and her brothers practice lots of strategies for making Eric feel comfortable during their playdate. When he does come over, they all have a great time, and Penelope and her brothers are prepared to help Eric when he gets upset.

This book is full of great talking points for families!

Whether kids know someone with autism or not, this book is a great introduction to adapting their play to include everyone. The strategies that Penelope and her brothers learn (including reading body language), can be used in many other social situations. This book does a great job of explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder in a manner that makes sense to kids. It also gives them actionable strategies to make their friends feel more comfortable.

Talking to Kids about Similarities and Differences

Discussion  – Talk to your kids about things that they like and dislike. How does their list differ from the lists that their friends might make? How do they feel when their friends do something that upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable? Explain to them that kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have a harder time communicating their feelings. Talk about the ways that the characters in the book adapted their playdate to make Eric feel more comfortable.

This discussion is a great way to introduce kids to Venn Diagrams. A Venn Diagram is a chart that uses overlapping circles to show relationships between two or more things. Draw a Venn Diagram for your kids and place their name in one circle and the name of a friend in another. Have them list the things that they each like in their own circle, while listing the things that they both like to do in the overlapping section.

Learning to Read Reactions

Reading Body Language – In the story, Penelope and her brothers practice reading body language clues so they will be prepared to recognize when their friend is distressed. Act out several emotions using only body language clues and facial expressions, and have kids see if they can guess what emotion you are showing. Take turns acting out the emotions and deciphering the clues. This activity is incredibly useful for building empathy and social emotional development in kids, and it can benefit them in social situations throughout their lives.

Practicing Good Manners

Playdate Practice – Practicing proper behavior is a great idea for kids of any age going into any social situation. Before every playdate that my daughter has, we go over the good behaviors for playing with friends, and practice some of the behaviors that we are working on. Since we are currently working on sharing and taking turns, we do a lot of role playing. Have your kids practice implementing some of the strategies that Penelope and her brothers try in the story. Have them work on using quieter voices (something I’m sure helps everyone!), reading body language clues, and being flexible about moving from activity to activity.

Everyone is Unique

Snowflakes project – In the story, Penelope learns in class that everyone has a different unique brain. The teacher has them cut snowflakes out of paper to show them that no two snowflakes are the same, just like our brains. Have kids cut snowflakes out of paper using any pattern they like. This activity is a great way to practice fine motor skills and hand eye coordination, while also reviewing shapes. Show kids how to fold their paper and how to avoid cutting too deeply on the folded line so their snowflake will stay together. When all the snowflakes are finished, show them how different every snowflake is, just like the artists who made them.

Creating Through Listening – This is a great activity that will show kids how our brains can take information and interpret it differently. Give each child a piece of blank paper and some crayons. Give short and simple instructions that can be interpreted in more than one way. (Fold the paper., draw a line, draw a house, etc). Encourage kids to create their own picture without looking at anyone else. You can put kids at different tables if it would help. When you are finished, have them look at each other’s pictures. Talk about how they heard the same instructions, but interpreted them a little differently. Remind them that everyone’s brain thinks a little differently, but they can all create beautiful things.

Penelope, Stewie, Zoom and Eric are wonderful characters who are able to teach kids about accepting others, being tolerant of differences, and showing empathy for others. The strategies that they use in the book can be utilized with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as many other people in their lives.

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