Free Comic Book Day 2020

TODAY is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY


Except, of course it isn't.

The event has been postponed until later this Summer.
Will comic book stores still be here?

I don't know. Some will probably have to close. Maybe
to open up again, maybe not. They are usually crowded little
places on the margins or great big places full of everything
pop culture. I hope they will find a way to survive.

Comics remain a great way for visually oriented kids
to connect with stories, and the comic books themselves 
are not in quarantine.

Here's a link to some comics especially created for the younger/younger at heart set.

The Power Rangers have never gone away, and here comes the pink ranger to save the day!
Personally, Power Ranger popularity baffles me, but the art looks good, if busy. You be the judge.




DC offers up more girl power with a perplexing title about 
a school competition:


Um, okay.


Sonic and Once Upon a Space-Time (featured at the top of this post) seem the sunniest titles of the bunch, and perhaps the ones with the most appeal to boys.

Once Upon a Space-Time is
an entry from the creators of Jedi Academy.

Rounding out the group is Disney Villains with a story featuring Ursula - so if your favorite reader with autism is a Disney fan,
they've got you covered.

For more about these titles and others, here's the link to the original article again.

Remember there's probably a comic book, maybe old, 
maybe new, with whatever tv show, cartoon, or movie you or 
your favorite reader enjoys. 

This may be a good time
to reach out to that local comic book store and see if they're 
delivering.

Happy Reading! 
We are #togetherapart
SpectrumMom

Get Fuzzy - As Described by My 17 Year Old

Two Years Ago

I asked my 17 year old son to tell me about what he had been 
reading. As you can see below, he didn't describe it
in a book review type way, so I didn't post it.

But  -
it might be useful for others to see his process.
So here it is. My son's words are in blue.

"What have you been reading?"

"It's a comic strip. The Get Fuzzy book that I got for Christmas is "Scrum Bums."
In one of the parts of the book, Rob reads a book. He says it's about a guy that dies in the Louvre. Satchel the dog says, "Wait, he dies in the loo?" Bucky Katt adds, "He must have eaten some bad shellfish." Rob replies, "No, the louvre." Bucky says, "Louver, he was killed by a window treatment?"     
Rob says, "It's a museum, Bucky." "

Social Stories for a Pandemic

Covid-19 is here, and we need to tell our children about it.
Children with autism may have more anxieties about the virus, or find the disease harder to understand than children not on the spectrum.*

Fortunately, we have social stories.
Here is a link to one from Green Mountain Self Advocates
about what Covid-19 is:
Plain-Language-Information-on-Coronavirus.pdf

Here is another from Carol Gray:
https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.pdf

Social Distancing is vitally important right now, but may be
very confusing. Tennessee Disability Pathfinder shares this
story from Easter Seals Chicago to help explain the concept:
https://vkc.vumc.org/assets/files/resources/Social%20Distancing%20Social%20Story.pdf

Change social stories to suit your child. Use fewer words 
if that works better. 


Of course, you and your reader can create your own.
If you have the time, it may even be a fun project to
make your own Quarantine Time book with photos
and captions about your family's experiences in
this extraordinary time.

Stay safe.

- Spectrum Mom

*Many children without autism are also having a difficult time.
Social stories may be useful for them as well.