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 Practical
Solutions for Educating Young Children with High-Functioning Autism and
Asperger Syndrome by Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D.
$21.95  
Jan. 2008, ISBN 9781934575147
Progress made through
early intervention can be destroyed if the planning for transition from
home to school is not complete.
Practical Solutions
for Educating Young Children with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger
Syndrome is designed to help parents and professionals navigate the
challenges for early learners with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger
Syndrome (AS). Because their deficits are more subtle, these children
may be less understood by educational professionals. This book is a much-needed
resource to help teachers understand their younger child with HFA or AS.
Throughout Practical
Solutions for Educating Young Children with High-Functioning Autism and
Asperger Syndrome, examples are given to highlight useful strategies.
In the first chapter, the author builds a foundation by explaining HFA/AS
and some typical characteristics, such as sensory issues, attention deficit
disorders, and difficulties of socialization. Later in the book, she dedicates
an entire chapter to the educational setting and transition planning,
including the process of moving into kindergarten or first grade, shadowing,
and planning for inclusion.
Finally, two in-depth
case studies at the end of the book put it all together. Each case study
typifies the kinds of challenges common to children
with HFA/AS, and synthesizes how the strategies described in the book
can be used in combination to maximize success.
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Excerpt
from pages 1 - 3 of Practical Solutions for Educating Young Children
with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Chapter
1
Understanding
Students with High-Functioning Autism
or Asperger Syndrome
JOSHUA was having
a difficult time in his preschool classroom. It was hard for him
to follow along with the group. He always wanted to be at the train
table, building tracks for his favorite Thomas train characters.
While he was way ahead of his classmates in many pre-academic skills,
he was only interested in demonstrating those skills if they were
geared to his interest in trains. He also had a tendency to get
extremely upset with little warning, although some triggers for
such behavior were predictable. For example, if a child altered
the train track or began playing with trains that were not part
of Johua's scenario, he became extremely agitated.
At such times,
he might hit the peer. He had also hit the teacher when she intervened
in such situations. It was almost impossible to speak calmly with
him at these times. His parents were at a loss as to how to help
motivate him to behave better and to pay more attention to the teacher.
This chapter
will describe the characteristics of preschool children with Asperger
Syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA). In particular,
sensory and learning characteristics, including the need for external
reinforcement and the difficulties posed by attentional deficits.
The chapter will also review the communication, behavioral, and
social characteristics of young learners with AS and HFA, as well
as the common challenges they face in school settings.
As is true for
all students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) students with
HFA or AS vary widely, and each has particular strengths and challenges.
Nevertheless, there are certain common
sensory, attentional, learning, and communication difficulties
that it is helpful to be aware of. Finally, there are behavioral
and social issues that are specific to this population, and that
greatly impact upon the learner, peers, and the entire educational
community. See Table 1.1 for a summary of characteristics. In the
following, we will look briefly at each of these characteristics.
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Table
1.1
Summary of Major Characteristics of AS/HFA
SENSORY
Difficulties with visual and auditory input
Distractibility
Sensitivity to loud noise
Sensitivity to environments with echo
Tactile sensitivity
Proprioceptive difficulties
Vestibular difficulties
Hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity
ATTENTION AND LEARNING
Attention
Difficulty coping with group
instruction
Fixation on details of lesson or materials
Difficulty identifying what stimuli to attend to
Difficulty following multi-step directions
Learning
Specific learning problems
Difficulties in being consistently motivated
Specific learning disabilities
Difficulties in pre-reading and early decoding skills
Listening capacity
COMMUNICATION
Difficulty with initiation
Passivity
Reduced ability to communicate when agitated
Lack of reciprocal conversation
Excessive discussion on special interest topic regardless
of others' interest
Repeated questioning
BEHAVIOR
Special interests
Need for environmental supports
SOCIAL SKILLS
Difficulty creating peer relationships
Difficulty initiating, responding to, and comprehending
social situations
Interference of special interests
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Book
Reviews
What Others Are
Saying ..
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""By incorporating the relevant research with the expertise
acquired over a career dedicated to improving the lives of children with
autism spectrum disorders and their families, Dr. Mary Jane Weiss' Practical
Solutions for Educating Young Children with High-Functioning Autism and
Asperger Syndrome is a welcome and much-needed addition to the intervention
literature. Written in a clear and accessible style, I hope this book
finds its way into the hands of parents, educators, and related professionals
in pre- and elementary school classrooms across the country, where it
should prove to be a much-utilized and valuable resource."
- Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D., president and chair, Scientific Council Organization
for Autism Research
"Mary Jane
Weiss has written a book that is immensely practical and immediately accessible.
Teachers, parents, clinicians, and others should all find this volume
to be a wonderful resource."
- Michael A. Fabrizio, M.A., BCBA, clinical services director,Families
for Effective Autism Treatment of Washington (FEAT)
"Having a
child on the autism spectrum poses special challenges, even for the most
dedicated and educated of parents. In her comprehensive and excellent
new book, Dr. Mary Jane Weiss helps parents and educators recognize the
unique educational issues facing children categorized as having high-functioning
autism or Asperger Syndrome. Clearly and concisely, she provides a roadmap
for obtaining proper diagnosis and treatment, planning for a child's transition
into school, and communicating with the many professionals necessary for
a successful outcome. As she has done in previous works, Weiss shares
a wealth of information but also provides something more: She shows us
how to understand our high-functioning children's difficulties, put them
into perspective, and, best of all, do something about them."
- Lynne Stern Feiges, Esq., sister, mother, advocate; co-author of
Sibling Stories - Reflections on Life with a Brother or Sister on the
Autism Spectrum
"Dr. Weiss
has provided us with a comprehensive look at the challenges and best-practice
intervention strategies for a unique subgroup of students with autism
spectrum disorders. With an emphasis
on several key areas that are often overlooked, including student independence,
social pragmatics, motivation, and collaboration among intervention team
members, this excellent book fills a void for educators, caregivers, and
other service providers working with high-functioning students with autism."
- Len Levin, Ph.D., clinical director, Coyne and Associates
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