How to help children across the autism spectrum communicate more effectively: strategies to support interaction, behavior and independence

Abstract

"This book shows how to teach functional communication skills to children on the autistic spectrum, in order to help them achieve four important life qualities: safety, happiness, independence, and productivity. Expert author Elizabeth Ives Field combines over four decades of working in the autism field to provide practical, in depth teaching strategies for children on the spectrum who struggle with 'typical' communication. Her strategies can be applied and adapted for children who are non-verbal or with limited vocabulary, children with echolalia, as well as for social and behavioural issues. Importantly the book considers the full severity of autism across the spectrum and emphasises the need to teach skills that are functional, developmentally appropriate, useful in the moment and a step to future learning. The book will include case studies to show how communication difficulties and solutions in action. This fits with the overall direction of the list in terms of being positive about autism while remaining realistic about challenges. We have also been discussing publishing more for speech language therapists and this book has a strong professional market we know we can reach. I think the title needs some work and the author is open to changing it - it might be a good idea to include echolalia as a key word as there aren't many resources looking at this"--