Product Description

Summary: An older sister can't understand why her little sister, Keisha, won't play with her. The family finds out that Keisha has autism and goes to see a therapist to understand what autism means to them. This fully color illustrated, bilingual (English and Spanish) children's book is written for young readers, parents, siblings, family members, and professionals who work with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recipient of the 2006 Benjamin Franklin Silver Seal for Best First Book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #723892 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Released on: 2005-07-01
• Original language: Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Review
"...perfect for parents, siblings and anyone else who needs an understanding of what it's like as an autistic child..." -- Lisa B. (son with ASD), August 8, 2004

"I would definitely consider them for purchase as there seems...a paucity of books to read to young children..." -- Janne Zochert, Education Coordinator Head Start, Williamson-Burnet County, Texas, April 30, 2004

"The stories are great….They are clever and intriguing." -- Chris P. Johnson, M.Ed., M.D.

I would definitely consider them for purchase as there seems...a paucity of books to read to young children. --Janne Zochert, Education Coordinator Head Start, Williamson-Burnet County, Texas, April 30, 2004

Thanks to Marvie's books, Keisha's Doors: An Autism Story& and Taco's Anyone? An Autism Story, my daughter, (age 7) and I have grown closer with the talks that have followed reading them. The book(s) have opened up opportunities for the two of us to have some very frank and deep discussions about what it is like to a) have a son with autism and b) have a brother with autism and has allowed us to share on a level that we really, believe it or not with all of the activism in this house, have not connected on prior to this. She realized from reading these books that she needs to learn to take cues from her older brother and bend to fit his interests to engage him to play with her. Her approach with him over the last month in reading this book once a week has softened even more and her compassion has grown. She is seeing the world a little more through his eyes than just her own, and to view things from another person's perspective is a big lesson in life for anyone to learn, much less a seven year old child. --Shelley Hendrix Reynolds, President, Unlocking Autism

“The stories are great...they are clever and intriguing.” --Chris P. Johnson, M.Ed., M.D.

About the Author
Marvie Ellis is an award winning author, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and educational consultant for parents and teachers regarding autism and other communication disorders. She specializes in working with young children with communication needs and their families.

Customer Reviews

A profoundly beneficial look at autism through the eyes of a child
Marvie Ellis is providing a great service to a significant number of people with her Autism Story Books. If you're like me, you know less about autism than you think you do - unless and until someone in your life is born autistic. And if we adults don't really understand what autism is and is not, imagine how hard it would be for a young child to understand it all. Keisha's Doors is told from the perspective of just such a child, a nine-year-old girl who doesn't understand why her three-year-old sister Keisha won't play with her or speak when spoken to. When Keisha is diagnosed with autism, we are there with her family as the doctor and therapist explain what this means and begin to teach them techniques for establishing better communication with the little girl.

The conventional, knee-jerk reaction to a diagnosis of autism would probably be one of alarm and grief, and I'm sure one of the author's purposes in writing this book is to dispel such notions. Here, Keisha's condition is described in terms even her nine-year-old sister can understand: Keisha has certain mental "doors" that are closing her off from some of the people and things around her, and she just needs help opening up some of those closed doors. Rather than tearing the family apart, the situation actually brings them closer together. Now, even Keisha's sister understands why Keisha is different - she even knows a little bit about how to go about helping her expand her awareness.

This is a very positive, heart-warming look at a family caring in the proper way for an autistic child. The story itself is printed in both English and Spanish, while Jenny Loehr's beautiful illustrations speak volumes in and of themselves. Put it all together, and you have a wonderful book - perhaps the only one of its kind - designed to reach as many different people as possible with its important message. I learned something about autism myself in these pages, and I'm sure anyone with any kind of connection to an autistic child will benefit from this book - and Marvie Ellis' succeeding Autism Story Books - immensely.

A great pick for siblings of autistic children!
Once again the author,Marvie Ellis,has done a great job! There are so few books that are written for siblings of autistic children.Autism effects all members of the family and especially the relationship between siblings.This story brings to life real and true issues that families are faced with.I would also recommend "Taco's Anyone?" also written by Marvie Ellis,Definately is a must read!

Wonderful
The bilingual format is innovative for autism picture books, and the layout of the English / Spanish text in the books makes it easy to follow no matter what your language choice. The illustrations by Jenny Loehr reflect the childlike imagery of the main characters in the books. Mrs. Ellis has created imaginative books that can help "open the doors" of the minds of children with autism and their families.
Jennifer Crawford, M.Ed, BCABA
Unlocking Autism Texas Representative