In a Nutshell - This book helps in-service and pre-service teachers understand how students with mild to significant autism can be perceived as literate and then supported to participate in literacy activities both in and out of school.Synopsis - In addition to discussing reading and writing within the formal academic curricula, this practical volume considers how students with autism may use literacy to enhance other areas of their lives (e.g., to research and understand their own disability, to pursue social relationships online). Drawing upon classroom and school observations, the authors' own experiences as elementary and high school teachers, autobiographies of people with autism spectrum disorders, and recent research in the areas of significant disabilities and education, the book explores why students with these labels are often excluded and offers ideas for planning lessons, creating curricular adaptations, and designing a classroom environment that promotes literacy learning for students with autism.