Book Review

Title: YouÕre Going to Love this Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom
Author: Paula Kluth
Publisher: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2003
Cost:  $27.00, paperback 
ISBN: 1557666148
Reviewer: Patricia Wright

  Students with autism are becoming more frequent members of general education classrooms.  
YouÕre Going to Love this Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom, a work 
by Paula Kluth, Ph.D., provides a unique resource dedicated solely to inclusion and individuals with 
autism.  KluthÕs book is engaging and informative.  The intended audience of this book is classroom 
teachers; however, parents and other professionals who are working towards inclusive schools will 
find this book to be an excellent resource. The opening chapter of the book includes first-person 
accounts of students who experience autism. These individuals give the reader clarity and insight 
from a first-person viewpoint about the experience of having autism.  Kluth then addresses inclusive 
schooling and the ins and outs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A chapter 
is dedicated to the role of a teacher; emphasis is placed on an educatorÕs ability to support inclusive 
schooling.  Another chapter addresses collaboration, describing how all members of an educational 
team can cooperate to promote an inclusive school. Kluth provides practical and creative methods 
for solving some of the challenges that individuals with autism present in an inclusive environment.  

  Solutions for adapting classrooms to support student participation in classwork, as well as school 
routines and social activities, are provided. An excellent chapter addresses literacy and the 
importance of literacy instruction for students with autism.  Another chapter, addressing challenging 
behavior, emphasizes a positive approach and encourages environmental and sensory 
accommodations to promote positive behavior change. Kluth provides helpful hints from veteran 
teachers and individuals with autism throughout the book.  This book is vibrant and provides a 
positive view of how inclusive education can be achieved for learners with autism.  The mixture of 
practical solutions with inspiring real-life stories provides the reader with an excellent resource. 

Patricia Wright, M.A., is an educator who is a zealous supporter of inclusive education.  She is a 
graduate student at the University of Hawaii and has an active private practice as an educational 
consultant.