A 5 is Against the Law!

Building on the 5-point scale, Kari has written a workbook for adolescents and young adults called A 5 Is Against the Law! The book takes a narrower look at challenging behavior with a particular focus on behaviors that can spell trouble for youth who have difficulty understanding and maintaining social boundaries.

There is a section devoted to anxiety and how to cope with this emotion before it begins to escalate. Ideas for using the anxiety curve are included. Throughout the book, the reader is encouraged to think about and create his own behavior and anxiety scale that might apply to his particular emotions and situations.

The book uses a direct and simple style with lots of examples and hands-on activities. The idea behind the 5-point scale is to take a social or emotional concept and break it into 5 parts to make it easier to understand the different degrees of social behavior. The approach makes use of a systematic method to teach difficult and often frustrating social information. 

This book is designed to be used in 1:1 teaching formats or with a small group.

Kari Dunn Buron, MS, taught in K-12 with students on the autism spectrum for 30+ years. She developed an Autism Spectrum Disorder Certificate program for educators at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and has done volunteer autism-specific work specific in Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Tanzania, and Ghana. Kari received a Self-designed Bush Leadership Fellowship that allowed her to spend a year interviewing and working internationally with a number of scientists and researchers in the area of social cognition, education, and autism with a focus on challenging behaviors.

Kari is also the co-author of The Incredible 5-Point Scale and the author of When My Worries Get Too Big! and A "5" is Against the Law! (Autism Society America Literary Award Winner). She is the co-editor of a textbook for educators titled Learners on the Autism Spectrum: Preparing Highly Qualified Educators (Autism Society America Literary Award Winner) and is the creator of an original social skills magazine designed for students with high-functioning autism called The Social Times (Gold Winner, National Parenting Publications Award and Gold Medal Winner, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards). Kari's book, Adalyn's Claire, talks about the benefits of therapy animals for children with autism and other social challenges (NAPPA Award Winner and Mom's Choice Award Winner). 

Product Details

• Ages: 12-17
• Grade Level: 7-12
• Pages: 47
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-10: 1931282358
• ISBN-13: 978-1931282352
• Published: January 1, 2007
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.12 x 11 inches

Editorial Reviews

This is a great practical guide that will facilitate insight into social conventions and regulations. As a result of completing the activities, a person with ASD will be better able to avoid causing offense or getting into trouble with the law. Kari's excellent program will be used with people who have high-functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome at our clinic in Australia.

--Tony Attwood, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, The Asperger's Syndrome Clinic, Australia

At last! A meaningful, yet humorous, and easy-to-use intervention that identifies and explains how to handle different levels of anxiety, frustration, and anger. This workbook is a boondoggle for people with Asperger Syndrome and high-functioning autism as well as those supporting them in understanding and successfully living with these strong and often confounding emotions.

--Stephen M. Shore, M.A., author, consultant, and presenter on autism

A 5 Is Against the Law! offers in a creative and interesting format an honest and down-to-earth look at the kinds of social situations many teens and young adults struggle with. It is written in a very user-friendly style that readers will relate to. The suggestions and activities are excellent. I hope this book is a bestseller.

--Liane Holliday Willey, Ed.D., author