Identify the best interventions to fit the unique needs of each learner with autism

Whatever your role-general or special education teacher, school counselor, therapist, behavior analyst, administrator-you undoubtedly interact with learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are committed to helping them succeed and thrive.

This easy-to-use accessible guide summarizes more than 75 interventions and rates each based on the most recent evidence of effectiveness and safety.

Features include:

• A summary of interventions and treatments from a comprehensive variety of domains organized into 11 categories, including behavioral interventions, visual supports, social and emotional skills training, and physiological interventions, as well as interventions that have the potential for causing harm
• An evidence-based five-point scale that clearly rates each intervention's effectiveness for specific learners
• Guidance for working with colleagues and families to choose and implement the most promising treatments

Written by educators with decades of experience and expertise in a variety of settings, many of whom are also Board Certified Behavior Analysts, this comprehensive guide is an indispensable resource for all those who serve students with ASD.

About the Author
Kaye Otten has a doctorate from The University of Kansas in special education with an emphasis in emotional, behavioral, and autism spectrum disorders and is a board certified behavior analyst with Summit Behavioral Services specializing in school based services. She provides collaborative coaching to school districts in developing evidence based multi-tiered systems of behavioral support and serves as adjunct faculty with The Mandt System, an international leader in crisis prevention and intervention. Kaye has over thirty years of experience in public and private schools as a general and special educator and behavioral consultant and has experience working with all ages, ability levels, and disability categories. She is the co-author of the book How to Reach and Teach Children with Challenging Behavior: Practical Ready-To-Use Strategies that Work and the online professional development courses Managing Challenging Behavior: Part 1-Antecedent Strategies and Part 2-Consequence Strategies provided by Exceptional Child of Vector Solutions. Sonja R. de Boer is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) and obtained her Ph.D. in special education and psychology and research in education at the University of Kansas, with an emphasis on early intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Richard Simpson was her advisor through her doctorate program. She has approximately 30 years of experience working in early childhood special education, early intervention services, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), with students with disabilities, and specifically children with ASD. For children with ASD, she has designed and supervised in-home intervention programs (ages 0-10), preschool programs (ages 3-6; both intensive ABA and inclusive preschools), as well as elementary school educational and behavioral programs (ages 5-12). For more than half of her career, she has focused on serving students with ASD and their families and educators in rural communities. She is currently a faculty member for Tufts University Medical Center in Child Psychiatry and provides training and consultation around the nation regarding interventions for children with ASD. Besides the United States, she has worked with professionals, universities, non-profit organizations and families with children with ASD and other disabilities in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Russia, Nigeria, China, Chile, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She is the author of the book Successful Inclusion Practices for Children with Autism: Creating a Complete, Effective, ASD Inclusion Program (currently being revised and updated for publication); Discrete Trial Training, 2nd edition (part of the How To Series on Autism Spectrum Disorders); and is one of the original co-authors of the first edition of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Interventions and Treatments for Children and Youth written with Richard Simpson in 2005. Leslie Bross is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Special Education and Child Development at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Charlotte. She serves as the director of the Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program at UNC Charlotte. Leslie earned her doctoral degree from the University of Kansas in 2019 with an emphasis in evidence-based practices and ASD. Her primary research interest is examining ways to support individuals with ASD during their transition to adulthood in the areas of postsecondary education, competitive employment, and community integration. Prior to her experiences in higher education, Leslie was a special education teacher for six years in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She taught social skills for secondary students with ASD and established a community-based employment program. She also taught English as a second language in Nagasaki, Japan and Barcelona, Spain.

Reviews

"The field of autism and education has had a difficult time closing the research to practice gap. That is why this book has been so refreshing to read. As practitioners, researchers, and parents of a child with autism, we found it to be a valuable resource for determining which interventions are effective for which individuals and which ones are little more than fads and false promises. What we found especially important is that this book was written by researchers and practitioners with-real world classroom experience using many of the interventions and we loved the practitioner testimonials that provide a glimpse of how they are implemented in their classrooms. This is an easy to read and use guide for teachers who want to discover what interventions are likely to be most effective in providing the best educational opportunities for students with autism."

-- Matt McNiff, PhD and Brenda McNiff, EdD

"In this comprehensive compendium, an experienced collection of authors offers practical guidance for those charged with supporting individuals with ASD, their families, and teachers. The book covers an extensive range of practices and will be an asset for any educator or school leader looking to ensure their educational programs for students with ASD are rooted in research evidence. It will also serve as a valuable resource for families advocating for appropriate school-based supports. Well done, team! Dr. Simpson would be proud."

-- Robert C. Pennington

"In this thorough review of interventions for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Drs. Otten, de Boer, and Bross have updated and extended the work of their beloved mentor, Rich Simpson. The volume is written by teachers, those who have been and currently serve on the front lines of imparting instruction, the classroom. The editors' intent is for the book to function as a resource guide so that practitioners can, under one cover, review the appropriateness of practices to improve the overall quality of life for the students they serve. They have fulfilled this goal."

-- Fred Spooner

"In the age of social-media and 'new initiatives' being promoted year after year, it can be overwhelming for teachers to know where to begin when choosing interventions, especially for social, emotional, and behavioral skills. The Educator's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder provides a systematic breakdown of evidence-based practices organized in a cohesive format that allows teachers to quickly and easily find information relevant to their particular student needs. Interventions and research are described in easy-to read language and each section includes recommended student characteristics or prerequisite skills, as well as a rating to help teachers discern the potential effectiveness or even possibly harmful effects for their specific students. I especially love that this book includes testimonials from teachers regarding how they are currently using some of these interventions in their classrooms. It is evident that this guide was written by educators who truly understand the challenges, limited resources, and time constraints today's teachers face."

-- Danielle Wesley, MSEd, BCBA * Autism/Behavior Specialist, Lee's Summit School District *



Book Information
ISBN 9781071838778
Author Kaye L. Otten
Format Paperback
Page Count 424
Imprint Corwin Press Inc
Publisher SAGE Publications Inc
Weight(grams) 1180g