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Books and Videos on Autism Spectrum Disorders

Topics: ABA, Sensory, Social Skills, Speech, Therapies and Children's Books

Our reviews of the best books and videos on autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, grouped by categories. For more topics, click here or see the list box in the left column.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behavior (VB)

The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children With Autism and Related Disorders by Mary Lynch Barbera, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and parent of a child with autism, and Tracy Rasmussen. One of the few parent-oriented books about using Verbal Behavior to teach communication, speech, self-help skills, potty-training and more.

Educate Toward Recovery: Turning the Tables on Autism by Robert Schramm, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. A teaching manual for parents who are new to the concepts and language of Verbal Behavior therapy. He includes information on children who don't respond to conventional ABA methods, and on how VB can be used along with the Relationship Development Intervention method.

Right from the Start: Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism by Sandra L. Harris and Mary Jane Weiss, ABA experts at Rutgers. A guide to Applied Behavioral Analysis methods and how they can be used to teach speech, language, social skills and self-help skills through repetition and rewards. Harris and Weiss help parents evaluate school programs, home ABA and center-based ABA.

A Work in Progress: Behavior Management Strategies and A Curriculum for Intensive Behavioral Treatment of Autism edited by Drs. Ron Leaf and John McEachin. This ABA classic provides practical advice and easy-to-understand explanations about how to set up an ABA program. It discusses how to teach toilet training, social skills, play skills and conversation, along with how to address eating problems and disruptive behavior.

The ABA Program Companion: Organizing Quality Programs for Children With Autism and PDD. This book and CD-ROM by J. Tyler Fovel explains ABA, how to teach language and social skills, and organize your child's program. The CD helps you choose from 500-plus educational goals in 54 areas, based upon the curriculum outlined in Dr. Leaf's A Work in Progress.

Speech Therapy

Baby Babble by speech therapists Baby Babble - Speech-Enhancing DVD for Babies and Toddlers. Created by speech pathologists, this popular DVD uses sign language, facial exercises, and speech sounds and words to promote speech development in babies, late talkers and kids with developmental delays. Volume 2 is Baby Babble 2 - First Words: P B M sounds.

Do-Watch-Listen-Say: Social and Communication Intervention for Children with Autism. Kathleen Ann Quill show parents, teachers and speech pathologists how to teach children social and communication skills.

Videos by Bee Smart Baby Vocabulary Builder 1 introduce words through simple scenes that show different types of the object being taught. Good for children with speech delays, PDD or autism.

Baby Signing Time Volume 1 DVD teaches signs and words to toddlers and preschoolers. Engaging format.

Therapies and Teaching Methods

Engaging Autism: The Floortime Approach Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think. Stanley Greenspan M.D. and Serena Wieder Ph.D. explain the Floortime method of playing with a young child in order to teach social interaction and communication skills. They encourage a broader view of autism along with a play-based learning method.

Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew by popular author Ellen Notbohm. "Chapter One, 'Learning is Circular,' all the way through chapter ten, 'Teach Me How to Fish,' fills those of us who love someone with autism with hope and encouragement. We can do this," says Nancy Cale of Unlocking Autism.

Relationship Development Intervention with Young Children: Social and Emotional Development Activities for Asperger Syndrome, Autism, PDD and NLD by Steven E. Gutstein. Dr. Gutstein developed the Relationship Development Intervention Program (RDI) to help children become excited about expanding their world, rather than to be afraid of it. Many families are using RDI in addition to ABA and other teaching methods.

Social Skills

Model Me Kids: Videos For Modeling Social Skills for children and teens with autism and Asperger's. Model Me Confidence DVD teaches self-esteem; topics include peer pressure, self-advocacy, choosing friends and group discussion. Time For School features a child narrator and elementary school children modeling conversation and behavior at school. Topics include saying hello, listening to the teacher, showing interest in others and playground behavior. Time for a Playdate shows how to greet your guest, talk about a topic and more.

The Social Story Book by Carol Gray The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray. Gray helps parents and teachers create stories to teach children with autism and Asperger's how to act in different social situations. This new edition has more than 150 stories that explain to kids how to listen, respond to a bully, switch to a new activity, and more. Includes a CD with stories that you can edit to fit your child's or student's needs, and then print.

Autism/Aspergers: Solving the Relationship Puzzle by Dr. Steven E. Gutstein. Psychologist Gutstein sought to discover why children with autism lack the social skills that come so easily to others. The result is his Relationship Development Intervention program for teaching social skills.

Autism Social Skills Book The Autism Social Skills Picture Book by Jed Baker Ph.D. Aimed at elementary and middle schoolers, it teaches skills such as how to maintain and end a conversation, how to greet someone, how to interrupt someone, how to accept "no" for an answer, and what to do when feeling frustrated by an assignment. Kids will like the photos showing the right and wrong ways of handling common social situations.

Playing it Right! Social Skills Activities for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Including Asperger Syndrome and Autism. Rachael Bareket provides a series of activities to help preschoolers and elementary school students develop social skills.

Join In and Play and other children's books by Cheri J. Meiners are designed to teach kids social skills. They show what children should do and say in common social situations. Other books in this series include Share and Take Turns, Understand and Care and Be Polite and Kind. Siblings will enjoy these, too.

Sensory Integration

The Out of Sync Child The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz. Does your child spin, fear swings or refuse to eat certain textures of food? This popular book explains sensory integration disorder in children who may or may not have another diagnosis. Includes suggestions for activities you can provide at home to help your child learn to regulate his senses. A companion book by Kranowitz is:

The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder shows you how to create fun and educational activities at home. Includes "recipes" for Shaving Cream Car Wash, Paper Bag Kick Ball, and other activities for different ages and sensory problems.

Early Intervention Games for Children with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorders Early Intervention Games: Fun, Joyful Ways to Develop Social and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum or Sensory Processing Disorders by Barbara Sher, an occupational therapist. Includes many games parents and teachers can play with kids to teach social skills, beginning and end, hand-eye coordination and language skills.

101 Games and Activities for Children With Autism, Aspergers and Sensory Processing Disorders by occupational therapist Tara Delaney. Recipes for fun activities to improve sensory, communication, social and motor skills. Includes a section for adapting popular board games for a special child.

Children's Books about Autism and Asperger's

Autism coloring book My Friend with Autism: A Coloring Book for Peers and Siblings by Beverly Bishop. Bishop, a teacher, wrote this book for teachers and students at her son's elementary school to help them understand his autism.

Everybody Is Different: A Book for Young People Who Have Brothers or Sisters With Autism. The author, art therapist Fiona Bleach, promotes acceptance of autism. For ages 4-8.

The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone With Autism by Ellen Sabin. An interactive and character-building book about the challenges of autism. It focuses on respecting everybody's differences and treating others the way you would want to be treated. For ages 9 to 12.

Special Education Law and Advocacy

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide. A must-read for every parent trying to get the best program possible from the school system. Lawyer Peter Wright and psychotherapist Pamela Wright explain special education law, how to interpret and and use test scores, how to write letters to school officials, and how to be an effective advocate. Easy to understand. Includes sample letters for you to use.

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs uses a Q&A format to explain special ed jargon, plus a handy reference guide to help you look up information quickly at meetings.

Educating Children with Autism by the National Research Council. An excellent resource for parents seeking research to support their educational requests. It examines the research and claims behind the major teaching methods; identifies the characteristics of effective preschool and school programs; and discusses ways to better prepare teachers and parents.

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