Raising Autism Awareness: Unique Book Targets Youth

A new children's book, The China Doll, utilizes a fresh approach to raise autism awareness among youngsters ages 4-8.

Sun River, MT (PRWEB) July 5, 2007 -- Through the captivating story of a young girl who receives an extraordinary doll, author D.M. Rosner hopes to raise autism awareness among children ages 4-8 with her new book, The China Doll.

Autism is a subject close to Ms Rosner's heart. The younger of her two sons, Kyle, was diagnosed with the disorder at the age of two. In the five years since, she's discovered the hard way that too many people simply don't recognize autism when they see it, and frequently misinterpret her son's behaviors as a result.

Both of her sons attend the same elementary school, her youngest in a special autism unit there.

"After an incident where Kyle stomped another boy's sandcastle, I asked his teacher if she could go to my older son's classroom and read a story about autism," the author said. "While she was happy to talk to them, there were no books about autism appropriate to the K-3 grade level. It was a gap that needed to be filled."

Rather than offering a direct explanation through a main character with autism, Ms. Rosner chose to let a doll reflect some of the common behaviors among those with autism.

"Most books on autism revolve around characters with the disorder and how other kids react to them, almost always in a school setting," Ms. Rosner said. "I wanted a book that could not only be used in classrooms, but anywhere young children might come into contact with their peers with autism--in their neighborhoods, social groups, church groups, or any other setting."

The China Doll goes beyond the story to offer a section for parents and educators who might not be all that familiar with autism, to help them better understand the common behaviors and facilitate interaction between the children.

"This is the first children's book on autism designed to appeal to younger kids," Ms. Rosner added. "And it's the only one with tips for parents and educators to facilitate interaction."

Ms Rosner also owns and operates www.AutismGear.com , a website that carries many awareness items she's created to help prevent people from rushing to judgment when they encounter someone with autism.

Illustrated by Robert Jones, The China Doll was published on July 1, 2007 by Jigsaw Press, an independent book publisher located in Sun River, Montana.

For additional information on autism and autism awareness or to request an interview with author D.M. Rosner, please visit www.autismgear.com or call 866-747-8744. To request a review copy of The China Doll, contact Mari Bushman, editor, Jigsaw Press.

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