"A 5 is Against the Law!" by Kari Dunn Buron. Short Review

 

A friend of mine who has a child on the Autism spectrum showed me this little 42-page workbook. This is what the child's counselor recommended, and I asked if I could borrow it. Kari Dunn Buron, an Autism Education Specialist and a founding member of the Minnesota Autism Project, has given parents, counselors and educators a nifty tool that can aid children on the spectrum in working through relationships and social contacts. Her goal in this book is "to use a simple 5 point scale to create some possible "guidelines" for thinking about context, and how that makes a difference" (v). It is the third book in a 4-part series called "The Incredible 5-Point Scale."

The book is practical and immediately useable. It is packed full of real-life stories, with guidance on how to move toward a different result than the one experienced. There are also several worksheets that help kids to put pen-to-paper and start imagining new actions and directions. This book is connected to the author's website, www.5pointscale.com, that has several supporting articles and a ton of downloadable worksheets. Though the material in this book is primarily to help kids who are not neurotypical to learn how to navigate social situations, I can think of several adults and kids I know, for various mental health issues and other conditions, who would find it useful. I highly recommend this workbook.