Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

What do you do when a three-year-old with autism falls on the floor kicking and screaming?

How do you communicate with a child who looks away and flaps his hands?

Who can help if you suspect a child in your class has autism?

Preschool can be overwhelming for a child with autism. Autism affects how a child communicates, behaves, and relates to others. Teachers need to know what they can do to help children with autism reach their full potential.

Teaching Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder is a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to working with children who have autism. It explains the major characteristics associated with autism and helps teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world. Each chapter offers specific strategies for teachers to use, including setting up a proactive preschool environment, helping children learn life skills, managing behavior, helping children with autism communicate, encouraging children with autism to play, helping them to get along with others, and working with families. Teaching Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder helps teachers connect with all children in meaningful ways, allowing children with autism to learn and grow.

Chapters Include:

• Putting All the Pieces Together: Understanding This Puzzle Called Autism
• From Hand-Flapping to Obsession with Routines: The Way Children With Autism Relate to Their World
• Planning for Success: Setting Up a Proactive Preschool Environment Learning Life Skills
• Misbehavior or Missed Communication: Managing the Behaviors of Children With Autism
• Signs, Symbols, and Language: Helping a Child Communicate
• Inside Their Own World: Encouraging Children With Autism to Play
• Building Social Skills: Getting Along With Others
• Lights! Camera! Action! Sensory Integration and Autism
• We're All in This Together: Teaming Up With Families

• iParenting Media Award
• Mom's Choice Award

Reviews

"Our statewide resource center contains a large and comprehensive collection on ASD for parents and professionals. With increased early diagnosis, this book promises to be a popular and highly recommended title in the collection. Well-designed for regular use."

"Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an in-depth look at how to understand and help young children who are struggling with these disorders. I have seen many different books for preschoolers and kids with special needs. The unique thing about this one is that it addresses not just the academic issues, as many of these books do, but the social and practical aspects as well....A very useful resource."

"This book helps teachers and parents make meaningful connections with children who are diagnosed with autism. It clarifies professional jargon. Much of the information is presented with an interesting question and answer format, e.g. what are the major types of autism, why would a child want to injure himself, can children with autism learn basic problem solving, how do I know if a child with autism is sick. She offers suggestions about the creating a helpful preschool environment, learning life skills, helping a child communicate, building social skills, etc."

• Introduction to Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder