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...offers detailed descriptions of current programs & addresses the critical issues realted to developmental disabilities to professionals of special education, law & psychology... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

How Children with Autism Learn
This review originally appeared in the CT FEAT Newsletter, Fall/Winter 2004, available on-line at www.ctfeat.org.
(Reviewed by Grace Conroy)

Ivar Lovaas, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and director of the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention (LIFE), is widely regarded as the father of behavioral treatment for autism spectrum disorders.For over 40 years, he and his colleagues have been conducting research designed to develop an optimal autism treatment protocol.

This book provides a theoretical overview of "Lovaas" style treatment (as it is popularly referred to), as well as a detailed description of its teaching techniques and goals.

Lovaas departs from a lot of the mainstream thinking about "autism" in his refusal to attach much importance to the various categorical "labels" (e.g. "autistic disorder," "PDD-NOS," "Asperger syndrome"). Likewise, he is fairly scornful of efforts to articulate some sort of comprehensive "theory" to explain autism. Over the course of his long career, Lovaas has witnessed how frequently these labels and theories get revised and how little they have contributed to the development of effective treatment approaches.

Lovaas finds it much more constructive to view autism spectrum disorders as involving "developmental delays."The number and relative severity of these delays varies enormously across the autism spectrum - from the comparatively mild delays found in Asperger syndrome to the more severe problems experienced by a nonverbal child with autistic disorder.Regardless of the specific label, these children typically exhibit behavioral excesses (e.g. self-stimulation, repetitiveness) and deficits (e.g. imitation, motivation, attention) that, if untreated, completely derail the development of normal social and learning behaviors.

While Lovaas' focus is on providing parents with the tools to set up an intensive (30-40 hour) home-based treatment program, his book should be of interest to anyone wanting a better understanding of how children with autism learn. Even if you are pursuing a different kind of ABA treatment program (e.g. center-based, school-based, or for an older or less impaired child), you'll probably find it very worthwhile to read Lovaas' insightful analysis of the various behavior problems commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders(e.g.motivation, attention, self-stimulation, tantrums) .

Lovaas' approach has been extremely effective for many children, especially those he describes as "auditory" learners. Like most children with autism related disorders, "auditory learners" have tremendous difficulties with language and communication. But with early and intensive behavioral treatment, they demonstrate a relatively rapid ability to acquire verbal imitation and expressive language.These skills provide the foundation for teaching an enormous range of other behaviors necessary for developing more "normal" degrees of social relatedness and learning. With intensive treatment, a significant percentage of this subgroup can attain fully "normal" levels of functioning in every domain.

Only about half of the children diagnosed with autistic disorder meet this profile. Other so-called "visual" learners may benefit from a communication program developed by, Nina Lovaas (Ivar's spouse) and her colleagues called "The Reading and Writing Program" (R&W).In a section devoted to "strategies for visual learners," there is a chapter describing the R&W program, as well as a chapter on the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) developed by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost.

The first four sections of the book are authored by Lovaas: "Basic Concepts," "Transition into Treatment," Early Learning Concepts," and "Expressive Language." Most of the chapters in the three remaining sections ("Strategies for Visual Learners,""Programmatic Considerations," and "Organizational and Legal Issues") are written by various collaborators, including Tristram Smith, Jacqueline Wynn, Andrew Bondy, Lori Frost, Nina Lovaas, Svein Eikeseth,and Attorneys Gary Mayerson and Kathryn Dobel.

Lovaas considers this to be a "basic" manual and has plans to publish a second volume of "advanced" programs focused on more sophisticated skills. But if your child is ready for more challenging material, don't wait for that book. At least in my experience, parents who have fully absorbed the extensive theoretical and technical information presented in this book will have the foundation for devising whatever more advanced programs their child may need.¤

23 years later ....
Judging by this book, the Lovaas approach has apparently only been minimally altered since "The ME Book" was published in 1981. The shouting and slapping are gone, forced eye contact drills have been dropped, a reading and writing program and a chapter on PECS have been added, various small modifications have been made, and the language is much more "touchy-feely" and "positive" (in contrast to the frankly coercive tone of the "ME Book") . But the core program is largely the same, from its start with physical manipulating the child to get them to sit down on cue, to proceeding through months of rote drills before venturing anywhere near functional communication (let alone choice or spontaneity).

When it comes to its depiction of the scientific evidence, the book is deeply disingenuous; for example, Lovaas is happy to cite evidence from small-group studies when it supports his claims, but ignore it as "not scientific" whenever it conflicts with his opinions. He continually cites his own 1987 study as supporting his methods, without acknowledging that the variable studied was hours of one-to-one teaching - not teaching methodology. He cites papers he co-wrote with Robert Koegel when they support his opinions, then labels Koegel as an unscientific quack for daring to question the supreme effectiveness of discrete trials, or suggesting that motivation and functional communication might have a pivotal role in learning.

His claims that techniques such as the natural language paradigm are "not supported by objective data" border on outright dishonesty, given the significant number of studies indicating that such techniques may strongly outperform Lovaas-style discrete-trial centred techniques for teaching communication. He goes out of his way to try to discredit TEACCH as useless - then includes a segment on the value of "visual schedules" (pioneered by TEACCH). He happily accepts the (limited but promising) empirical evidence for the effectiveness of PECS, since it can be incorporated into his program, but willfully ignores equal amounts of empirical evidence for techniques which don't fit so neatly into his ideology, or which contradict it. He ignores what the PECS data itself implies - that children do not in fact have to spend months doing imitation drills, or even be able to sit down on demand, before they can develop functional communication.

And, needless to say, he completely ignores the large number of first-person accounts by people with autism which are now widely available (ironic that it's people with autism who are accused of failing to pay attention or respond appropriately to others ...)

In some instances, he even seems determined to ignore his own data: for example, he acknowledges that "self-stimulatory" behaviour is actually functional and likely to recur in a different form if suppressed - then makes one of the earliest drills a "Hands Quiet" command, with the child's hands forcibly restrained should s/he commit the fearful sin of hand-flapping. He acknowledges that a child may be sitting passively and looking at the teacher while not actually paying attention at all, and that they may find this stressful and unpleasant to begin with - but begins with it anyway. Evidently the ideology of "Adult As Boss", "compliance", and "acting normally" over-rides data and common sense. The point that such drills may contribute to making the teaching situation highly aversive (and be entirely counter-productive in behavioural terms) seems to have escaped him.

Parents and professionals should be aware that, although there is strong evidence supporting the benefits of intensive one-to-one teaching, and of techniques from the broader field of applied behavioural analysis, there is little or no evidence to suggest that Lovaas's particular teaching protocol is possessed of any special magic. However, there is significant evidence that it may be markedly less effective than more modern techniques when it comes to developing motivation and functional communication.

Discrete trial teaching has its uses, especially when it comes to specific skills which can be learnt in a rote manner (for example, using words to label pictures - as opposed to using words to make requests or initiate interaction), and this is a good enough guide to that. But more broadly, the book seems to prove the axiom that when all someone has is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

In a quarter of a century, the toolkit of methods for educating children with autism has expanded to include far more sophisticated and subtle tools than discrete trials alone. But you wouldn't know it from this book.

long awaited sequel
Dr. Lovaas has published the long awaited sequel to earler works (e.g., the ME Book). Students of Applied Behavior Analysis will be interested to watch the development of programmatic ideas over the decades. While many people have proposed and practice variations on the ideas (e.g., NET vs. DTT, etc.), there is no arguing with the success of the Lovaas programs. The onus is on the persons who deviate to show, in a solid data-based manner, that their methodologies can have the same success. The chapters on legal issues and answering the objections (and distortions) of the famous 1987 study are alone worth the price of the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Special education expert Laurie LeComer, M.Ed., provides parents with essential information, addressing important topics and uncomfortable questions on such issues as:

- Spotting the "Red Flags" of abnormal development
- Getting a diagnosis and treatment plan
-Obtaining the best treatment options, education, and help
-The keys to a successful, fulfilling life for every developmentally delayed child

In this clear, accessible guide to the wide range of cognitive, physical, and emotional developmental challenges that affect millions of children each year, parents can find the answers, reassurance, and concrete advice they need to help their children grow and thrive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

just what i was looking for
Book was the correct one but upon inspection find 1/3 of one page is torn out of book other than that all was perfect.good shipping etc.

Amazing Information
I am loving this book.I am about half-way through.I am going to be working in Early Intervention and this book has been so informational!It is very easy to understand and is very well written.I would definately suggest this book to anyone who wants or needs to know more about Developmental Delays.

Very Informative...BUT
This book is very informative, easy to read, and has great lists of milestones/development to look for in your child.If you already know that your child is delayed, and your child already receives services, you really don't need this book.This is more for a parent who's child has not been identified as delayed, but you have a suspicion he/she may be delayed.

A must have resource for parenting babies and children with developmental delays.
A must have resource for anyone who wishes to learn more about identifying and parenting babies and children with developmental delays. The quality of the identification and explanation of the various types of delays and disabilities is exceptional and will be useful to any parent who is worried about these issues. Normal development, indications of problems, specific examples, parenting suggestions, and treatment are presented in each chapter in a well thought out and informative manner. The overall tone of the book is encouraging and supportive for parents who are concerned about their children. This book provides a wealth of information for parents and professionals. It would be an invaluable addition to any library and for any teacher, doctor or therapist who works with parents. ... Read more

Product Description

Based on their clinical practice and extensive experience in the field, the authors provide a creative and flexible guide to helping young children with learning difficulties. Their accessible and positive approach focuses on children's potential and what they can-rather than cannot-do, and can be carried out at home, in school, or in therapy sessions. The approach, applicable to all students, including those of diverse backgrounds, can be extended to all aspects of the child's life, and enables them to participate in everyday activities at home and school.

Fully illustrated, the book offers techniques and activities to help children develop their learning, with a focus on:

• Developing learning tools
• Working with parents
• Language and communication
• Behavior and emotional development
• Integrating learning into everyday life

The book includes a CD-ROM/DVD with printable material for making cards and worksheets, plus illustrative video material.

Customer Reviews (3)

Helping your child
Before we starting using functional learning techniques, our two year old son was very autistic - he was completely non-responsive. He would not look at us, not respond to our voices and would reject our attempts to feed and touch him. After using these techniques with our son consistently, he slowly but surely came out of his own locked world and into ours, engaging with us and others around him. He has learned all the normal things that children of his age learn; playing, feeding and dressing himself, school work, accepting social situations. He is also capable of expressing his emotions and is an affectionate and cheerful child who has made friends. Without the techniques in this book, we would not have had a clue - these ideas and techniques changed our lives - and his. The book clearly describes how to put a functional learning programme in place to develop learning tools and emotional growth, and offers a ray of hope to parents of these special children - we would strongly recommend it.

Every Child Can Learn
This is a wonderfully clear description of how to help developmentally delayed children to learn.I also believe that the techniques, the learning tools and play that the authors describe can be beneficial for all children even if their development is at age level.I found the book to be easy to read and to follow.An excellent addition to the library of every preschool, Regional Centers, and for child development therapists.
Elaine Leader, Ph.D.

Practical for developmental therapy
This book was valuable for fundamental information on early childhood developmental therapy. I have just started working as a developmental therapist assitant and need to understand the practical use of directed play with children with developmental delay.I am so glad that I ordered this book. ... Read more

Product Description
If a child is not meeting expected milestones it can be a source of great anxiety for parents and teachers. This forthright guide offers practical advice on how to recognize the signs of developmental delay, address difficulties effectively, and help the child to flourish. Mary Mountstephen presents a practical approach to dealing with developmental delay, equipping readers with the knowledge, understanding and tools to tackle problems successfully. By clearly explaining how children develop, drawing on the expertise of a number of specialists in the field and detailing straightforward interventions with proven success rates, the author enables parents and teachers to identify a wide range of problems and empowers them with the information they need to take action. Concise and accessible, this book provides a wealth of useful advice on how to address developmental delay, and will prove invaluable to parents, teachers and other professionals working with children. ... Read more

Product Description
Recent advances in neuroscience and genetics have greatly expanded our understanding of the brain and of the etiological factors involved in developmental delay and mental retardation.At the same time, the human genome project has yielded a wealth of information on DNA sequencing, regulation of gene expression, epigenetics, and functional aspects of the genome, which newly propels investigation into the pathogenesis of mental retardation. This book makes readily available current knowledge on the subject and applies it to clinical medicine, providing information essential to neurologists, geneticists, physicians and pediatricians as they search for the causes of mental handicap in their patients.Introductory chapters cover normal and abnormal brain structure, neurogenesis, neuronal proliferation, and signal transduction.Latter chapters delve into discussions of both the environmental factors that may lead to neurocognitive deficits and the cytogenetic, biochemical and molecular defects specifically associated with mental retardation.One chapter reviews gene involvement in non-syndromic mental retardation, autism, and language deficits, as well as multifactorial and genetically complex inheritance.The text concludes with a clinically practical discussion of carrier detection, presymptomatic diagnosis, and treatment of various genetic diseases through enzyme therapy, substrate deprivation, and the use of hemapoietic stem cells. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
This longitudinal study examined the social interactions of children with mild developmental (cognitive) delays with friends across the early childhood and early elementary years. Results revealed increases in many forms of social exchange with effect sizes in the moderate range, but no changes in sustained interactive play. Social interaction patterns, difficulties in identifying friends to participate in the study, and concerns evident in children's peer and friendship networks suggest the general absence of reciprocal friendships. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that children's limited peer-related social competence constrains all aspects of their development of friendships. Despite these problems, the potential benefits of interventions designed to support relationships at this stage of friendship development for children with delays were noted. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume presents a longitudinal study that assesses the continuity and change to diagnosis, intelligence, and language skills in children with autism, Downs Syndrome, and other developmental delays. It also specifies deficits in social competence and language skills and identifies precursors in preschool and mid-school years. Although specificpatterns vary between groups, the volume concludes that improvement in early communication and play skills may have some long-term consequences for later language and social competence in children with developmental delays. ... Read more

Product Description

As the rate of autism diagnosis continues to escalate, awareness and recognition of this developmental brain disorder – as well as a demand for services – are also mushrooming. School districts, already struggling under the weight of withering budgets and increasing enrollments, are now scrambling to strike a balance between the types of services and treatments parents want for their children and what the school system can afford to provide. Consequently, a broad cross-section of professionals and parents are searching for the means and methods by which to identify and address the wide-ranging educational needs of the children with autism spectrum disorder.

Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Autism at School provides a one-stop resource that enables school psychologists to coordinate efforts between students and parents as well as other educators, administrators, and social services providers to determine which interventions are likely to be most effective in meeting the unique needs of children with autism. This volume, designed as a practical, easy-to-use reference for school psychologists and other educational professionals:

• Makes the case for why school psychologists and their colleagues need to be more prepared, willing, and able to identify and serve students with autism.
• Identifies the causes, prevalence, and associated conditions of autism spectrum disorders.
• Provides a review of screening, referral, and diagnostic assessment processes.
• Offers much-needed guidance on conducting psychoeducational assessments.
• Reviews appropriate treatments for students with autism.

School psychologists, general and special educators, counselors, and social workers will find Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Autism at School an invaluable resource.

“This book is an invaluable resource not only for school psychologists but for other professionals and parents as well.  It provides an excellent overview of the assessment and treatment of autism and related disorders and outlines with impressive clarity the interventions that can be provided for students with autism in schools.  I am certain that this book will be read and reread for the wealth of information it presents.”
-Robert B. Brooks, Harvard Medical School, Coauthor of Raising Resilient Children

Customer Reviews (1)

Autism at School
Identifying, Assessing, and Treating Autism at School offers the school-based professional a general guide to assessment and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. The book's chapters include a discussion of etiology, prevalence, screening, identification and assessment, and treatment. Tables, figures, and graphs add to the readability of the text. The authors outline a process for diagnosis and provide examples of screening and assessment instruments. The chapters on psychoeducational assessment and treatment (interventions) will be of interest to school psychologists. The appendix lists a number of autism resources. Overall, this text provides a basic and general introduction to working with school-age children with autism spectrum disorders. The content would have been strengthened by including case vignettes to illustrate the specific application of screening, assessment and intervention procedures. Supplemental resources will be needed for those practitioners seeking a more comprehensive description of assessment components, school-based intervention strategies, and "how to" guidelines.

A Best Practice Guide to Assessment and Intervention for Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book that deserves more attention
I use this Hanen guidebook to run a Hanen-approved modification of the It Takes Two to Talk program with school staff where I work.It's well-written with clearly presented ideas and has generally been received well at our school.I've ordered a total of 12 copies and I think any one working with developmentally delayed adolescents or adults would benenfit from reading it. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Psychological Record, published by Psychological Record on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 6843 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: Students in Grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 studied test materials presented within the context of a story, and then responded to a 10-item quiz using either a Scantron form or an Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF AT) form (Study 1). The retention of these materials was examined 1 week later using IF AT forms. Students evaluated with the IF AT demonstrated an overall increase in scores on the follow-up quiz; students evaluated with Scantron forms demonstrated an overall decrease in scores. In Study 2, the acquisition and retention of basic academic readiness materials by children preparing to enter the educational system was evaluated using either the IF AT or a Scantron form. Five 10-item tests were completed by each child, 1 per week, with 2 items randomly selected from each week's test for inclusion on the final examination. Children evaluated with the IF AT demonstrated significantly higher scores on the final examination and on readministrations of the final examination 1 and 3 months later. The enhancem ent of retention was particularly prominent when developmental status was considered. In Study 3, 4 adolescents with mild mental retardation studying 6 life-skills modules were tested with only IF AT forms, only Scantron forms, or with IF AT forms on 3 modules and Scantron forms on 3 modules. The distribution of performance on each module was overlapping; the student tested with only IF AT forms demonstrated the highest percentage of retention while the student tested with only Scantron forms demonstrated the lowest percentage of retention. The beneficial effects of corrective feedback observed in Studies 1-3 were similar to those observed previously in our laboratory, supporting the results of prior studies conducted with university students and highlighting the critical role of feedback during the assessment of children and adolescents, including those with developmental delays.

Citation Details
Title: Effectiveness of feedback during the testing of preschool children, elementary school children, and adolescents with developmental delays.
Author: Michael L. Epstein
Publication: The Psychological Record (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: Psychological Record
Volume: 53Issue: 2Page: 177(19)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Exceptional Children, published by Council for Exceptional Children on March 1, 1994. The length of the article is 3858 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: Interactive modeling is frequently used in teaching skills to children with developmental delay. This study compared the performance of 12 children (7 males, 5 females; 4-10 years of age) each trained in two tasks, one through interactive modeling (with or without verbal reinforcement) and the other through passive observation. Results showed that passive modeling produced better rated performance than interactive modeling and that verbal reinforcement was counterproductive. These findings suggest that current instructional strategies may need to be reconsidered for children with developmental delay.

Citation Details
Title: The negative effects of positive reinforcement in teaching children with developmental delay.
Author: Gerald B. Biederman
Publication: Exceptional Children (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 1994
Publisher: Council for Exceptional Children
Volume: v60Issue: n5Page: p458(8)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2008. The length of the article is 7345 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Implementing visually cued imitation training with children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental delays.(Report)
Author: Jennifer B. Ganz
Publication: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2008
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 10Issue: 1Page: 56(11)

Article Type: Report

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
?The Assessment of Developmental Delays and InterventionStrategies in Early Childhood, Volume I, is an assessment tool toassist in the identification of at-risk youngsters, ages birththrough six, in seven developmental areas: cognitive,socialization, receptive language, expressive language, self-help, fine motor, and gross motor.The manual is designed for use by parents, Head Start personnel,daycare/preschool staff workers, resource teachers, speechpathologists, school psychologists, regular classroom teachers,curriculum directors, and directors of special education. It canbe used within a center-based preschool program or within thehome setting.The manual is divided into three sections: (1) Definition ofDevelopmental Delays, (2) Assessment Objectives for DiagnosingDelays in the seven major skill areas, and (3) Parent Activitiesto use in developing skills with their early school-age child.School personnel will find the Assessment of Developmental Delaysand Intervention Strategies in Early Childhood, Volume I,valuable in the development and monitoring of skills of earlyschool-age children. The manual is also useful for developmentand monitoring of IEP objectives.The Assessment of Developmental Delays and InterventionStrategies in Early Childhood, Volume I, is easy to administerand takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes per child. No formaltraining is required to use the instrument. The informationgained from this instrument will supplement that obtained throughparent interviews, direct observation, and direct interactionwith each child ... Read more