This comprehensive and accessible guide contains everything that needs to be known in order to set up and run a Minecraft (R) Social Group for children with autism spectrum disorders. Minecraft (R), often described as 'digital Lego', provides an ideal forum to help children with autism and related conditions to develop social and communication skills. This book offers guidance on how to use the game to support the learning of social and emotional concepts such as having a conversation, showing interest in others and understanding another person's point of view. With over 100 pages of photocopiable and downloadable session plans, visuals and handouts, this manual is essential reading for professionals working with autism who are interested in introducing Minecraft (R) to support social skill development in their students.

Using creativity as a lens to explore the meaningful learning experiences of autistic youth, Carrie Snow evaluates and challenges common conceptions about autism and offers a strengths-based demonstration of the many ways that autistic people express creativity and imagination. She then identifies key qualities of education that are commonly cited by autistic people to be significant to the development of fulfilling lives, healthy identities, promising careers and vocations, and creativity in general. This important resource shows how educators can support autistic K-12 students in public, private, inclusive as well as specialized schools. Creativity and the Autistic Student forwards the idea that autistic people offer valuable skills and abilities that can strengthen communities, within school and beyond.

This invaluable resource offers a wealth of strategies enabling you to support children with autism in the mainstream classroom. Cutting through the jargon and recognising the huge variety of ways in which children's perceptions, feelings and behaviours may be affected by autism, the text is packed with practical advice to help you create a classroom environment which will meet the needs of the individual child. Each chapter in the book addresses some of the most common social, practical and behavioural difficulties that a child with autism may face at school, and details tried and tested approaches for improving their experiences and outcomes in your classroom. Topics discussed include: classroom layout, timetables and rules effective communication supporting learning and setting targets breaks, unstructured times and school trips challenging behaviours Supporting Children with Autism in the Primary Classroom - A Practical Approach is a highly accessible resource which will give primary teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, and parents, the confidence and knowledge they need to support young children with autism.

An essential guide for any professionals working with autistic children and young adults, this book provides expert insights which need to be considered by professionals, parents and autistic people alike. It covers key themes such as anxiety and wellbeing, transition into adulthood, sexuality, intersectionality, and many more. A unique blend of first-hand experience, parental guidance and professional advice is provided from prominent figures in the autism field to offer you an overview of the important issues of today, to help you understand and better support autistic young people.

The ASD Feel Better Book is designed to help children on the autism spectrum develop insight into what can upset them and make them feel bad and then increase their awareness of how to make themselves feel good again. With visual maps and icons, the book proceeds through various components of the body and mind to isolate many of the things that can go wrong and explores how children can try to set them right. Designed to be read with an adult, there are problem-solving exercises and skills practice in the form of activities, games and worksheets.

Children and teenagers with autism can struggle to cope with the loss of a loved one, and the complicated and painful emotions of bereavement. This book explains death in concrete terms that the child with autism will understand, explores feelings that the child may encounter as a part of bereavement, and offers creative and expressive activities that facilitate healing. With illustrations throughout, this interactive book begins with a simple story about what happens when people die. Each chapter then expands on the issues that have been raised in the story and offers a variety of coping skills exercises including writing, art and craft, cooking, movement, relaxation, and remembrance activities. Encouraging children with autism to express their loss through discussion, personal reflection, and creative activity, the book is ideal for children and teens to work through by themselves, or with the support of a family member or professional.

This updated book offers a comprehensive understanding of music therapy services for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families in home, preschool, and community settings. It addresses recent diagnostic features, evidence-based practices, and effective music therapy interventions backed by rigorous scientific evidence. Determining eligibility, gathering information, and identifying intervention goals for children with ASD are addressed in the assessment chapter followed by prominent approaches applied in music therapy practice. Managing sensory processing and communication issues that may interfere with everyday life is discussed from an interdisciplinary perspective. Inclusion and family practices, effective advocacy efforts, and a reflection of life journeys of four music therapists who are parents of children with ASD conclude the 15 engaging and resourceful chapters.

The acclaimed approach to helping children with autism, profiled in the award-winning documentary "Autism: The Musical"

This groundbreaking book outlines seven integrated keys for educators and parents to make meaningful connections with children on the autism spectrum. The book is based on the unique approach used by Elaine Hall and Diane Isaacs of The Miracle Project, a musical theater program for children with autism and their peers and siblings. The Miracle Project integrates traditional and creative therapies in an interactive, social dynamic. The book shows how to apply these effective strategies at school and at home to nurture kids' self-expression and social skills.Elaine Hall and The Miracle Project were profiled in the two-time Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, "Autism: The Musical""Seven Keys" reveals the seven-step program that has proven so successful for children in the Miracle ProjectAfter reading "Seven Keys" teachers and parents will better understand this puzzling disorder and be able to help children with autism draw connections and form more meaningful relationships

"Seven Keys to Unlock Autism" offers readers strategies for creating a personal skill set to make their encounters with autistic children as successful and rewarding as possible.

"We each have Skype accounts and use them to discuss [Moby-Dick] face to face. Once a week, we spread the worded whale out in front of us; we dissect its head, eyes, and bones, careful not to hurt or kill it. The Professor and I are not whale hunters. We are not letting the whale die. We are shaping it, letting it swim through the Web with a new and polished look."-Tito Mukhopadhyay Since the 1940s researchers have been repeating claims about autistic people's limited ability to understand language, to partake in imaginative play, and to generate the complex theory of mind necessary to appreciate literature. In See It Feelingly Ralph James Savarese, an English professor whose son is one of the first nonspeaking autistics to graduate from college, challenges this view. Discussing fictional works over a period of years with readers from across the autism spectrum, Savarese was stunned by the readers' ability to expand his understanding of texts he knew intimately. Their startling insights emerged not only from the way their different bodies and brains lined up with a story but also from their experiences of stigma and exclusion. For Mukhopadhyay Moby-Dick is an allegory of revenge against autism, the frantic quest for a cure. The white whale represents the autist's baffling, because wordless, immersion in the sensory. Computer programmer and cyberpunk author Dora Raymaker skewers the empathetic failings of the bounty hunters in Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Autistics, some studies suggest, offer instruction in embracing the nonhuman. Encountering a short story about a lonely marine biologist in Antarctica, Temple Grandin remembers her past with an uncharacteristic emotional intensity, and she reminds the reader of the myriad ways in which people can relate to fiction. Why must there be a norm? Mixing memoir with current research in autism and cognitive literary studies, Savarese celebrates how literature springs to life through the contrasting responses of unique individuals, while helping people both on and off the spectrum to engage more richly with the world.

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be very challenging, particularly for parents who do not have easy access to psychological treatment. This book presents parent training as a unique approach that is not only more accessible but is also one of the most promising methods for promoting long-term behavioral improvements in children with ASD. Backed by decades of research, parent training is a psychotherapeutic technique in which parents are main drivers of change for their children. The clinician passes knowledge to the parents and teaches them more effective parenting skills and behaviors. This clinical guide shows practitioners how to apply this approach with families of children with ASD. Readers will learn strategies for implementing various assessment and intervention techniques, and for maintaining parental engagement throughout treatment. Individual chapters focus on the most common issues that parents of children with ASD struggle with, including social and communication deficits; disruptive behaviors; sleep disturbances; tendencies to wander off; and key life skills, like feeding and toileting. Vivid case examples demonstrate this clinical guidance being applied in realistic scenarios.

The emotional and behavioral problems of students in the classroom are a major concern for teachers, parents, and administrators. Fifty years of scientific research supports the efficacy of behavioral interventions in the classroom, yet school psychologists and teachers are often unaware of this evidence or of how to apply it. As diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to rise, school psychologists today must have the theoretical and practical knowledge to assess, treat, and intervene on behalf of all children, including those with ASD. This fully updated second edition includes new chapters on screening and diagnosis of ASD, discrete trials training, pivotal response training, verbal behavior interventions, and structured teaching approaches. Contributors also describe interventions for using cognitive behavior therapy with children and families to treat a variety of symptoms and behaviors. This book provides school psychologists, counselors, social workers, school administrators, and teachers with the primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention and prevention strategies they need to succeed in today's classroom.

This easy-to-use resource is a compilation of theoretical background and concrete approaches designed to increase understanding and outline strategies to support autistic children and young people who experience anxiety in the school environment. This resource also has practical application for parents, carers and professionals across a range of educational and community-based settings. Using real life examples and case studies, the book explains and explores the different forms of anxiety and their impact across the school environment. Each chapter offers practical information and strategies that may help reduce the negative symptoms of anxiety and help support emotional resilience across home and school environments. Key features of this book include: Chapters aimed at enhancing the understanding of anxiety in autism, considering potential triggers of anxiety, discussion on cognitive theories, social communication and means of assessing anxiety. A wealth of downloadable anxiety management strategies and resources that can be adapted and used by a teacher, parent or other professional. This resource has been developed by the multidisciplinary team at Middletown Centre for Autism, and is a useful resource for the busy parent, teacher and other professionals who wish to provide individualised support strategies for anxiety across a range of settings.

This book is for parents and professionals who are guiding adolescents and young adult children with high functioning autism or Asperger's toward employment and independence. Employers are looking for employees who are positive. Employers may list specific "hard" or technical skills that they want an employee to have for a particular job, but surveys show that employers most want to hire people who have positive "soft skills." Employers want to hire someone who can work in harmony with others, someone who can communicate and respond socially to customers, coworkers, and supervisors with positivity. Unfortunately for young people with autism/Asperger's, hard skills may come easily but soft skills are much more difficult to learn and use. This book will help you focus on your child's positivity in their interactions with others, and will help you guide him or her to respond positively to the many challenges he or she faces every day.

Seeing Autism is a comprehensive but easy-to-understand guidebook for caretakers, parents, educators, counselors, therapists, and researchers on various aspects of rearing and supporting children with autism spectrum disorder. It provides textual and visual information on technology tools, symptoms, diagnosis, auditory, sensory, visual, physical, and educational issues, as well as strategies and practices to help children on the Autism Spectrum reach their potential. Seeing Autism uniquely capitalizes on sketchnotes, a visual thinking tool, to communicate information and practices. Sketchnotes provide a unique space that can help the reader think differently, generate a variety of ideas, explore alternatives, and develop constructive points for expressing ideas and developing visual communication aids. This book will assist parents, educators, and professionals in schools (counselors, school psychologists, librarians) who work with children diagnosed with ASD; it will help readers increase their knowledge of autism and gain an appreciation for evidence-based practices and forms of technology that can be used to support learners on the autism spectrum. "This book is a call to arms and is as much a resource for the family friend as it is for the provider coming to the home. In the book Seeing Autism, Dr. Demetria Ennis-Cole helps individuals gain an incredible perspective and learn the struggles, challenges and joys of families rearing children, teens and adults on the spectrum. This book covers the entire spectrum and is a fantastic mix of research, parent perspective, and even sketchnotes for visual learners. The material is well-balanced and is a great resource to support individuals on the spectrum at home, in the community or in the classroom." Brad McGarry Father, Speaker, Author and Director of the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University

A practical guide to the innovative Autism Movement Therapy (R) (AMT) approach - structured movement and music classes designed to stimulate the brain, aid sensory processing and decrease problem behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorders. Reflecting a growing interest in the body-brain connection, and incorporating the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, the AMT approach uses music and movement to develop audio, visual, gross motor and spatial awareness skills in children with autism. The book breaks down the components of the typical 45 minute session, from circle games to story dances, and explains how the reader can create their own AMT program. This exciting new approach will complement other therapeutic techniques for children on the autism spectrum and can be used by a wide range of professionals, such as teachers, arts therapists and dance instructors, as well as parents and carers.

This book takes a fresh look at approaches to teaching reading, writing and communication skills. It presents a wealth of innovative ideas specifically designed to support visual learners, including those with autism spectrum conditions and special educational needs. Some children are more responsive to visual stimulation than spoken words, and this book shows how to engage these children in literacy lessons by using strategies that cover everything from the latest assistive technology to getting creative on a limited budget. There are tips for sharing stories with children who find it hard to sit still, supporting reluctant writers, enabling the pre-verbal child to answer questions and helping the child who never stops talking to develop listening skills. The strategies are supported by practical resources, examples and case studies, to show how to instil in children the confidence to create and share their thoughts. This is a must-have resource for special education teachers and coordinators, as well as speech and language therapists, looking for new strategies for teaching literacy.

This choose your own adventure story is a unique, illustrated resource and a compelling mystery, focused on developing the social skills of children on the autistic spectrum. Trapped in Tudor England in 1535, in a world very different from their own, the reader must take on the role of the main character and work out why horses are mysteriously dying. Confronted by challenging social situations and decisions that will either help or hinder the narrative, they need to solve the mystery in order to get home. The story provides a springboard for children to test out different actions and to experience a range of possible consequences and pathways. Decisions the reader must make tackle challenges such as working together and overcoming conflict, processing information and managing emotions and anxiety. This book: is an engaging interactive story to enable discussion and create moments for deeper thinking and self-reflection; can be used either in small groups or 1:1 intervention; links directly to worksheets from the accompanying teacher resource, providing a personalised development tool that can be flexible according to the child's needs. Although created with girls in mind, positioning the reader as the main character allows all children to become fully immersed in the narrative. This is an invaluable resource to develop social skills and build confi dence among children aged 8-12.

This teacher resource is filled with worksheets, tasks and activities focused on developing the social skills of children on the autistic spectrum aged 8-12. It has been created to be used alongside the story Finding Kite: A Social Skills Adventure Story, although activities can stand alone as a programme of intervention. Each task encourages young people to think about their own experiences, challenges and goals, building self-esteem and confidence along the way. Suitable for use in small groupsor 1:1, the worksheets are flexible in design, allowing the facilitator to respond to the needs of each child. Key features of this resource include: * engaging activities divided into sections focused on 'making sense of my world' and 'connecting with others'; * photocopiable and downloadable worksheets, filled with opportunities for reflection and discussion; * the option to use it alongside the engaging, choose your own adventure story, Finding Kite, which immerses the reader in a sensory adventure. Designed for students aged 8-12, this resource provides an invaluable opportunity to build an understanding of the complexities of social dynamics. Although created with girls on the autistic spectrum in mind, it can be used with students of different genders and adapted for their needs.

Offering a unique overview of a child's point of view of life with autism, this guidebook will help parents and teachers better understand how this condition is experienced in day to day life. Organised by topic for easy reference, it explores the issues that can arise in everyday situations from toilet training to homework. Learning points, situation-specific activities, and further resources offer practical guidance, while discussion tools such as original poetry illustrate the perspectives of children with autism. Concise and accessible, this book takes a creative approach to understanding autism, and will be an invaluable reference book.

Music Education for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Resource for Teachers provides foundational information about autism spectrum disorder and strategies for engaging students with ASD in music-based activities such as singing, listening, moving, and playing instruments. This practical resource supplies invaluable frameworks for teachers who work with early-years students. The book first provides readers with background information about ASD and how students with this condition manage their behaviors in school environments. It then progresses to provide teachers with information about planning music-based instruction for students on the spectrum. In the book's midsection, readers learn how students with ASD perceive, remember, and articulate pitch perception. Following chapters present a series of practical ideas for engaging students with ASD though songs and singing and concentrate on skills in music listening, most notably on activities that motivate students with ASD to interact with others through joint attention. Challenges that individuals with ASD experience in motor processing are examined, including difficulties with gait and coordination, motor planning, object control, and imitation. This is followed by practical teaching suggestions for engaging students with activities in which movement is mediated through sound (e.g., drum beats) and music. Closing chapters introduce non-pitched percussion instruments along with activities in which children engage in multisensory experiences by playing instruments-musical activities described in preceding chapters are combined with stories and drama to create musical narratives. Music Education for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is accompanied by a companion website that supplies helpful supplemental materials including audio of songs notated in the book for easy access.

Award-winning author of the How Do I Teach This Kid series, Kim Henry extends her expertise to the realm of reading. In this book, she presents simple instructional strategies for developing early literacy skills in young children with autism. She provides evidence-based research to support her strategies and addresses topics such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Included are creative activities and interesting lesson plans that can be easily adapted or combined with other teaching methods to suit teachers' and students' individual needs. A bonus CD of printable lesson plans is also included!

This practical resource is brimming with exciting ideas and guidance for motivating children with autism and other communication difficulties. The clear, user-friendly format enables quick access to over 300 practical, fun-filled games and activities for developing your child's communication skills. The book suggests creative ways to use everyday toys and objects. For example, if your child likes to pop bubbles, perhaps he would also enjoy counting bubbles, catching bubbles on a wand, stomping them with his feet or even playing bubble volleyball The innovative ideas in this book have been developed over 40 years of clinical and educational experience, and are designed to be fun for both the adult and the child. All resources mentioned in this book are readily available and can be used to advance communication skills at all levels, from reaching out for an item, to extending verbal communication. Motivate to Communicate is perfect for supporting parents, care-givers and professionals in motivating and developing the communication skills of children on the autism spectrum.

The teenage years are associated with high levels of uncertainty and anxiety, compounded by academic and social demands, and physical and emotional changes. They can be especially tough for teenagers who learn differently. This workbook contains a host of practical activities for teachers and other adults supporting young people with learning differences, whether at home or in the classroom. Drawing on their years of first hand experience, and up to the minute research, the authors outline a trans-diagnostic framework for identifying what might be behind a student's behaviour. They show how the first crucial step all practitioners must take is to work out what could be causing a teen's feelings of anxiety or uncertainty, and how this can be addressed. The activities in this workbook are organised into three sections, each addressing one of the three key areas where anxiety or uncertainty can be found: the structural, sensory and social domains. The tried-and-tested worksheets and activities present a much-needed alternative to a diagnosis-led approach. They can be used with any teenager, with or without a diagnosis, in classroom settings, intervention groups, or one to one work. The Anxiety Workbook will help you to really understand and address the needs of the SEN students you support, thereby improving their well-being, confidence and self-esteem and empowering them to get the most out of their education.

Ideal for preparing SLPs and other clinicians to make sound decisions, this casebook gives readers in-depth, real world demonstrations of today's evidence-based interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Developed as a companion to the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder textbook-but equally useful as a standalone casebook-this resource offers 14 realistic case studies that walk readers through common clinical challenges and help them hone their planning and problem-solving skills. Aligned with the 14 intervention chapters in the companion text, the case studies each include: A complete profile of the child's strengths and needs, with a special focus on communication and social skills An overview of assessment practices that inform communication treatment planning A discussion of the clinical problem-solving processes used to identify treatment goals and strategies An intervention plan used to achieve the child's goals, with details on implementation and modifications A report on the child's outcomes A set of learning activities to help readers apply their knowledge A one-of-a-kind practical resource developed by clinical experts, this casebook will help both current and future professionals understand today's widely used autism interventions-and prepare to implement them effectively in their own practice. GET THE BUNDLE: Buy this casebook as a bundle with its companion textbook, Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition. The new edition of this essential text gives SLPs the foundation they need to evaluate, select, and implement 14 of today's widely used interventions.