A great introduction to autism and getting to know your autistic individual's needs. Sometimes you just need those little reminders of what to do and how to do it. And it's always great to know you aren't alone!

i love that there a book about Autism as my Six year old is in the spectrum and the way it make you feel that you arent overwhelmed with so many emotions.

Very helpful guide for parents. The author has a son with autism spectrum disorder and shares what she has learned through this experience.

The chapters in this book are:
Challenges and Triumphs
Friendship and Acceptance
Bullying and Resilience
Parent-Child Bonds
Navigating Social Situations
Collaborating with Schools and Therapists
Technology and Social Connection
Social Skills and Mental Health
Empowerment and Advocacy
Personal Experiences

I think parents need all the help they can get. It’s hard enough for middle school kids to navigate the social scene but throw autism in there and it’s nearly impossible. Teasing, ostracizing, and even bullying is more likely. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand autism spectrum disorder. Thanks to the publisher for an advance digital copy of the audiobook and ebook via NetGalley to use for my review.

Some good information mixed with some out of date harmful suggestions. ABA is known to be harmful and causes trauma and ptsd

As a teacher with an ASD classroom I found this book to be a great resource for anyone that works with children with ASD. The stories from real people going through it add impact to the advice given on how best to handle navigating the world with ASD. The focus placed on IEPs was stellar. This is so important and the sooner the process is started the better it’ll be for the child. This is a solid resource if you’re starting your journey with ASD, whether it’s your child or a child you know with a new diagnosis. Definitely recommend.

I had mixed feelings about this one. As a neurodivergent parent to neurodivergent children, I was really looking forward to this, but unfortunately, for me, it missed the mark. 
 
This book had its pros and cons, and for me, I felt the cons outweighed the pros. For starters, all of the information she shared was stuff I already knew and learned when my son was diagnosed, so I really didn't learn anything here. However, having this from the point of view of another parent in a similar situation as myself was comforting. That was the biggest pro for me. This book is full of reassurances and affirmations for parents and family members, as well as the children involved. 
A few other things that were on the con list for me were the language used and the repetitiveness. The author used a lot of language that I wouldn't say is appropriate in this type of book. For example, she uses the terms high/low functioning, mild/severe, and socially awkward, and at one point she says, “families affected by autism." The reason these terms are not appropriate is because high/low, mild/severe do not accurately describe autistic people. Autism is a spectrum, and for years now, the high/low functioning and mild/severe terms have been avoided to allow more accurate terminology to come in. When she said, “families affected by autism,"  I honestly almost stopped there. Saying this makes autism come across as an issue that needs to be solved, an illness, or the negative and bad thing that is impacting a family. It just comes across so negatively, and that didn't sit well with me. 
This book was also super repetitive. I felt that the first few chapters were the same, just reworded in parts. A lot of the information throughout this book was the same but reworded to sound different. It felt like filler. I wouldn't necessarily consider this book an informative resource for families, but more of a reassuring resource, to remind families they are not alone in navigating autism. For most, when their child is diagnosed, it comes as a surprise or is in some way unexpected, and many families know little to nothing about autism. So for those families, a book like this would be helpful. 
 
I won't deny that a lot of the information in this book is valuable and helpful, but again, for me, it's stuff I already knew either from my own education or from my own experience with my son. I think some families would definitely benefit from this, but I just find it hard to recommend it due to what I mentioned earlier: the cons outweigh the pros. The intention of this book is great, and I get it, but I just don't think the execution was right.

As an autistic person myself, I love how this audiobook gives out some pretty accurate facts about those kind of people. My disability has been getting more representation in many sources lately, especially in shows with autistic characters that I can relate to. I am finding this audiobook helpful. This one gives pretty much the same information as the other audiobook, but it still helps though.

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc! I picked this book up because i honestly love learning about autism. This book was informational and interesting. I enjoyed learning the things this book offered. I don't really know how to rate non-fiction books, so I'm going with 4⭐.

‘Ausome Connections’ by Natalie Loveson is an insightful and relevant read, especially for those who are learning about or navigating an autism journey with their children.

Accuracy: ★★★★☆
I’m still fairly new to understanding autism, having only recently started an investigation into it for myself. That said, this book felt very well informed. It provides a lot of valuable information and insights, making it a reliable resource for anyone seeking to understand autism better.

Perspective: ★★★★☆
The perspective offered in this book is wonderful. It helped me accept a few things about myself, which had a significant and positive impact. The author’s empathetic and insightful approach makes it relatable and comforting for readers who might be grappling with similar issues.

Relevance: ★★★★★
This book is incredibly relevant. With autism being so prevalent and discussions around it becoming more mainstream, ‘Ausome Connection’ serves as a helpful resource. It’s the kind of book that can benefit not just those on the spectrum but also their families, friends, and educators.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆
While the content is valuable, I found the engagement level to be just okay. This might be more about my own difficulties with engagement rather than a flaw in the book itself. Non-fiction can be challenging to stay engrossed in, especially for someone with engagement difficulties like mine.

Readability: ★★★★☆
I had both the ebook and audiobook versions. The ebook was wonderfully readable, clear, and easy to follow. The audiobook, while well-narrated with a fantastic voice, was a bit tougher for me. Non-fiction in audiobook format can be challenging, and this might have been compounded by my own preferences.

Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
Overall, it was an okay read. I wouldn’t say I particularly enjoyed it, but it was definitely a worthwhile read. It provided valuable insights and helped me in my journey of self-acceptance.

Audiobook: ★★☆☆☆
The narration is great—fantastic voice, easy to listen to. However, the audiobook format wasn’t for me. I don’t typically listen to audiobooks, especially non-fiction, so it’s possible that this preference affected my enjoyment. My autism might also have played a role in my difficulty engaging with the audiobook format.

‘Ausome Connections’ by Natalie Loveson is a well-informed and relevant book that offers valuable insights into autism. While I had some difficulties with engagement, the book's content is undeniably helpful and impactful. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to understand autism better, whether for personal reasons or to support someone they know. Despite my mixed feelings about the audiobook format, the book itself is a commendable effort in raising awareness and fostering understanding.

Overall I was honestly super impressed with this book! I am a parent to an autistic child and I am always reading books that help me to understand who my child is as a person and to get tips and advice on the best ways that I can help him to grow and to learn I was very impressed with the wide range of information as well as different personal stories from different families of parents and autistic children. This book really gave me amazing insight into how I can help my child to socialize with others and how I can help him to be comfortable in a more social situation. I would definitely recommend this book!!

This book is perfect for a parent/family member/friend of an autistic child this will help you with your unique journey. This guide provides practical strategies to help your child build social confidence, make friends, and embrace their way of connecting with the world.
What’s Inside:
Friendship Rules: Decode the unspoken rules of friendship to reduce loneliness.
Support During Tough Times: Handle meltdowns after teasing with resilience.
Positive Perspectives: Celebrate your child’s interests—they’re valuable!
Explaining Autism: Share with grandparents and friends to build empathy.
Boosting Social Skills Safely: Use video modeling and online tools.
This guide is a beacon of hope for your child and family! 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Ausome Parenting.

Ausome Connections covers some excellent and clear cut strategies to help your ASD child make meaningful friendships and social connections. This book felt more tailored to kids who are higher on the spectrum than my own 2 kids but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything out of this book.

My daughter is 7 and does not speak. She is just finishing grade 1 and so far she doesn’t have any concept of even wanting to be around anyone in her class but the strategies laid out in this book are helpful for what might come when she ages and maybe gains a way to communicate with her peers.

It's an easy listen and the knowledge I found here is priceless.

4 stars

*audiobook*
Thank you so much Netgalley for an Advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so thankful that I came across this book! As a mama of an autistic boy who struggles with social skills and generalizing, I took a ton of notes and learned a lot. Natalie Loveson made me feel heard and seen with some of our daily struggles and wins.

Full disclosure, I did not finish this book. I received an audio ARC of Ausome Parenting by this author and it was not for me so I have chosen not to move forward with this title. I love learning and reading about autism and how I can be a better mom for him so I was excited to dive into this. I was hoping this book would provide additional insight to my existing knowledge but I don’t think I’m the target audience and that’s totally okay. NetGalley forces me to leave a star rating in order to leave feedback so I’m giving this a “middle of the road” 3 stars for fairness to avoid skewing one way or the other with 1 or 5 stars.

📖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 📖
𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Ausome Connections
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Non Fiction
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: Audiobook

I am a recently diagnosed autistic adult and found this a really helpful and interesting read. Me and my husband are wanting children and one of the worries I’ve had recently is the awareness of the genetic element of ASD and ADHD and how might I raise and help a child understand something I’m trying to come to terms with myself.

This was a really empowering read and I particularly enjoyed the self advocation element and role modelling.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Natalie Loveson, Ausome Parenting, and NetGalley.

For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this. I definitely learned multiple tools and tips. I would consider much of this book a valuable resource for parents of autistic kids.

This is overwhelmingly positive and upbeat while acknowledging struggles. I don't like the autistic spectrum disorder children compared to 'normal' children. I find this phrasing grating in the extreme. Just use neurotypical and neurodivergent. This dated framing bothers me.

I greatly appreciate the chapter on schooling. Navigating the school system with an autistic child can be challenging. The schools own support systems vary from district to district and it is extremely important to advocate for your child. I have 2 autistic grandchildren and navigating the school system and IEP has been harrowing.

My favorite aspect of this audiobook are the stories from other parents of autistic children. Autism is definitely a spectrum but at the same time the shared elements of the condition make the experiences of other parents invaluable learning resources. I tend to value the parents and guardians advice over experts. Much of the experience of day to day parenting is understaffed and overwhelmed in nature and so how parents have managed to adjust is helpful.

My only complaint would be the positive portrait of Autism Speaks organization. Autism Speaks with its well known puzzle piece graphic is not an organization that has the support of actual autistic people. In fact many autistic adults who's parents took advice from Autism Speaks have spoken out about the organization's harm to the autistic community. I avoid them all together personally. Certainly the controversy surrounding their organization should've been included if they're used as a resource.

The narrator of this audiobook is Irinka Reade. She did a wonderful job keeping this narrative flowing and interesting.

Thank you to Natalie Loveson, Ausome Parenting, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

As an educator of a self-contained ASD classroom for young elementary school children, I highly recommend this book as a valuable resource for parents.

The book's emphasis on seeking support is particularly noteworthy, as raising children, especially those requiring additional assistance, can be emotionally and physically demanding.

Furthermore, the book refrains from portraying ASD in a negative light, which is refreshing considering the common tendency to offer sympathy rather than support to individuals with ASD. This approach suggests a lack of understanding on how to provide meaningful support.

In conclusion, I believe this book is an excellent resource for parents and advocates who are embarking on the journey of supporting autistic children.

4,5 stars.
A lovely audio book about the strengths of autistic children and how to nurture an environment that encourages these children to be themselves. The main thesis of the book is the building of positive experiences for autistic children and not forcing them to fit in - no pushing of the societal expectations, but rather using early intervention, practice and role-playing. The emphasis is on trying to see the world through their eyes.