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The Ice-Cream Sundae Guide to Autism
An Interactive Kids’ Book for Understanding Autism
Debby Elley and Tori Houghton
Illustrated by J.C. Perry
SUNDAE GLASS: PERSONALITY
Autism is just like an ice-cream sundae. There are lots of ingredients that go into it.
But before we start creating an ice-cream sundae, we need a sundae glass.
There are so many types of sundae glasses. Some are plain and simple, some are loud and proud! In fact, sundae glasses are just like people – we’re all different.
Because we all have different personalities, autism doesn’t look the same in everybody.
THE ICE-CREAM SUNDAE: THREE THINGS IN COMMON
The main ingredient in any ice-cream sundae is ice cream itself!
You may have heard of a Neapolitan ice cream.
It has three flavours: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
YUM!
These flavours are just like the three things that all autistic people have in common.
We’ll tell you about those in a moment.
DIFFERENT-SIZED SCOOPS
The scoops of ice cream can be different sizes in a sundae, can’t they?
And guess what? In our autism sundae it’s the same, because autism is different in everyone.
It’s true, we all have different personalities.
And if you’re autistic, you’ll have different amounts of ‘autism’ ingredients, too. Your own special mix.
Let’s see what goes into our ice-cream sundae!
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM: TROUBLE WITH WORDS
Let’s start with the chocolate scoop!
Everyone on the autism spectrum has some trouble with words or what some people call ‘speech and language’.
We can show this in our picture with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.
Some children on the autism spectrum don’t speak at all, but they may learn to use sign language and pictures instead. They may learn to talk when they are a bit older – some do, and some don’t.
Some children on the autism spectrum can speak. They may need extra help knowing what to say and how to say it.
ICE-CREAM SPOON: HELPFUL PEOPLE
Our ice-cream scoops show the main things that people on the autism spectrum can find difficult. The good news is that, with some help, those things can get easier. It’s just like using a spoon to make theice-cream scoops smaller!
If someone has trouble with words, a person called a speech and language therapist, or a speech and language pathologist, may help at home or at school.
Look at the spoon in this picture – just like a speech and language therapist, it is making our ice-cream scoop smaller!
When you see the spoon symbol in this book, it means we have shared some ideas that friends and family can use to help a person on the autism spectrum.
UNDERSTANDING WORDS
When we talk to other people, there are two things that we do.
We speak and we listen.
A bit like a computer, some brains understand words and their meanings extremely quickly.
Many people on the autism spectrum are good at talking, but they can find it hard to listen and understand clearly what is being said to them. Words can seem to whizz around too fast!
Autistic brains can be slower at understanding words or what we call ‘processing’ them.
If you are on the autism spectrum, the chances are that you find it easier to LOOK at words and pictures than to LISTEN to lots of information.
When you see the chocolate scoop, think of all the things you find tricky about words.
Other people can help by speaking at the right speed for the person who is listening, or by showing them pictures if they don’t quite understand the words.
EVERYDAY PHRASES
Lots of people on the autism spectrum can speak but have difficulty understanding meanings.
That’s because people often use words in unusual ways.
For instance, someone might say, ‘That’s a different kettle of fish!’ What on earth do they mean?
People on the autism spectrum may find it harder to understand these everyday phrases.
Talking Point
What does ‘a different kettle of fish’ mean? Can you find out?
Other people can make things simpler for someone on the autism spectrum by saying what they mean and by explaining any strange phrases!
TIME FOR A PUZZLE!
Can you match these everyday phrases with what they really mean? Trace your finger along the coloured lines to find out.
Some of them don’t seem to match their meanings at all, do they?
