When children's communication skills lag, all areas of learning and socialisation are affected. This book describes how an ABA approach can help children aged 2 to 10 years who have significant communication problems -- difficulty making requests, perseverative speech, a lack of fluency in conversational exchanges, trouble reading others' signals, and more -- learn to understand and use speech and language. Enriched by case studies, this straightforward and information-packed book examines using the Applied Verbal Behaviour (AVB) method to tackle a wide variety of communication problems typical of children with autism. In a nutshell, AVB consists of observing and analysing a child's communication behaviours, breaking them down into functions, and then teaching and reinforcing needed skills. AVB strategies and the other methods profiled (PECS, sign language, video modelling, scripts, social stories, etc.,) can greatly boost a child's understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication, and help him improve his expressive abilities. The authors provide helpful suggestions on how parents can support this process and teach and reinforce communication skills at home. With this book parents and professionals can help young kids, both those with and without speech, expand their communication abilities and opportunities, enabling greater inclusion and progress in daily activities.

One of the most important yet difficult skills for children with autism to learn is effective social interaction. This book introduces social skills programs to parents of preschool- and kindergarten-aged children diagnosed with one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), including Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and PDD: Not Otherwise Specified. The book is based on the authors' decades of clinical experience using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a proven educational method, to teach social skills at home and school. This book focuses on four broad topics: play skills; the language of social skills; understanding another person's perspective; functioning in an inclusive classroom. This book helps parents to work with their child's strengths to improve social skills. Following the suggestions and exercises in this book, parents can teach children to: pretend-play, use toys appropriately, know when to use conventional responses like -- excuse me -- tell jokes, recognise that others' feelings and thoughts are different from their own, and initiate social interaction with peers. Included are tips for using games, modelling, rewards, role play, videos, activity schedules, and social stories to teach social skills and make the learning experience fun for parents and children. A case study of one family's efforts and successes provides a real-life example that's informative and reassuring. Appendices listing resources such as books, games, and activities give parents additional material to explore.

Parents of young children -- ages 18 months to 5 years -- recently diagnosed with autism, face the critical decision of which educational treatment program to choose for their child. To help guide them through this complex decision-making process, parents can turn to the revised and updated edition of "Right from the Start". This second edition covers programs that use Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention, a highly effective treatment based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). New information includes the latest research on the benefits of Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention, the types of instruction used (naturalistic instruction and other teaching methods that complement ABA), home-based professionals and their credentials, school-based programs, and more. An Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention program consists of concentrated instruction (at least 40 hours a week) and can be based in the child's home, at a centre (private or university), or more recently, in public schools. Besides the setting, there are many other variables to consider when evaluating a program, and "Right from the Start" thoroughly explores those, including: age of the child; access to typically developing peers; curriculum; teaching strategies; team member credentials; time demands; family finances; home support services; supervision and accountability; behavior management; control over the child's education; visual and auditory distractions; availability of multidisciplinary team. Comprehensive in its coverage and full of personal insight, "Right from the Start" is an essential primer to help families explore the options and select the educational treatment program that best suits them and their child's needs. The many professionals who work closely with these families can also benefit from reading this book.

This user-friendly guide introduces PECS , a simple and empowering communication tool in which partners exchange cards with photos or line drawings representing objects, attributes, and actions.

Help Your Baby Talk includes: * 15 easy-to-follow strategies for having educational "conversations" with babies * A Month-by-Month Baby Development and Activity Guide for the first two years-more than 200 age-appropriate exercises, play songs, and games that grow in complexity to match the baby's development * Advice on how to turn ordinary situations and parental tasks-like feedings and diaper changes-into fun learning opportunities * Watchlists-to help parents know what to expect from their baby at each stage

A book for anyone who works with children, including parents, educators, and therapists. Explains the importance of using all of the senses to develop foundational skills necessary for growing, learning, decision-making, and communication. Written in an easy-to-understand style with examples, ideas, and strategies to enhance learning and promote positive behavior. Includes a Foundational Skills Inventory to use as an assessment tool.

This book presents proceedings from the joint conference, Evidence and Rationales for Comprehensive Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment: Divergence and Convergence, sponsored by the Council on Autism Services and the Autism Partnership. It addresses the growing need for, and current lack of, effective services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compares several key evidence-based interventions. Chapters examine various approaches to ASD treatment, including key concepts, goal development, procedures, and staffing. This unique volume explores fundamental similarities and differences among leading treatment models; discusses the challenges of implementing programs, educating parents, training staff, and funding issues; and speaks to the need for more meaningful collaboration in this multidisciplinary field. Using an integrative perspective, new tools are presented to help readers make informed choices about how to select and advocate for specific treatments and develop individualized interventions for improved outcomes for children with ASD.Featured topics include: The Lovaas Model. The Early Start Denver Model. The New England Center for Children’s Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia (ACE®). The value of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a treatment for autism. Implementation parameters for ASD treatments. Comprehensive Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment is an essential resource for clinicians, practitioners, applied behavior analysts, therapists, educators, and administrators as well as researchers and graduate students in school, clinical child, and developmental psychology, behavior therapy, special education, social work, child and adolescent psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine/therapy, and pediatrics.

Volume 1 :"Recognized as one of the most effective coaching programs for parents of young children (up to age 6) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related social communication delays, this two-book set has been fully revised and updated. It presents everything needed to implement Project ImPACT, an intervention curriculum that teaches parents ways to enhance children's social engagement, communication, imitation, and play skills, within meaningful activities and daily routines. The Guide to Coaching Parents provides a complete introduction and step-by-step coaching procedures for practitioners working with individual parents or groups. The Manual for Parents, which includes 20 reproducible forms, helps parents master the strategies and use them at home. Both volumes have a convenient large-size format. The parent manual is also sold separately (ISBN 978-1-4625-3808-9)." -- Page 4 de la couverture

Autism is an emerging area of basic and clinical research, and has only recently been recognized as a major topic in biomedical research. Approximately 1 in 150 children are diagnosed as autistic, so it is also an intense growth area in behavioral and educational treatments. Financial resources have begun to be raised for more comprehensive research and an increasing number of scientists are becoming involved in autism research. In many respects, autism has become a model for conducting translational research on a psychiatric disorder. This text provides a comprehensive summary of all current knowledge related to the behavioral, experiential, and biomedical features of the autism spectrum disorders including major behavioral and cognitive syndromology, common co-morbid conditions, neuropathology, neuroimmunology, and other neurological correlates such as seizures, allergy and immunology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, and epidemiology. Edited by three leading researchers, this volume contains over 80 chapters and nine shorter commentaries by thought leaders in the field, making the book a virtual "who's who" of autism research. This carefully developed book is a comprehensive and authoritative reference for what we know in this area as well as a guidepost for the next several years in all areas of autism research.