Teacher’s Guide to Autistic Behavior: What, why and how to help

If you’re a teacher who has autistic students in your class, Teacher’s Guide to Autistic Behavior is for you. This practical guide lets you:

• Figure out if a behavior really is a problem

• Look at why a behavior might be happening

• Help students to manage their moods

• Teach practical strategies that help students learn to manage themselves

Teacher’s Guide to Autistic Behavior is a quick resource for teachers and others in the lives of children with autism. It’s based on Dr. Heather MacKenzie’s decades of experience and extensive research. In this book, behavior is viewed as communication of a need or wish, not as good or bad. And, children are active participants in learning about behavior so they can assume responsibility for it.

Reaching and Teaching the Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Using Learning Preferences and Strengths

Reaching and Teaching Children with Autism presents a positive approach to understanding and educating children on the autism spectrum. The book gives insight into the perspective and behavior of a child with autism. And it explores how the child’s learning preferences, strengths and interests can be used to make learning easier and more motivating.

Reaching and Teaching provides a comprehensive model for developing lifelong independent learning skills. The book describes the underlying principles and learning preferences and strengths typical of children with autism. It offers a detailed but flexible program structure and content, based on these concepts. This accessible and practical book is an essential resource for parents, teachers, support workers, therapists and others concerned with learning and development in children with autism.

The Autistic Child’s Guide — Presenting spark*: Self-Regulation Program for Awareness and Resilience in Kids

The Autistic Child’s Guide presents spark*, the Self-regulation Program of Awareness and Resilience in Kids.

spark* is an innovative evidence-based program that teaches children how to manage and regulate their behavior, thinking and emotions more effectively.

spark* is appropriate for any child, two to 8 years of age, where self-regulation is a concern. Children with with autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol disorder, Fragile X and attention deficit will benefit from it. The book contains 44 step-by-step lessons that can be used by teachers, therapists, assistants and parents.

spark* is comprehensive, practical and systematic. It provides all information and resources needed to implement the program successfully, including access to 77 resource files.

The Autistic Child’s Guide ELementary version — spark*EL: Self-Regulation Program for Awareness and Resilience in Kids in middle childhood and early adolescence

The Autistic Child’s Guide ELementary version presents spark*EL, the Self-regulation Program of Awareness and Resilience in Kids in middle childhood to early adolescence.

spark*EL is based on the spark* model. spark*EL too teaches children how to manage and regulate their behavior, thinking and emotions more effectively. They learn how and when to control their bodies, thinking and reactions to things that happen around them. They also learn when and where they can ‘let loose’ and not worry about self-regulation.

spark* EL is appropriate for any child, nine to 14 years of age, where self-regulation is a concern. For example, children with autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol disorder, Fragile X and attention deficit will benefit from spark*EL.

This book contains 23 step-by-step lessons that can be used by teachers, therapists, assistants and parents. spark* EL is comprehensive, practical and systematic. It provides all information and resources needed to implement the program successfully, including access to 38 resource files.

Self-regulation in Everyday Life — A How-to Guide for Parents

Self-regulation in Everyday Life is a step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to help children be better prepared for school and for life.  It helps shift from teaching specific behaviors to working on foundation skills in body, cognitive and emotional self-regulation.  In everyday  situations, parents and others working with children can help them become more confident, strategic and resourceful.

Self-regulation in Everyday Life is based on the evidence-based spark* model. It’s appropriate for any child, two to 8 years of age, where self-regulation is a concern. Children will learn to:

• regulate and control their bodies,
• use  mindful Turtle Breathing to calm and center themselves,
• focus their attention and ignore unimportant things,
• think about what they hear and see and make sure they understand,
• organize their ideas and explain them in understandable ways,
• recognize emotions in themselves and others, and
• be empathetic and manage their emotions.

This book contains step-by-step instructions and examples and gives access to 16 resource files.

The SAGE Handbook of
Autism and Education

The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education is a definitive resource for reflective practitioners and researchers who wish to know and understand current views of the nature of autism and best practice in educational support. It explores the key concepts, debates and research areas in the field.

Heather wrote a chapter on Thinking and Autism which explores the areas of self-regulation and executive functions in students with autism and optimal approaches to improve them.

ONE STORY at a Time – Using the magic of storybooks to enhance development in children with learning challenges.

One Story at a Time is a manual for therapists, teachers and other professionals who want to get the most out of storybooks as a medium for enhancing development in children with special needs.

This practical and easy-to-read book provides information about book selection, reading style, reading strategies, goal setting and evaluation of progress.  The formats, simple decision trees and photocopiable forms can be used to foster your important relationship with children.

ONE STORY at a Time focuses on a fuller range of developmental areas, including cognitive, social, behavioral, language, communication and academic. ONE STORY at a Time introduces the concept of book levels for determining which books to use and in what order.

Currently out of print 

Contact us if you are interested in obtaining a copy

Coach’s Playbook video modeling series

TITLE #1: How to Play with Others

How to Play with Others is a high quality, professionally-produced video intended for children from 3 to 8 years of age who have autism and related conditions. At just 8 minutes and 22 seconds, it moves along quickly enough to keep the attention of even younger children.

The How to Play with Others video focuses on the first steps to playing with other children: how to enter a play situation with other children. The strategies depicted in the video will help children find positive ways to initiate contact with other children who are already playing.

Request it – You can purchase the video and download it immediately, along with the accompanying manual.

TITLE #2: Dealing with Frustration

Dealing with Frustration is a high quality, professionally-produced video intended for children from 3 to 8 years of age who have autism and related conditions. At just 8 minutes and 6 seconds, it moves along quickly enough to keep the attention of even younger children.

Dealing with Frustration focuses on three main steps to coping with frustrating events in everyday life. The strategies depicted in the video will help children remain calmer and find more productive means of handling life when things do not go exactly as s/he had in mind.

Request it – You can purchase the video and download it immediately, along with the accompanying manual.