Introducing sandtray play and storying into mainstream and special education classrooms can have an extremely enriching impact on the learning experience. When used effectively, it creates the climate for social, emotional and behavioural growth, incites creativity, and provides a high-interest context for the development of academic skills. Build a world in your sandtray; tell its story; record it; listen to your partner's story - these are the invitations to students in a sandtray play/narrative workshop. The approach gives children a therapeutic means to process inner thoughts and feelings through kinaesthetic play and provides an ideal platform for the development of essential speaking, listening and writing skills as children are taught to share and record the imaginative stories developed in their sandworlds. With detailed case studies, this accessible and classroom-friendly book explains the psychological and educational theory behind the approach and answers all the nuts-and-bolts questions of sandtray/narrative workshop setup, offering a wealth of practical methods that can be applied to a wide spectrum of the student population. This book is an invaluable handbook for teachers and school counselors looking to use play and storying as a way to develop core competencies in children with special educational needs and in the mainstream, and will also be of interest to play therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.

This accessible book presents research-based strategies for supporting K--8 students with high-incidence disabilities in becoming accomplished learners. The authors clearly describe the core components of effective inclusive instruction, showing how to recognize and respond to individual students' needs quickly and appropriately. Teachers are provided with essential tools for managing inclusive classrooms; planning a curriculum that fosters concept development across content areas, promotes strategic learning, and builds fluent skill use; and integrating technology into instruction. Case examples illustrate ways that special and general education teachers can work together successfully to solve complex learning problems and improve outcomes for students who are struggling.

Students on the autism spectrum often face difficulties in the secondary education environment that result from a lack of awareness on the part of their teachers and peers. This guide acquaints teachers with all the information and practical tools needed to understand and support their students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The book presents specific, ready-to-use classroom initiatives with example worksheets, checklists and timetables to help students keep organised with their school work. It also covers general obstacles such as social situations, anxiety, mental health issues and extracurricular activities and how adults can help. Guidance about the leaving school stage and how to ensure the teen is equipped to make the best possible decisions about their future is included. Packed with useful information and examples, this book will be a lifesaving resource for teachers, and everyone else working in secondary education, who want to help their students with autism to stay focused and positive at school.

Containing life-changing strategies and solutions, this book will enable everyone who knows, lives with or works with an individual with autism to achieve a positive relationship that fosters cooperation and mutual respect. The author has dedicated over 20 years to studying, observing and implementing communication strategies that help him, his wife, their three children and his clients experience positive relationships. His immediate family are all on the autism spectrum and they work together to understand one another, resolve misunderstandings, and help each other feel important, loved and respected. Sharing their inspirational personal experiences and interweaving every chapter with practical hints and tips, the book looks at how to get communication working for everyone and emphasizes the importance of laying down ground rules and building confidence. This book will be essential reading for family, friends and professionals who wish to communicate more effectively with those on the autism spectrum.

Homework time can be an ordeal for children with AD/HD. After a long day at school, the child often struggles to concentrate and becomes restless, and the parent is left feeling helpless. With the right strategies, homework can be made a more tolerable and even enjoyable experience for both parent and child. This is a book filled with inspiring methods to motivate children with AD/HD at homework time. Common techniques such as enforcing restrictions and rigid timing techniques can stifle the joy of learning. This book focuses on empowering and enabling the child, acknowledges the characteristics of AD/HD and engages the positive side of these traits. Encouraging movement and creativity, the chapters are brimming with great ideas such as scavenger hunts, singing spelling games and jumping math quizzes that hold the child's attention and make learning fun. By adopting these simple strategies into the daily routine of a child with AD/HD, parents and teachers can take the tears and tantrums out of homework time and pave the way for academic success.

Visual dysfunctions can limit children's concentration, self esteem and school success as they struggle to understand fundamentals such as colors, letters and how to judge distance. With the right help, these obstacles can be overcome, allowing children to reach their full potential and see the world clearly. This accessible book explores how visual problems develop and how they can be reversed through effective and efficient visual therapy. It breaks down myths surrounding visual dysfunction and explains in straightforward terms the various conditions that could be impacting a child's perception, even if they have perfect sight. The visual therapy used in behavioral optometry retrains the brain to perform visual skills more effectively. In these pages there is clear guidance on the array of therapies, techniques and aids available, all of which can make a profound difference to a child's life. This introductory guide to behavioral optometry will be a welcome resource for parents and professionals in search of options to help a child who is experiencing visual problems.

Does your child struggle with brushing their teeth? Is it difficult to get them dressed and undressed each day? Do they struggle to understand their body's relationship to the world? This book is brimming with simple ideas, activities and exercises to address these daily challenges that young children with autism face. Easy to carry out and to fit into your routines, they will help improve a child's sense of body awareness, coordination and motor skills, and address key tasks such as eating meals and healthy sleep. There are also ideas for tackling social challenges, including playing with friends, going on holiday and staying calm at school. The final chapter of the book explains the different support professionals parents of a child with autism are likely to encounter and how each can help their child. This jargon-free book shows how occupational therapy techniques can be used to help your young child with autism to live life to the full, and will be an essential tool for parents and carers.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is recognized as one of the most effective ways to teach children with autism and studies have shown that the earlier the interventions take place the more likely they are to have a profound, positive impact on a child's later development. Using the latest research into best practice for children with autism, this curriculum gives a clear outline on what to teach and how to teach it utilizing the principles of ABA. The book is divided up into three sections, each with built-in data collection, and features a CD with all the material in the book so you can print off the section you are working on. The Assessment section allows you to initially measure the child's level of learning and then track their progress over time. The Curriculum section covers nearly ninety crucial steps in a child's development spread over twelve chapters that each focus on a different pivotal area, such as 'Motor', 'Expressive' and 'Academic' Programs. These are broken down into simple tasks that can be taught and monitored easily. The final Mastered section guarantees that progress can be maintained by checking that learnt skills continue to be retained. Generalization assessment is included throughout to make sure the child has adapted to using the skills in a variety of settings. This book will equip teachers, therapists and parents with a thorough and comprehensive program to help ensure the young learners in their care are achieving developmental goals and are able to reach their full potential as they grow.

Finding a way of simultaneously addressing the sensory, motor, emotional, communicative, cognitive and social needs of children on the autism spectrum can be a real challenge, and choosing from the vast array of options available is a daunting task. This book provides a blueprint for an educational intervention program that is evidence-based, comprehensive in scope and integrative in its approach. Grouping techniques into five categories for discussion, the book examines autism spectrum disorders within a developmental context, and shows that interventions with autistic individuals are not only possible, but can be really successful. Specific intervention strategies and program examples for developing competencies in areas such as joint attention, sensory integration, motor functioning, impulse control, memory, self-awareness, theory of mind and empathy, abstract thinking, problem-solving, social skills and community engagement, are presented. Techniques for dealing with specific behavior problems are also examined, including toileting delays, temper-tantrums, and eating and sleeping problems, amongst many others. This book will be essential reading for families, teachers, and other professionals working with children with autism.

Searching for the right school for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) opens up a huge and complicated world, and it can be difficult to know where to begin. What should you look out for in a school? What questions should you ask? How do you choose between different educational approaches and programmes? This accessible guide cuts through all of the jargon surrounding special educational needs (SEN) and walks parents and professionals through the entire journey of securing appropriate educational provision for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The author explains the implications of having, or not having, a diagnosis; how to obtain a Statement of SEN; how to find and secure an appropriate school; and how to work effectively with outside agencies. She provides clear explanations of all of the legal aspects of the process, including SEN law, the SEN Code of Practice and the new guidelines for SEND tribunals. Recognising that mainstream schooling is not the best option in every case, she also shows that independent schools and home-schooling can be viable options in some cases. A multitude of useful resources, websites and other sources of further information are also included. Whether you are the parent or carer of a child with ASD, or a professional working with children with autism, the ideas and information in this book will steer you through the complex maze of issues surrounding how to secure appropriate education provision for children with ASD.

Can you imagine not being able to recognize those you know if they wore glasses, changed their hairstyle, or perhaps put on a hat? Prosopagnosia is a severe facial recognition disorder that is thought to impact around two per cent of the population. Frequently found in children on the autism spectrum, those with the condition have difficulties distinguishing between one face and the next, meaning that they may not recognize even those who are closest to them. Nancy L. Mindick provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with an accessible explanation of the different types, causes, and characteristics of prosopagnosia. Providing an insider's perspective on the condition, she suggests ways to recognize the signs of facial recognition difficulties in children, and offers specific ideas for ensuring that they are properly supported in their learning and social development. The issues of diagnosis and disclosure are explored, and the author offers practical management strategies for helping children to cope with the condition and to navigate the many different social situations they will encounter at home, at school, and in the community. This book offers specific, practical information for parents, teachers, child psychologists, and anyone else who wishes to support the learning and development of a child with a facial recognition disorder.