Helping Children with Autism Learn

Children with autistic spectrum disorders have unique learning styles, or "autistic learning disabilities". These pose unique challenges to parents seeking the best educational path for their autistic child, and for educators shaping educational programs for children with autism and related disorders. In Helping Children with Autism Learn, Dr Siegel, a developmental psychologist and director of a large university clinic for autistic children, provides concrete guidance for dealing with these challenges. The book not only enumerates the "autistic learning disabilities", but critiques all of the available educational programs for these children, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each program and the appropriateness of a program for specific "disabilities". Helping Children with Autism Learn is structured so that the parent and teacher can use it as a program planner and can evaluate the success and appropriateness of each strategy, refining the program as necessary. Key areas of concentration are language, academic skills, social skills, as well as adapting the child to independence and day-to-day needs. Throughout, Siegel emphasises the need to tailor programs to fit each child's unique needs, and to adapt programs as the child matures and ages. Dr Siegel pulls together a wealth of long-needed information. She provides a superb guide and resource for parents, teachers, clinicians, and other educators who work with autistic children.