Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Picture of Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
A Practitioner's Guide
Edited by James K. Luiselli
Oxford University Press, 2011
Paperback / 240 pages
$45.00
The number of children diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically in the last decade, and a growing number of behavior analysts, psychologists, educators, and speech pathologists-to name a few-are just starting to regularly treat individuals with autism. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require specialized instruction and behavior support to teach them critical skills and establish a meaningful quality of life. However, these objectives can only be achieved if professional and paraprofessional service providers have access to the most effective evidence-based and empirically supported methods for teaching children with autism. Similarly, practitioners must know about effective intervention methods that can be implemented to reduce and eliminate problem behaviors frequently displayed by people who have ASD. 

This guide is an indispensible asset, appropriate for any behavioral specialist, on all aspects of this increasingly prevalent disorder. Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder brings together contributed chapters on assessment, instruction, and behavioral intervention procedures unique to the autism population. Each chapter covers a single topic according to a uniform format, which will ease comprehension and facilitate procedural adaptation in "real world" settings such as school, home, and the community. Usable advice and methods for teaching difficult skills, such as self-care, verbal language, and communication, are provided. Authored by recognized experts, the concise and readable chapters also feature forms, illustrations, summary tables, and resource lists to further guide practitioners in selecting "best practice" methods. Taking into account specific settings, different age groups, and practitioner experience, this book will serve as a resource for educators, psychologists, and behavior specialists in the field of autism education and treatment, and as an educational tool for those enrolled in university classes training to become practitioners.

Features

  • Each chapter is authored by a leading expert of autistic spectrum disorders
  • Provides usable advice and methods for teaching difficult skills, such as self-care and verbal language and communication

Reviews

"This book provides practitioners with a concise and practical overview of critical evidence-based approaches. It is a well-organized and readable resource that should be required reading for anyone working with people on the autism spectrum." --V. Mark Durand, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Co-Editor, Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions

"In this volume Dr. Luiselli has assembled an impressive breadth of information in a condensed format. Nationally recognized clinicians and scholars provide 27 chapters that distil current knowledge across four large sections. The result allows families and practitioners to survey the evidence-based assessment, instruction and intervention approaches most likely to be helpful for children and adults with ASD."--Rob Horner, Ph.D., Alumni-Knight Professor, Special Education and Director, Educational and Community Supports Research Unit, University of Oregon

"Dr. Luiselli is a master editor who, in this volume, has compiled a rich, well-organized collection of practical tips and suggestions for helping people with autism spectrum disorders. This promises to be a heavily-used guidebook that will prove its worth over and over again. This well-organized volume is a rare and eminently useful contribution to the applied literature. It will be of great value to all professionals and parents concerned with helping people with ASD."--Glen Dunlap, Ph.D., Division of Applied Research and Educational Support, Department of Child and Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida

"This book provides guidance in a number of important areas for practitioners working with individuals with autism. James K. Luiselli is a well known and well respected applied researcher in autism and other developmental disabilities. He has built a career on excellent work in helping adults and children. This book contains sections on assessment, teaching skills, reducing problem behavior, and a 'catch-all' section dealing with important topics such as discrete trial and natural teaching styles, generalization, and parent training, among other topics. The coverage is very comprehensive; thus, practitioners should be able to find most content areas about which they need direction. This guide can help any practitioner experienced in ASD with state-of-the art applications in a host of areas needed for the provision of comprehensive services."--John R. Lutzker, Ph. D., Director, Center for Healthy Development, Georgia State University