Ben is five years old and has autism. He shares some of the things he can do, such as type his name and play tag and hide-and-seek, as well as some of his challenges, such as not liking the feeling of wind on his face or having trouble putting on his pajamas. He also shares with the reader some of the ways he has learned to cope with his difficulties.

Ben Is Awesome is a tool to help parents begin the difficult and important conversation about autism with their children on the spectrum. As the mother of a son with PDD-NOS, Meredith Zolty wanted to lay the groundwork early so her son would grow up understanding that there's a reason some things are harder for him than for the other kids he knows; that he's not stupid; that he has unique strengths; and that there are lots of other people in the world with similar challenges and special abilities. All children should be able to grow up knowing there's no shame in being themselves.

This book can also be read with neurotypical children to teach them empathy for their autistic friends and classmates. Given the staggering increase in diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders in recent years, this book's message is highly relevant to the lives of all young people.

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Review from Stuart Duncan, author of Autism from a Father's Point of View:

"It's a great book for the children as it helps them to recognize some of the things they're feeling and helps them to identify it as a trait of their Autism rather than having them just feel they're "weird" or "strange"... it is also great for the parents in that it helps to realize that you're not alone. Other parents wrote this book, other parents relate to this book... other parents think that their children are awesome too.

"It's a big plus for understanding Autism, not just for 'people' but also for those that most of us have a hard time explaining it to... children." - from Amzon