Myomancy ADHD, Dyslexia and Autism

Looking After Louis

Lesley Ely

$1.20 via Amazon

“There’s a new boy at school called Louis. Louis sits next to me and I look out for him. He’s not quite like the rest of us. Sometimes I wonder what he’s thinking about. He often just sits and stares at the wall. If I ask him what he’s looking at, he says, `Looking at,’ and keeps on looking.”

Louis has autism, but through imagination, kindness, and a special game of soccer, his classmates find a way to join him in his world. Then they can include Louis in theirs.

People who have brought this book wrote:

I have a child with autism and his kindergarten year was much like Louis's. He was in a classroom learning nothing. Like Louis, the other students viewed him as more of a pet than a peer.

In first grade, he was taught in a way that he can learn (much like in the book "Taking Autism to School") and his teachers focused on what our child COULD do, and how we all have things we are good and bad at when talking to my son's classmates. The kids understood Sam was different, but still a peer, with his own strengths.

I bought "Looking after Louis" and read it to my typical daughter (6 years old). I asked her what she thought. She immediately picked up on the fact that Louis had autism, like her brother. I asked if she thought it was ok that Louis wasn't learning anything or expected to do work like the other kids. She said yes because he's different--which is the message the author is sending. At that point, I told her I thought it was a stupid book because all children need to learn when they're at school. Then we had a talk about her brother's education and abilities.

I think this book sends the message that children with autism don't need to learn. I would hate for my son's classmates to "learn" about autism from this book. I would be very concerned if my son's teachers felt it sent the right message.

Buy this Book