Looking for an autism picture book that will captivate your child with an autism spectrum disorder? Search no further than A is for “All Aboard!” by Paula and Victoria Kluth. Their first collaborative work, this otherwise traditional alphabet book was shaped by feedback from children with autism.

Trains and Autism
Trains are a fascinating topic for many with Asperger’s syndrome or any form of autism, and this book covers every aspect of the railway, from double-decker cars to the Orient Express line. The language is specifically broad, from simple to complex, in order to engage a wide range of ages and reading levels.

Unfortunately, however, there’s a misspelled word on one page. This was off-putting until I realized it’s a perfect opportunity to hunt for it with your child, followed by a talk about how everyone makes mistakes.

Autism Education
Author Paula Kluth, PhD., is an expert on autism and inclusive education, helping students with autism and their classmates achieve engaging, interactive school experiences. She has previously written several autism books aimed at education.

In A is for “All Aboard!”, Kluth includes an appendix that suggests ways parents and teachers can use the book to help their child with autism learn. Couched in simple language, the tool gives quick, useful tips on how to get the most out of the book, such as reading as a team, and having your child make their own alphabet book – an autism book of their own.

Illustrations for Autistic Children
The illustrations are uniformly basic, with no background and a narrow palette of colors. Working with feedback from autistic students, illustrator Brad Littlejohn keeps expressions flat and shading minimal. Trains sit on tracks that appear to float, yet interior depictions expand to cover the page and use a vanishing point technique to indicate depth.
 
People waiting in line, a conductor, and an engineer are all remarkable because none of them are smiling … one sure way you can tell that this is truly a book created specifically for the autistic child. While it will appeal to all, these faces are less confrontational and demanding of engagement than the typical broadly smiling characters in most picture books for children lacking cognitive disorders.

Disaboom reviewers came away giving A is for “All Aboard!” high marks for its place on the forefront of autism books – a genre we fully expect will boom in years to come.