This book offers a six-step approach to developing a programme to help children cope with sensory input they find overwhelming, and to identify activities they find relaxing or rewarding. Larkey gives over 30 activities using touch, sound, taste, vision and movement, and gives advice on how to use them to improve children's communication skills.

Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) often have sensory processing difficulties. They may be very sensitive to particular sounds or materials, or unresponsive to injuries most children would find painful. This practical book offers a six-step approach to developing a successful programme to help children cope with sensory input they find overwhelming, and to identify activities they may find relaxing or rewarding. Sue Larkey draws on her experience of working with children with autism to offer more than 30 activities using touch, sound, taste, vision and movement, and gives advice on how to use these activities as opportunities to improve children's communication skills. She provides detailed photocopiable checklists to assess children's sensory reactions, sleep patterns, sense of movement and use of eye contact. Parents, occupational therapists and educational professionals will find this workbook to be a rich source of fun ideas for improving sensory processing in autism, and easily adaptable for children with other special needs.

Winner of the American Horticultural Therapy Association's Book Publication Award 2014 A garden or nature setting presents the perfect opportunity for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and special needs to learn, play and strengthen body and mind. This book empowers teachers and parents with little gardening know-how to get outside and use nature to motivate young learners. Using a mindfulness approach, Natasha Etherington presents a simple gardening program that offers learning experiences beyond those a special needs student can gain within the classroom. The book outlines the many positive physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional and social benefits of getting out into the garden and provides specially adapted gardening activities for a variety of needs, including those with developmental disabilities and behavioural difficulties, as well as wheelchair users. With a focus on the therapeutic potential of nature, the book shows that gardening can help reduce feelings of anxiety, provide an outlet for physical aggression, build self-esteem through the nurturing of plants and much more. With this practical program, teachers and parents can easily adopt gardening activities into their schedules and enjoy the benefits of introducing children with special needs to nature and the rhythms of the seasons.

Resource added for the Autism Technician program 315223.

Developmental disorders affect a high percentage of people in contemporary society. As such, it is imperative to dedicate time and research to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of these disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice is an innovative reference source for the latest academic material on emerging perspectives, treatment and care techniques, and therapeutic strategies to support individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Highlighting a range of topics such as social skills, educational support, and assistive technologies, this book is ideally designed for healthcare professionals, researchers, students, academics, and practitioners interested in learning more about autism spectrum disorders.

This practical guide to the Miller Method(R) presents an entirely new perspective on advancing the body organization, social, and communicative skills of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. It covers issues such as communication skills and social play, as well as behavioral issues including tantrums, aggression and toilet training.