Inclusive Progamming for Elementrary Students with Autism: A Manual of Social and Communication Skills

This second edition of this award-winning book provides instructional resources and strategies for both teachers and parents of elementary students with autism. Appropriate social and communicative behavior is a fundamental concern for parents, caregivers, and teachers of school children.Children should be able to move in a safe and socially successful manner through their school years despite changing family culture, their activity level or degree of insight into the consequences of their behavior. One would also hope that they develop a positive character and good values about human rights and social responsibility along the way. The most important long-term goal, however, is that they grow into content, kind, and successful fellow human beings. This book illustrates more than 120 goals for developing positive personality features, adequate social behavior and communicative competence. Ideas for long- and short-term goals have been selected from existing school programs, general education of values, as well as from parents and teachers.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: A brief note to parents A brief note to teachers A word about Terminology Epidemiology of autism ASD & Risk Factors Co-Morbidity Defining the Autism Spectrum Disorder Impaired communication Impaired social relatedness Presence of repetitive behaviors or rituals Other behaviors of note Inclusive Programming for the Student with Autism What's the reason behind it? Philosophical Reasoning Benefits to the students with autism Benefits to the typical students Benefits of peer tutoring/social skills programming Defining the Inclusion Process Model for Inclusion Inclusion philosophy Administrative support Teacher training Inclusion coordinator Collaboration of general and special education Classroom supports IEP Driven General education ownership Collaboration between home and school Assessing the Individual student Step one: Determine the strengths and challenges Step two: Observe the general education classroom the child will attend Step three: Review IEP goals and objectives Step four: Tackling existing behavioral challenges Step five: Determine which social skills will be targeted in the classroom Step six: Conduct reinforcer surveys Step seven: Set weekly or biweekly meetings with all people involved Step eight: Conclusion Assessing the School, Teachers and Classroom Step one: Assess the school Step two: Special education teacher assessment Step three: General education teacher assessment Step four: Support personnel assessment Step five: Classroom assessment Step six: Parent assessment A word about higher-order autism A principal's role Staff roles Chain of command Teacher selection Substitutes Working with parents Personal Philosophy Suspension from school How do we Impact Social Skills Social Skills for the student with autism Training typical peers for social intervention Classroom social skills programming The Marble Jar The Friends Club The Classroom Manager Role The Lunch Bunch Social games for elementary students How do we impact behaviors? Motivation and students with autism The Rocketship Program The Snake Race The Puzzle Piece Self-regulated calm down time Addressing self-stim behaviors Desensitization programs for students with autism The IEP Process How do we teach these students? Paraprofessional support for students with autism in inclusive settings Academic modifications for Inclusion Taking Data in Inclusion Collaboration between home and school Transition planning for middle school A parent's perspective Contributions A final word References Appendix Author's Biography

About the Author :
Sheila Wagner, MEd is a certified special educator who has been in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for over thirty-five years and retired from the positions of assistant director of the Emory Autism Center at Emory University and director of the Monarch School-Age Program. She is the author of Inclusive Programming for Elementary Students with Autism, Inclusive Programming for Middle School Students with Autism, Inclusive Programming for High School Students with Autism, Understanding Asperger's Syndrome-Fast Facts: A Guide for Teachers and Educators to Address the Needs of the Student, and Special People Special Ways. Ms. Wagner has published widely in this field, including two books (for elementary and high school students with ASD), which both won the Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year (2001 & 2010). Sheila resides in Georgia.