'This is an entertaining, informative and very practical book that will assist readers to 'walk the talk' through a more positive paradigm for enabling children with autism. It is based on careful and systematic thinking by the author and incorporates methodology based on research and best practice experience.'
Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that allows a unique window on the relationship between mind and brain. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. The consensus of this disorder for everyday life adaptation are extremely variable. Studies indicate that the number of diagnosed cases of Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder, is increasing with around 0.6% of the population affected.
People with severe autism experience the sensory information they receive from the world completely differently to those not on the spectrum. They feel cut off and overwhelmed, and their behaviour can become very distressed. This handbook shows how we can engage with people who are non-verbal or semi-verbal and sometimes even those who have speech but lose the power to process it when they are in crisis. We can help them to make sense of the world. Intensive Interaction uses a person's own body language to make contact with them and Sensory Integration develops the capacity of an individual to receive, process and apply meaning to information provided by the senses through targeted physical activities.
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.
Autism: disease, disorder or difference? What causes autism - genes or environment? Can biomedical treatments cure autism, and are they safe? An increased public awareness of autism has resulted in a rising trend of diagnoses, creating the impression of an 'epidemic'. Many parents of children newly diagnosed with autism have been impressed by plausible theories blaming vaccines and other environmental causes. Many have also been captivated by claims that 'biomedical' treatments - including special diets and supplements, detoxification and medications - can achieve dramatic results.
