Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior. Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson, $22.50

Author Temple Grandin and co-author Catherine Johnson see autism as a kind of 'way station' on the road from animals to humans, putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate animal talk. Temple is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. Not only are animals much smarter than anyone ever imagined, in some cases animals are out-and-out brilliant. The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense, merging an animal scientist's thirty years of study with her keen perceptions as a person with autism — Temple sees what others cannot.

Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals. Temple Grandin & Catherine Johnson, $22.50

In her groundbreaking and best-selling book Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin drew on her own experience with autism as well as her distinguished career as an animal scientist to deliver extraordinary insights into how animals think, act, and feel. Now, in Animals Make Us Human she builds on those insights to show us how to give our animals the best and happiest life—on their terms, not ours.

Whether it’s how to make the healthiest environment for the dog you must leave alone most of the day, how to keep pigs from being bored, or how to know if the lion pacing in the zoo is miserable or just exercising, Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.  Animals Make Us Human is the culmination of almost thirty years of research and experience. This is essential reading for anyone who’s ever cared about an animal.

Art as an Early Intervention Tool for Children with Autism. Nicole Martin, $27.95

The early years are the most critical period of learning for a child with autism. Therapeutic art-making can be a useful tool to tap into their imaginations and help them to express their thoughts and feelings. Art as an Early Intervention Tool for Children with Autism includes practical advice on helping a child move beyond scribbling, organizing the child's environment for maximum comfort and relaxation, and providing physical and sensory support. This book is packed with tips and suggestions for how to provide art therapy for children with autism — covering topics such as the basic materials required, safety issues, how to set up a workspace, and ideas for managing difficult behavior.

Asperger's Children: the Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna. Edith Sheffer, $36.95

Hans Asperger, the pioneer of autism and Asperger syndrome in Nazi Vienna, has been celebrated for his compassionate defense of children with disabilities. But in this groundbreaking book, prize-winning historian Edith Sheffer exposes that Asperger was not only involved in the racial policies of Hitler’s Third Reich, he was complicit in the murder of children.

As the Nazi regime slaughtered millions across Europe during World War Two, it sorted people according to race, religion, behavior, and physical condition for either treatment or elimination. Nazi psychiatrists targeted children with different kinds of minds — especially those thought to lack social skills — claiming the Reich had no place for them. Asperger and his colleagues endeavored to mold certain "autistic" children into productive citizens, while transferring others they deemed untreatable to Spiegelgrund, one of the Reich’s deadliest child-killing centers.

In the first comprehensive history of the links between autism and Nazism, Sheffer uncovers how a diagnosis common today emerged from the atrocities of the Third Reich. With vivid storytelling and wide-ranging research, Asperger’s Children will move readers to rethink how societies assess, label, and treat those diagnosed with disabilities.

Autism as Context Blindness. Peter Vermeulen, $48.95

Despite years of study and advanced technologies, we still do not fully understand how the "typical" brain works, much less how an autistic brain works. And while we have become increasingly familiar with the term autistic thinking, people with autism are still misunderstood, leading to frustration, depression and missed opportunities to reach one's potential. According to Peter Vermeulen, treatment of autism is still too focused on behavior and minimally focused on observation or determining the way of thinking that leads to the behavior.

In this groundbreaking book Vermeulen explains in everyday terms how the autistic brain functions with a particular emphasis on the apparent lack of sensitivity to and awareness of the context in which things happen. Full of examples, the book goes on to examine "context" as it relates to observation, social interactions, communication and knowledge. The book concludes with a major section on how to reduce context blindness in these various areas, vital for successful functioning. This book is a must for those living and working with somebody with autism.

Autism and the Edges of the Known World: Sensitivities, Language and Constructed Reality. Olga Bogdashina, $24.95

In this intelligent and incisive book, Olga Bogdashina explores old and new theories of sensory perception and communication in autism. Drawing on linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology and quantum mechanics, she looks at how the nature of the senses inform an individual's view of the world, and how language both reflects and constructs that view.

Examining the 'whys' and 'hows' of the senses, and the role of language, Olga Bogdashina challenges common perceptions of what it means to be 'normal' and 'abnormal'. In doing so she shows that autism can help to illuminate our understanding of what it means to be human, and of how we develop faculties that shape our cognition, language, and behaviour.

Autism and the Extended Family: a Guide for Those Outside the Immediate Family Who Know and Love Someone with Autism. Raun Melmed & Maria Wheeler, $20.95

Not many resources examine how autism affects grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Yet, they are all affected by this disorder, too! Follow Dr. Raun Melmed, Developmental Pediatrician, and Maria Wheeler, M.Ed., as they examine the complex relationships that develop, and are changed by an autism diagnosis in the family.

Autism and the iPad: Strengthening Communication and Behavior. Brian Friedlander & Christine Besko-Maughan, $13.95 (laminated reference guide)

Students with autism often have two primary challenges that greatly affect their ability to learn: communication and behavior. The iPad has revolutionized the field of education, especially for students with ASD, due to the wide range of applications (apps) that address language development, augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), visual schedules, social stories, positive behavior reinforcers, and behavior data collection. This reference guide provides valuable information on these apps, as well as tips and strategies that will assist in promoting the successful implementation of the iPad in the education environment.

Autism and Joint Attention: Development, Neuroscience, and Clinical Fundamentals. Peter Mundy, $72.50

From a preeminent researcher, this book looks at the key role of joint attention in both typical and atypical development. Peter Mundy shows that no other symptom dimension is more strongly linked to early identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He synthesizes a wealth of knowledge on how joint attention develops, its neurocognitive underpinnings, and how it helps to explain the learning, language, and social-cognitive features of ASD across the lifespan. Clinical implications are explored, including reviews of cutting-edge diagnostic methods and targeted treatment approaches.

The Autism Matrix: The Social Origins of the Autism Epidemic. Gil Eyal, et al, $89.95

This major new book argues that the recent rise in autism should be understood as an “aftershock” of the deinstitutionalization of mental retardation in the mid-1970s. This entailed a radical transformation not only of the institutional matrix for dealing with developmental disorders of childhood, but also of the cultural lens through which we view them. It opened up a space for viewing and treating childhood disorders as neither mental illness nor mental retardation, neither curable nor incurable, but somewhere in-between.

Combining a historical narrative with international comparison, The Autism Matrix offers a fresh and powerful analysis of a condition that affects many parents and children today.

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mid and Later Life. Edited by Scott Wright, $59.95

Bringing together international academics and professionals who are actively researching and working in the field, this pioneering scholarly volume covers the issues faced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) in mid and later life.

Including a range of personal, academic and clinical perspectives, the book considers historical and contemporary perspectives on autism, including diagnosis, developmental outcomes and life course issues. Attention is given to medical, care and psychological issues that arise as people with ASD age, such as declining cognitive function and speech and communication issues. Family, community support, housing, advocacy, and socio-cultural considerations for older adults with ASD are also given careful consideration, and there are chapters on relationship and sexuality issues and on environmental design.

Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Ontario Context: an Introduction. Kimberley Maich & Carmen Hall, $59.95

Accessible and engaging, Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Ontario Context provides students with a thorough introduction to the history of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as the contemporary understandings, interventions, and best practices that influence effective treatment approaches.

Drawing on evidence-based practice, Kimberly Maich and Carmen Hall provide concrete examples of localized research and practice within clinical, educational, and community-based settings that will enhance student comprehension of positive interventions. This introductory text features detailed examinations of ASD experiences across the lifespan and incorporates an extensive range of pedagogical tools, which will encourage reflection and deepen understanding.

Featuring chapter summaries, definitions of key terms, lists of further resources, and reflective questions, this highly accessible and pedagogically rich text is a vital reading not only for current and future practitioners specializing in ASD, but also for parents of children with ASD.

The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed. Temple Grandin & Richard Panek, $22.50

When Temple Grandin was born in 1947, autism had only just been named. Today it is more prevalent than ever, with one in 88 children diagnosed on the spectrum. And our thinking about it has undergone a transformation in her lifetime: Autism studies have moved from the realm of psychology to neurology and genetics, and there is far more hope today than ever before thanks to groundbreaking new research into causes and treatments. Now Temple Grandin reports from the forefront of autism science, bringing her singular perspective to a thrilling journey into the heart of the autism revolution.

Weaving her own experience with remarkable new discoveries, Grandin introduces the neuroimaging advances and genetic research that link brain science to behavior, even sharing her own brain scan to show us which anomalies might explain common symptoms. We meet the scientists and self-advocates who are exploring innovative theories of what causes autism and how we can diagnose and best treat it. Grandin also highlights long-ignored sensory problems and the transformative effects we can have by treating autism symptom by symptom, rather than with an umbrella diagnosis. Most exciting, she argues that raising and educating kids on the spectrum isn’t just a matter of focusing on their weaknesses; in the science that reveals their long-overlooked strengths she shows us new ways to foster their unique contributions. From the “aspies” in Silicon Valley to the five-year-old without language, Grandin understands the true meaning of the word spectrum. THE AUTISTIC BRAIN is essential reading from the most respected and beloved voices in the field.

Been There. Done That. Try This! An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth. Edited by Tony Attwood, Craig Evans & Anita Lesko, $26.95

If you only buy one book to improve your life this year, make it this one. Temple Grandin, Liane Holliday Willey, Anita Lesko, Stephen M. Shore, and many other Aspie mentors offer their personal guidance on coping with the daily stressors that Aspies have identified as being the most significant, in order of urgency — anxiety, self-esteem, change, meltdowns, depression, friendship, love, and much, much more. Based on years of personal experience, this book is packed with advice from Aspie mentors who have all been there and done that! Dr. Tony Attwood rounds up each chapter with professional analysis and extensive recommendations. He includes essential information on destructive strategies that may look attractive, but that have counter-productive effects.

Including full color artwork from Aspie artists showing visually how they interpret each stressor, this is THE inspirational guide to life for young adults, the newly diagnosed, and as a life-long reference for anyone on the spectrum — written by Aspies for Aspies.

The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity. Norman Doidge, $24.00

In The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge described the most important breakthrough in our understanding of the brain in four hundred years: the discovery that the brain can change its own structure and function in response to mental experience — what we call neuroplasticity.

His revolutionary new book shows, for the first time, how the amazing process of neuroplastic healing really works. It describes natural, non-invasive avenues into the brain provided by the forms of energy around us — light, sound, vibration, movement — which pass through our senses and our bodies to awaken the brain’s own healing capacities without producing unpleasant side effects. Doidge explores cases where patients alleviated years of chronic pain or recovered from debilitating strokes or accidents; children on the autistic spectrum or with learning disorders normalizing; symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and cerebral palsy radically improved, and other near-miracle recoveries. And we learn how to vastly reduce the risk of dementia with simple approaches anyone can use.

For centuries it was believed that the brain’s complexity prevented recovery from damage or disease. The Brain’s Way of Healing shows that this very sophistication is the source of a unique kind of healing. As he did so lucidly in The Brain That Changes Itself, Doidge uses stories to present cutting-edge science with practical real-world applications, and principles that everyone can apply to improve their brain’s performance and health.

A Brief Guide to Autism Treatments. Elisabeth Hollister Sandberg & Becky Spritz, $24.95

The number of intervention options available for children with autism can be overwhelming for parents. This book provides brief, user-friendly descriptions of the most commonly publicized treatments for autism, summarizing the available information in an objective and accessible way.

Each short chapter covers a single treatment from Applied Behavior Analysis to Gluten-Free Casein-Free diets, as well as lesser known therapies such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Each includes a definition and description; a summary of the prevailing information gleaned from popular press; an explanation of what the science says; and an idea of potential costs to parents and schools.

This straight-talking and practical guide will allow parents of newly-diagnosed children, as well as any professionals working alongside them, to sift through the avalanche of advice and make their own informed choices about treatment.

Clinician's Manual on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Evdokia Anagnoustou & Jessica Brian, Editors, $66.50

This concise, yet practical handbook will aid in supporting the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of autism, including behavioral therapies, current clinical trials, and emerging pharmaceutical treatments. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterised by disturbance in language, perception, and social skills that affects an estimated 1–2 per 1,000 people worldwide (although the number is as high as 20 per 1000 in the US). While studies have suggested a disturbance in neural metabolism in patients with ADS, the exact cause of the ASD still remains unknown. In 2013, a single indication of ASD, which united several related conditions (ie, classical autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and PDD-NOS), was included in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mood Disorders for the first time in order to support more standardized diagnoses.

Communicating Better with People on the Autism Spectrum: 35 Things You Need to Know. Paddy-Joe Moran, $13.95

Covering verbal and non-verbal communication, Paddy-Joe Moran presents 35 simple tips and strategies to help professionals improve their communication and relationships with individuals on the autism spectrum.

The language that professionals choose to use can have a long-term impact on autistic people. This book provides easy-to-implement suggestions to guarantee effective and sensitive communication. It explains everything from person-first language through to the use of specific, rather than open-ended, questions, and a focus on taking the individual's lead with their preferred language and terminology is central to the book.

Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice, 2nd Edition. Edited by Richard Foxx & James Mulick, $117.60

One of the largest and most complex human services systems in history has evolved to address the needs of people with autism and intellectual disabilities, yet important questions remain for many professionals, administrators, and parents. What approaches to early intervention, education, treatment, therapy, and remediation really help those with autism and other intellectual disabilities improve their functioning and adaptation? Alternatively, what approaches represent wastes of time, effort, and resources?

This book brings together leading behavioral scientists and practitioners to shed much-needed light on the major controversies surrounding these questions. Expert authors review the origins, perpetuation, and resistance to scrutiny of questionable practices, and offer a clear rationale for appraising the quality of various services. The second edition of Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities has been fully revised and updated and includes entirely new chapters on psychology fads, why applied behavioral analysis is not a fad, rapid prompting, relationship therapies, the gluten-free, casein-free diet, evidence based practices, teaching ethics, and a parents’ primer for autism treatments.

Creating Autism Champions: Autism Awareness Training for Key Stage 1 and 2. Joy Beaney, $39.95

Raising awareness and understanding of autism has school-wide benefits, such as helping to improve the attitudes of pupils and staff and allowing children with autism to thrive socially, emotionally and educationally alongside their peers. This comprehensive resource provides a whole school programme for raising autism awareness and promoting inclusion.

It includes training for staff in the knowledge and skills they need to support pupils, a sample school assembly, and lesson plans for teaching groups of pupils to be 'autism champions'. This programme also offers photocopiable worksheets and online presentations to use as part of the staff training, school assembly and peer awareness lessons. There is advice for involving children with autism and their parents in school activities. Easily adaptable for different age groups, this is a ready-made resource for schools committed to promoting autism awareness and whole school welfare.

Creativity and the Autistic Student: Supporting Strengths to Develop Skills and Deepen Knowledge. Carrie Snow, 49.95

Using creativity as a lens to explore the meaningful learning experiences of autistic youth, Carrie Snow evaluates and challenges common conceptions about autism and offers a strengths-based demonstration of the many ways that autistic people express creativity and imagination. She then identifies key qualities of education that are commonly cited by autistic people to be significant to the development of fulfilling lives, healthy identities, promising careers and vocations, and creativity in general. This important resource shows how educators can support autistic K–12 students in public, private, inclusive as well as specialized schools. Creativity and the Autistic Student forwards the idea that autistic people offer valuable skills and abilities that can strengthen communities, within school and beyond. Book Features:

• First-person narratives by autistic people that challenge the prevailing medical model
• A strengths-based perspective that highlights the resourceful, novel, relevant ways that autistic people navigate their lives
• A focus on the importance of cultivating what creativity scholars term “everyday creativity” in autistic youth
• Strategies for inclusive curricular and instructional ideas, adaptations, and structures
• Visions for a future that invites and thrives on the creative contributions of neurodiverse citizens

Crime and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Myths and Mechanisms. Neil Brewer & Robyn Young, $39.95

Having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can — given certain situational conditions — make individuals more vulnerable to becoming caught up in criminal activity and vulnerable to unfavourable interactions once in the criminal justice system. Full of case studies, this book explores the reasons behind adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) becoming involved in the criminal justice system. It discusses the establishment of intervention programs and calls for a review of forensic assessment for people with ASD.

This book will be of immeasurable interest to criminal justice professionals including probation officers, social workers, clinical and forensic psychologists, police officers, lawyers and judges, as well as students of these professions.

Defeating Autism questions the scientific basis of environmental explanations of autism and explores the incoherence of unorthodox strategies and therapies. Author and physician Michael Fitzpatrick, father of an autistic son, worries such campaigns promising to defeat or cure autism risk dehumanizing and further stigmatizing those on the spectrum. Defeating Autism is a compelling look at the public understanding and the treatment of scientific and medical controversies in the media.

A Different Kettle of Fish: a Day in the Life of a Physics Student with Autism. Michael Barton, $17.95

During a trip to London, taking in tube announcements, guitar shops, and the Science Museum, Michael Barton explores and explains the confusing "neurotypical" world of contradictory signage, hidden meanings and nonsensical figures of speech. His quirky and comic illustrations bring to life the journey from the comfort of his familiar university surroundings into the hectic bustle of central London. A fun and enlightening read for friends, family, caring professionals and anyone interested in an alternative viewpoint on the world. Sure to "strike a chord" with other day trippers on the autism spectrum.

Drawing Autism. Jill Mullin, $36.95

Using artwork created by individuals diagnosed with ASD, DRAWING AUTISM celebrates their artistry and self-expression while also serving as an accessible point of entry into understanding how ASD manifests in individuals. Autism is known as a “spectrum disorder” because no two diagnoses are exactly the same; however, there are characteristic traits of ASD. Through their art, the contributors exhibit unique perspectives on how they see the world and their places in it. The book’s seven chapters — Interaction, Individual and Societal; Repetition, Repetition, Repetition; Getting from Here to There; Bird’s Eye View; Another World; It’s All History; Art for Art’s Sake — speak directly to the core characteristics of ASD.

Behavior analyst and educator Mullin has assembled a staggering array of work from established artists like Gregory Blackstock and Jessica Park, to the unknown but no less talented. Their creations, coupled with artist interviews, comprise a fascinating and compelling book that serves to educate and inspire anyone who knows someone diagnosed with ASD. 

Embracing Autism: Connecting and Communicating with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Robert Parish & Friends, $26.99

Through sensitive, sometimes humorous, experienced-based writing from teachers, clinicians, and parent activists in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) community, this book will help educators and others to better understand the world inhabited by ASD children. The stories contained in the book will inspire and inform readers who are working day-to-day with children in the autism spectrum, providing valuable insights into what makes these kids tick and useful information on how they communicate, learn, and succeed.

Exploring Depression, and Beating the Blues: a CBT Self-Help Guide to Understanding and Coping with Depression in Asperger's Syndrome (ASD-Level 1). Tony Attwood & Michelle Garnett, $24.95

For people with ASDs, depression is common, and has particular features and causes. This outstanding book provides a comprehensive review of these aspects, and an effective self-help guide for anyone with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affected by depression.

Written by the leading experts in the field, the book explains and describes depression, the forms it can take, and how it looks and feels for a person on the autism spectrum. The authors draw on the latest thinking and research to suggest strategies for coping with the effects of depression and provide a complete step-by-step CBT self-help programme, designed specifically for individuals with ASDs. The programme helps increase self-awareness, including identifying personal triggers, and provides the tools to combat depression.

Faces of Promise: Looking Beyond Autism. Richard Ehrlich & Barbara Firestone, $37.50

A collaboration between a fine art photographer and physician and the President, CEO, and Founder of The Help Group — a world renowned non-profit group in Los Angeles serving children with autism disorder and special needs — this photo essay book illustrates the dignity of children on the autism spectrum. This beautifully produced book serves to counteract the uninformed and erroneous stereotypes many hold about autism.

Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: a Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism. Naoki Higashida, Ka Yoshida & David Mitchell, $29.95

Naoki Higashida was only thirteen when he wrote The Reason I Jump, a revelatory account of autism from the inside by a nonverbal Japanese child, which became an international success.

Now he shares his thoughts and experiences as a twenty-four-year-old man living each day with severe autism. In short, powerful chapters, Higashida explores school memories, family relationships, the exhilaration of travel, and the difficulties of speech. He also allows readers to experience profound moments we take for granted, like the thought-steps necessary for him to register that it’s raining outside. Acutely aware of how strange his behavior can appear to others, he aims throughout to foster a better understanding of autism and to encourage society to see people with disabilities as people, not as problems.

With an introduction by bestselling novelist David Mitchell, Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 also includes a dreamlike short story Higashida wrote especially for this edition. Both moving and of practical use, this book opens a window into the mind of an inspiring young man who meets every challenge with tenacity and good humor. However often he falls down, he always gets back up.

41 Things to Know About Autism. Chantal Sicile-Kira, $113.50

41 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT AUTISM provides a clear, instructive explanation of autism. This quick, straightforward guide explores the symptoms, nature and theories of autism; the emotional effects of autism on families; autistic behaviours; treatments and much more.

Geeks, Genes, and the Evolution of Asperger Syndrome. Dean Falk & Eve Penelope Schofield, $37.50

In this unusual book an evolutionary anthropologist and her coauthor/granddaughter, who has Asperger syndrome, examine the emergence and spread of Asperger syndrome and other forms of high-functioning autism. The authors speak to readers with autism, parents, teachers, clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, other health-care providers, autism researchers, evolutionary biologists, geneticists, paleoanthropologists, and people who simply enjoy reading about science.

Using the latest findings regarding brain evolution and the neurological, genetic, and cognitive underpinnings of autistic individuals at the high end of the spectrum, Falk theorizes that many characteristics associated with Asperger syndrome are by-products of the evolution of advanced mental processing. She explores the origins of autism, whether it is currently evolving, how it differs in males and females, and whether it is a global phenomenon. Additionally, Eve Schofield, who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome as a child, provides firsthand accounts of what it is like to grow up as an "Aspie."

Helping People with Developmental Disabilities Mourn: Practical Rituals for Caregivers. Mark Markell, $19.95

This practical book offers 20 simple rituals that caregivers can use with people with developmental disabilities after a death. All of the rituals can be adapted to all ages and all levels of ability. These rituals have the power to transform a painful, confusing period by exploring the feelings of grief and loss, and expressing them in helpful, healing ways.

A History of Autism: Conversations with the Pioneers. Adam Feinstein, $69.95

This unique book fully explores the history of autism — from the first descriptions of autistic-type behaviour to the present day. Featuring in-depth discussions with leading professionals and pioneers the book provides an unprecedented insight into the historical changes in the perception of autism and approaches to it. Alongside the contributions of clinicians, interviews with parents of autistic children demonstrate the important contribution parents have made to a more profound understanding of this enigmatic condition.

How Everyone On the Autism Spectrum, Young And Old, Can Become Resilient, Be More Optimistic, Enjoy Humor, Be Kind, and Increase Self-Efficacy: a Positive Psychology Approach. June Groden, Ayelet Kantor, Cooper Woodard & Lewis Lipsitt, $29.95

Encouraging people on the autism spectrum to foster positive emotions and character traits can dramatically improve their lives in every way, and help to strengthen their ability to cope with everyday challenges and setbacks.

Drawing on the key concepts of positive psychology, this book looks in detail at five positive character traits — resilience, optimism, humor, kindness, and self-efficacy — and offers tried and tested strategies for bolstering each of these strengths in individuals with ASD. The authors provide rich and varied lesson plans which contain a multitude of activities designed to build on the five areas identified, and which can be easily implemented at home, at school, or in the community.

This complete "toolkit" provides parents, educators and other professionals with everything they need to know to use positive psychology strategies to support people of all ages and abilities on the autism spectrum.

How LEGO®-Based Therapy for Autism Works: Landing On My Planet. Daniel Legoff, $35.95

With in-depth descriptions of LEGO®-based therapy in action, this book explains how and why it helps to promote the development of social skills for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and related conditions.

Written by Daniel B. LeGoff, who pioneered the approach, this book comprises a series of case histories of children who participated in LEGO® therapy. It traces the development of the evidence-based approach, shares the clinical insights gained along the way and highlights the principles which should be at the core of all effective treatment and educational strategies for children with ASDs. The case histories have real practical value for those working with children with ASDs and also help to demonstrate the subtleties of the adult facilitation role for professionals running sessions.

How People with Autism Grieve and How to Help: an Insider Handbook. Deborah Lipsky, $25.95

The book is an honest, first-hand account of how people with autism deal with the loss of someone in their life. Unlike the non-autistic response, people with autism, when faced with overwhelming or stressful situations, will favour solitude over sharing their emotions, tend to focus on special interests, and become extremely logical, often not expressing any emotion. This behaviour often leads to the belief that people with autism lack empathy, which is far from the case.

Through the description of personal experience, and case studies, the book explores how people with autism feel and express the loss of a loved one, how they process and come to terms with their feelings of grief, and offers practical and detailed advice to parents and carers on a range of sensitive issues. These include clear instructions on how best to support someone with autism through the grieving process, how to prepare them for bad news, how to break the bad news, how to involve them in the funeral or wake, and how best to respond to later reactions. The final chapter explores the issue of why children and teens with autism can be drawn to death as a special interest, and explains that the interest is not normally a morbid one.

How to Break Bad News to People with Intellectual Disabilities: a Guide for Carers and Professionals. Irene Tuffrey-Wijne, $29.95

This book offers unique and flexible guidelines that can be used by practitioners to ease the process of breaking bad news to people with intellectual disabilities. The guidelines, which are adaptable to individual communication ability and level of understanding, address the many complex needs of people with intellectual disabilities who can find understanding and accepting news that has a negative impact on their life a very difficult task. In the book, Irene Tuffrey-Wijne covers a range of different types of bad news, from bereavement and illness to more minor issues such as a change of accommodation, and offers highly practical and effective tips that will help carers and practitioners ensure that bad news is relayed as sensitively and successfully as possible.

An easy-to-use and comprehensive guide, this book will be an invaluable resource of information for carers, health professionals such as doctors and nurses as well as families of people with intellectual disabilities.

The Imprinted Brain: How Genes Set the Balance Between Autism and Psychosis. Christopher Badcock, $39.95

Combining psychiatry with insights from modern genetics and cognitive science, Christopher Badcock explains the fascinating imprinted brain theory to the reader in a thorough but accessible way. This new theory casts some intriguing new light on other topics as diverse as the nature of genius, the appeal of detective fiction, and the successes — and failures — of psychoanalysis. This thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in autism, psychiatry, cognitive science or psychology in general.

In a Different Key: the Story of Autism. John Donvan & Caren Zucker, $24.00

Nearly seventy-five years ago, Donald Triplett of Forest, Mississippi, became the first child diagnosed with autism. Beginning with his family’s odyssey, In a Different Key tells the extraordinary story of this often misunderstood condition, and of the civil rights battles waged by the families of those who have it. Unfolding over decades, it is a beautifully rendered history of ordinary people determined to secure a place in the world for those with autism — by liberating children from dank institutions, campaigning for their right to go to school, challenging expert opinion on what it means to have autism, and persuading society to accept those who are different.  

It is the story of women like Ruth Sullivan, who rebelled against a medical establishment that blamed cold and rejecting “refrigerator mothers” for causing autism; and of fathers who pushed scientists to dig harder for treatments. Many others played starring roles too: doctors like Leo Kanner, who pioneered our understanding of autism; lawyers like Tom Gilhool, who took the families’ battle for education to the courtroom; scientists who sparred over how to treat autism; and those with autism, like Temple Grandin, Alex Plank, and Ari Ne’eman, who explained their inner worlds and championed the philosophy of neurodiversity. 

This is also a story of fierce controversies — from the question of whether there is truly an autism “epidemic,” and whether vaccines played a part in it; to scandals involving “facilitated communication,” one of many treatments that have proved to be blind alleys; to stark disagreements about whether scientists should pursue a cure for autism. There are dark turns too: we learn about experimenters feeding LSD to children with autism, or shocking them with electricity to change their behavior; and the authors reveal compelling evidence that Hans Asperger, discoverer of the syndrome named after him, participated in the Nazi program that consigned disabled children to death.

By turns intimate and panoramic, In a Different Key takes us on a journey from an era when families were shamed and children were condemned to institutions to one in which a cadre of people with autism push not simply for inclusion, but for a new understanding of autism: as difference rather than disability.

Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism, Schizophrenia, and Depression. Paul Patterson, $22.50

In INFECTIOUS BEHAVIOR, neurobiologist Paul Patterson examines the involvement of the immune system in autism, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder. Although genetic approaches to these diseases have garnered the lion’s share of publicity and funding, scientists are uncovering evidence of the important avenues of communication between the brain and the immune system and their involvement in mental illness. Patterson focuses on this brain-immune crosstalk, exploring the possibility that it may help us understand the causes of these common but still mysterious diseases. The heart of this engaging book, accessible to nonscientists, concerns the involvement of the immune systems of the pregnant woman and her fetus, and a consideration of maternal infection as a risk factor for schizophrenia and autism. Patterson reports on research that may shed light on today’s autism epidemic. He also outlines the risks and benefits of both maternal and postnatal vaccinations.

In the course of his discussion, Patterson offers a short history of immune manipulation in treating mental illness (recounting some frightening but fascinating early experiments) and explains how the immune system influences behavior and how the brain regulates the immune system, looking in particular at stress and depression. He examines the prenatal origins of adult disease and evidence for immune involvement in autism, schizophrenia, and depression. Finally, he describes the promise shown by recent animal experiments that have led to early clinical trials of postnatal and adult treatments for patients with autism and related disorders.

Interoception: the Eighth Sensory System. Kelly Mahler, $35.95

Many people take it for granted, but one of the most important skills we have is being able to understand signals from our body. How you know if you’re hungry, thirsty, tired, etc. are key abilities to live a healthy life. These are also skills that those with autism spectrum disorder tend to lack. Kelly Mahler’s newest book gives professionals and parents a new way to consider teaching these talents to individuals with ASD. She describes the clear link between interoception and many important skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, problem solving, intuition, and many more.

Also available: The Comprehensive Assessment for Interoceptive Awareness. Kelly Mahler, $35.75

Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System describes author Kelly Mahler has designed various assessments to accompany the book, which give professionals and parents a new way to evaluate individuals with ASD and provide targeted strategies to overcome challenges. This kit contains 10 assessment booklets, and accompanying photos.

LEGO®-Based Therapy: How to Build Social Competence through LEGO®-Based Clubs for Children with Autism and Related Disorders. Daniel LeGoff, Gina Gómez de la Cuesta, GW Krauss & Simon Baron-Cohen, $29.95

This complete guide to LEGO® Therapy contains everything you need to know in order to set up and run a LEGO® Club for children with autism spectrum disorders or related social communication difficulties and anxiety conditions. By providing a joint interest and goal, LEGO® building can become a medium for social development such as sharing, turn-taking, making eye-contact, and following social rules. This book outlines the theory and research base of the approach and gives advice on all practical considerations including space, the physical layout of the room and choosing and maintaining materials, as well as strategies for managing behaviour, further skill development, and how to assess progress.

Written by the pioneer of the approach alongside those who helped form it through their research and evaluation, this evidence-based manual is essential reading for professionals working with autism who are interested in running a LEGO® Club or learning more about the therapy.

Managing Anxiety in People with Autism: a Treatment Guide for Parents, Teachers and Mental Health Professionals.  Anne Chalfant, $29.95

Anxiety is one of the biggest challenges facing people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. They can experience anxiety in all areas of their lives — school, family, and social life — and it compounds the difficulties they already may have with communicating, interacting socially, and controlling their emotions. MANAGING ANXIETY IN PEOPLE WITH AUTISM is one of the first books to provide practical information about dealing with anxiety in people with ASD.

MANAGING ANXIETY IN PEOPLE WITH AUTISM explains a range of different types of strategies that can help manage and treat anxiety in school, home, and clinical settings and takes into consideration the different roles people play in a child's or adult's life: parent, sibling, teacher, etc. Readers learn about ways to modify behavior and/or the environment to indirectly reduce anxiety, as well as interventions, such as medication or psychotherapy, which deal with symptoms directly. The discussion of more formal interventions — psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and medication — show how these methods can target specific anxieties. Because anxiety is generally more common in parents and siblings of a child with ASD, the author also offers ways they too can reduce their symptoms.

Meet Me Where I'm At. Cindy Best & Joyce Shor Johnson, $16.95

The many gifted and spirited children the author works with at A.R.T.S (Adaptive art. Respite. & Therapeutic play. Services.) inspired her to write this book. Often times, she noticed children felt misunderstood at home and school, and in the community. This book helps children understand how they are wired and it gives them a way to communicate without having to express it verbally or face-to-face. It provides something concrete that could be individualized and given to new teachers, coaches, or friends to help them understand who the child is and how he or she functions best. Another very important lesson acquired from this book is, it teaches children how to become advocates for themselves.

Mental Health Aspects of Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Mohammad Ghaziuddin, $31.95

The first book to address the increasingly urgent need for information about psychiatric problems in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), Mental Health Aspects of Autism and Asperger Syndrome systematically explains the emotional and psychological difficulties that are often encountered with ASDs. The author, an experienced psychiatrist specializing in autism, describes each of the conditions that are commonly seen in autistic children and adults, including schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and tic disorders, and gives sound guidance on their early detection and treatment. Easy to use and authoritative, this book is an essential tool for use by both family and professionals.

Music, Language and Autism: Exceptional Strategies for Exceptional Minds. Adam Ockelford, $35.95

This book explains how music and language 'work' as systems of communication, and why music holds such a fascination for many young people on the autism spectrum. There are strategies for showing how music can be used to support language development and even substitute for verbal communication. Exploring the progression from a young child's intuitive engagement with music, to using it as a scaffold for communication, socialization and understanding, the book illustrates, through the use of detailed case studies, how music nurtures a sense of self and provides a positive outlet to express inner thoughts and feelings without resorting to challenging or even destructive behaviours.

Presenting an innovative approach to the use of music with people on the autism spectrum, this book will be a fascinating resource for speech and language therapists, music therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, teaching assistants, educational psychologists, carers and parents of people with autism.

The Myth of Autism: How a Misunderstood Epidemic is Destroying Our Children. Michael Goldberg, $38.95

What is this mysterious affliction known as autism, and how can we stop it? Dr. Michael Goldberg and his colleagues look at why autism may not be genetic, but a symptom of a treatable neurological disease that attacks the brain's immune system. The books explores the idea that illnesses such as autism, ADD/ADHD, and chronic fatigue syndrome all have different labels but are actually variations on the same thing: neuro-immune dysfunction syndromes (NIDS). Dr. Goldberg believes that in order to save the next generation of children from the incurable stigma of an autism diagnosis, we must quickly realize that all of these disorders are the result of a curable disease process.

Navigating the Zones: a Pathway to Self-Regulation. Leah Kuypers, Terri Rossman & Elizabeth Sautter, $84.95* (Ages 8-10; 11-13; 14-18; Young Adult) *a 10% discount applies to all professional-use purchases of Social Thinking publications.

Navigating The Zones is an interactive teaching tool designed to extend Leah Kuyper’s original teachings as described in the book The Zones of Regulation®. It engages participants in a problem-solving process at the heart of emotional self-regulation — while learning and collaborating along the way.

It walks participants through the “Zones Pathway” — a visual, sequential, and concrete road map that helps structure participants’ thinking and processing about the problem-solving sequence that is at the center of emotional self-regulation. This three-step process involves thinking about a Situation (where are we, who are we with?), thinking about and interpreting the Feeling we experience in response to the situation, and thinking about a Tool or strategy we can use to help us navigate the situation in an expected way. Group collaboration and problem solving is a significant part of the journey in Navigating The Zones. Participants work together, under the guidance of the Adult Facilitator, to support each other and reach a shared goal. They can offer each other help, ask questions, suggests tools and strategies, and more — so that as a team, everyone is successful and the learning is rich!

Materials are adaptable to the learning needs of participants. This flexible teaching tool can be used in a therapeutic or non-therapeutic setting, in a classroom or a living room, by parents, educators, aides, counselors, clinical therapists, behaviorists, psychologists, social workers, etc.

N.B. Adults (and participants) must already have a strong working knowledge of the concepts and vocabulary in The Zones of Regulation curriculum book to use this product successfully. Navigating The Zones is NOT intended to be a stand-alone tool to teach The Zones of Regulation framework. Navigating The Zones highlights a few core concepts in the book, but does not begin to tackle all concepts taught.

NeuroTribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity. Steve Silberman, forward by Oliver Sacks, $25.00

A groundbreaking book that upends conventional thinking about autism and suggests a broader model for acceptance, understanding, and full participation in society for people who think differently. 

What is autism? A lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more — and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. WIRED reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle, while mapping out a path for our society toward a more humane world in which people with learning differences and those who love them have access to the resources they need to live happier, healthier, more secure, and more meaningful lives.  

Along the way, he reveals the untold story of Hans Asperger, the father of Asperger’s syndrome, whose “little professors” were targeted by the darkest social-engineering experiment in human history; exposes the covert campaign by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner to suppress knowledge of the autism spectrum for fifty years; and casts light on the growing movement of “neurodiversity” activists seeking respect, support, technological innovation, accommodations in the workplace and in education, and the right to self-determination for those with cognitive differences.

The Nine Degrees of Autism: a Developmental Model. Philip Wylie, Wenn Lawson & Luke Beardon, $41.95

The Nine Degrees of Autism presents a much-needed positive tool for understanding the developmental process of autism, and to facilitate the improved mental health and well-being of individuals on the spectrum. The ground-breaking model charts nine distinct stages of development — from pre-identification, to learning to live with changes in self-image following a late diagnosis, through to self-acceptance and wellbeing. Using the model as a framework each chapter focuses on a particular stage of the process. Experts provide personal insights into the environmental and societal challenges faced by individuals with autism, and dispel a number of popular misconceptions.

The positive developmental model described in this book will encourage people on the Spectrum to accept themselves by focusing on their gifts rather than weaknesses, and to avoid identifying with negative medical classifications. The developmental process which the authors describe is also applicable to other ‘hidden’ neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Aphasia, and ADHD.

The book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the real nature and experience of autism and will also be essential reading for a range of professionals seeking to work more effectively with individuals on the spectrum.

The Panic Virus: a True Story of Medicine, Science and Fear. Seth Mnookin, $20.00

In 1998 Andrew Wakefield, a British gastroenterologist, published a paper with a shocking allegation: the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine might cause autism. The media seized hold of the story and, in the process, helped to launch one of the most devastating health scares ever. Since that time, one study after another has failed to find any link between childhood vaccines and autism. Yet the myth that vaccines somehow cause developmental disorders lives on. Despite the lack of corroborating evidence, it has been popularized by media personalities and legitimized by journalists who claim that they are just being fair to "both sides" of an issue about which there is little to debate.

In The Panic Virus, Seth Mnookin draws on interviews with parents, public-health advocates, scientists, and anti-vaccine activists to tackle a fundamental question: How do we decide what the truth is? The Panic Virus is a riveting and sometimes heart-breaking medical detective story that explores the limits of rational thought. It is the ultimate cautionary tale for our time.

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism. Naoki Higashida, Ka Yoshida & David Mitchell, $19.95

Naoki Higashida was only a middle-schooler when he began to write THE REASON I JUMP. Autistic and with very low verbal fluency, Naoki used an alphabet grid to painstakingly spell out his answers to the questions he imagines others most often wonder about him: why do you talk so loud? Is it true you hate being touched? Would you like to be normal? The result is an inspiring, attitude-transforming book that will be embraced by anyone interested in understanding their fellow human beings, and by parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends of autistic children. Naoki examines issues as diverse and complex as self-harm, perceptions of time and beauty, and the challenges of communication, and in doing so, discredits the popular belief that autistic people are anti-social loners who lack empathy. 

This book is mesmerizing proof that inside an autistic body is a mind as subtle, curious, and caring as anyone else's.

Reframe Your Thinking Around Autism: How the Polyvagal Theory and Brain Plasticity Help Us Make Sense of Autism. Holly Bridges, $19.95

This is the first book to explain the Polyvagal Theory as it applies to autism in simple terms for parents and professionals. Incorporating Dr Anat Baniel's work in brain plasticity, it presents a new way of understanding autism and supporting children on the spectrum with strategies to strengthen the mind-body connection. Outlining a new, optimistic way to understand autism, this concise and accessible book offers practical ideas to help children on the spectrum grow.

The Polyvagal Theory suggests autism is a learnt response by the body — a result of the child being in a prolonged state of 'fight or flight' while their nervous system is still developing. This book explains the theory in simple terms and incorporates recent developments in brain plasticity research (the capacity of the brain to change throughout life) to give parents and professionals the tools to strengthen the child's brain-body connection and lessen the social and emotional impact of autism.

Replays: Using Play to Enhance Emotional and Behavioral Development for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Karen Levine & Naomi Chedd, $27.95

Replays addresses the challenging behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders through interactive symbolic play. It shows parents and professionals how to help children access their emotions, whether the child is verbal or not, cognitively able or impaired, even-tempered or volatile. More than just behavioral management strategies in the context of social, emotional and communication development, Replays offers a technique that helps children to re-experience, play through and master the complex emotional response states that often lead to ongoing behavioral challenges. This easy and fun tool enables parents and professionals to guide children with autism spectrum disorders towards mastering, and changing, their emotional and behavioral responses.

Re-Thinking Autism: Diagnosis, Identity and Equality. Edited by Katherine Runswick-Cole, Rebecca Mallett & Sami Timimi, $37.95

Disputing the existing accepted approaches to autism and the focus on diagnosis and 'treatment', this book challenges the attitudes, assumptions and prejudices around autism that are generated from the medical model, suggesting that they can be marginalising, limiting and potentially damaging to the individuals labelled with autism.

This unique contribution to the growing field of critical autism studies brings together authors from clinical psychiatry, clinical and community psychology, social sciences, disability studies, education and cultural studies, as well as those with personal experiences of autism. It is essential and challenging reading for anyone with a personal, professional or academic interest in 'autism'.

Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life. Liane Hilliday Wiley, $25.95

Life with Asperger Syndrome can be a challenge at the best of times, and trials and tribulations that neurotypicals take in their stride can leave Aspies perplexed and unsure of how to solve problems and keep themselves safe, both physically and emotionally.

Liane Holliday Willey explores the daily pitfalls that females with AS may face, and suggests practical and helpful ways of overcoming them. The focus throughout is on keeping safe, and this extends to travel, social awareness, and general life management. With deeply personal accounts from the author's own experiences, this book doesn't shy away from difficult issues such as coping with bullying, self-harm, depression, and eating disorders. The positive and encouraging advice gives those with AS the guidance to safeguard themselves from emotional and physical harm, and live happy and independent lives.

The SCERTS™ Model: a Comprehensive Educational Approach for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Volume 1: Assessment; Volume 2: Program Planning and Intervention. Barry Prizant, et al. Two Volume Manual Set, $166.50

A groundbreaking synthesis of developmental, relationship-based, and skill-based approaches, The SCERTS™ Model provides a framework for improving communication and social-emotional abilities in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families. Developed by internationally recognized experts, SCERTS™ supports developmental progress in three domains: Social Communication (communicating spontaneously and establishing relationships), Emotional Regulation (regulating emotional arousal to support learning and engagement), and Transactional Support (elements that aid an individual's progress as he or she works toward a goal).

With this two-volume manual set, professionals will have comprehensive and practical guidance on using SCERTS™ in assessment and intervention with preschool and elementary school students with ASD.

The Science and Fiction of Autism. Laura Schreibman, $23.50

Drawing from her own long clinical experience with autistic children and their parents, author Laura Schreibman arms her readers — students, educators, psychologists, and parents alike — with information and arguments to deal with the onslaught of good, bad, deficient, and irrelevant ideas about autism.

Selective Mutism in Our Own Words: Experiences in Childhood and Adulthood. Carl Sutton & Cheryl Forrester, $29.95

Exploring all aspects of SM, from symptoms and diagnostic criteria, to triggers and the consequences of being psychologically unable to speak, the stories in this book dispel the myths around this often misunderstood condition. Far from refusing to talk, or choosing not to, the contributors offer genuine insights into why they simply cannot speak in certain situations or in front of certain people. Children, teens and adults from the UK and US share experiences of feeling isolated, struggling at school, and finding ways to communicate. Letting people with SM know that they are not alone with the condition, the book will also help family, friends and professionals to understand what it is like to live with SM.

Sexuality and Relationship Education for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Professional’s Guide to Understanding, Preventing Issues, Supporting Sexuality, and Responding to Inappropriate Behaviors. Davida Hartman, $39.95

Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders require specialized teaching strategies when learning about puberty, sexuality and relationships. This professional resource offers practical teaching advice geared towards the needs of young people on the autism spectrum. Beginning with information on good practice, policy, teaching methods and recent research, the book then divides into key sex education topics that assist professionals in developing their own individualized and developmentally appropriate curricula. Covering issues of gender, public and private, puberty, hygiene, emotions, sex and more, each topic provides an overview of the difficulties that children with autism might experience, discussion and activity ideas and photocopiable resources including instructional stories, checklists and illustrations. The final section demonstrates how to respond to ongoing patterns of inappropriate behaviour and put together a behaviour plan.

Aiming to explain and support the child's developing sexuality while also addressing crucial issues of safety, this book is a much-needed teaching manual for all professionals working with children and young adults with autism including educators in mainstream and special education, psychologists, therapists and social workers.

Sexuality and Severe Autism: a Practical Guide for Parents, Caregivers and Health Educators. Kate Reynolds, $31.95

Sexual health and sexuality can be difficult subjects for parents and caregivers to broach with autistic children, made more challenging when children are at the severe end of the autism spectrum. Some parents may even question the validity of teaching sexuality to those who are severely autistic. This practical handbook guides you through the process of teaching about sex and sexuality, answering all of the most crucial questions, including: Why is it necessary to teach this subject to my severely autistic child? When is the right time to start talking about these issues? How detailed and explicit should I be? What methods are most appropriate? It addresses male and female issues separately and covers public and private sexual behaviours, sexual abuse, cross-gender teaching and liaising with school, in addition to the more obvious areas such as physical changes and menstruation.

This will be the ideal guide to teaching about sexual issues for any parent, caregiver or health educator caring for a person on the severe end of the autism spectrum.

The Skills System Instructor’s Guide: an Emotion-Regulation Skills Curriculum for All Learning Abilities. Julie Brown, $48.95

Having the capacity to benefit from emotions, rather than being paralyzed by them, offers people the opportunity to navigate difficulties, while being able to face life, relationships, and themselves with courage, grace, and strength. In THE SKILLS SYSTEM INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE, author Julie Brown provides a curriculum for helping people improve emotion regulation capacities, which allows the person to actively participate in both joyful and challenging aspects of life.

The guide presents nine simple, user-friendly adaptive coping skills effective for individuals of diverse learning abilities. Based on Dialectic Behavior Therapy principles, the Skills System helps people of all ages learn to effectively regulate emotions, thoughts, and actions to reach personal goals.

Social & Communication Development in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Early Identification, Diagnosis & Intervention. Tony Charman & Wendy Stone, editors, $51.95

From leading clinical researchers, this volume presents important recent advances in understanding and treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in very young children. The book is grounded in cutting-edge findings on the social-communication behavior of typically and atypically developing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The contributors highlight the connections between ASD and specific early social-communication impairments - including problems with joint attention, imitation, and play - with a focus on what clinicians can do to help. Innovative screening and assessment procedures are reviewed, as are evidence-based intervention and prevention strategies. Throughout, attention to both real-world practice and research considerations enhances the book's utility as a clinical reference and text.

The Social Compass Curriculum: a Story-Based Intervention Package for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. LouAnne Boyd, Christina McReynolds, Karen Chanin, $79.95

Children with autism learn social skills best in group settings where they can practice every day interactions with peers. Ideal for Grades 4-8 but easily adaptable for use with older children, this social skills intervention curriculum gives educators 24 lessons that help students with autism make progress in areas critical to social success. Each step-by-step lesson gives students a social story that models a key skill; worksheets that reinforce takeaway points; a simple, memorable icon that helps them remember what to do; opportunities to role-play and rehearse the skill; and take-home worksheets to ensure generalization in settings outside of school.

Social Skills, Emotional Growth and Drama Therapy: Inspiring Connection on the Autism Spectrum. Lee Chasen, $43.95

Drama therapy provides valuable opportunities for children on the autism spectrum to interact and connect with others in a fun, supportive environment. The innovative model of drama therapy described in this book is rooted in neuroscience, and designed specifically to develop social, emotional and expressive language skills in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Lee Chasen provides an accessible explanation of the theoretical foundations, concepts and techniques that make up the approach, and describes in detail a thirty-session drama therapy program which uses creative and playful tools such as guided play, sociometry, puppetry, role-play, video modeling and improvisation. Scenarios drawn from his own practice provide useful insights into the practicalities of setting up and running such a program, as well as into how children's social, emotional and expressive language skills deepen through their immersion in this unique approach.

Speak, Move, Play and Learn with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Lois Jean Brady, America Gonzalez, Maciej Zawadki & Corinda Presley, $39.95

Activities to boost communication skills, sensory integration and coordination using simple ideas from speech and language pathology and occupational therapy.

Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities Experiencing Loss and Bereavement: Theory and Compassionate Practice. Edited by Sue Read, $59.95

This authoritative edited text looks at how diverse and complicated experiences of loss can be for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). It discusses current theory, practice issues in health and care settings, and specific considerations for children, individuals with autism, those in forensic environments, and those facing their own death.

Switched On: a Memoir of Brain Change and Emotional Awakening. John Elder Robinson, $24.00

It has long been assumed that people living with autism are born with the diminished ability to read the emotions of others, even as they feel emotion deeply. But what if we’ve been wrong all this time? What if that “missing” emotional insight was there all along, locked away and inaccessible in the mind?

In 2007 John Elder Robison wrote the international bestseller Look Me in the Eye, a memoir about growing up with Asperger’s syndrome. Amid the blaze of publicity that followed, he received a unique invitation: Would John like to take part in a study led by one of the world’s foremost neuroscientists, who would use an experimental new brain therapy known as TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, in an effort to understand and then address the issues at the heart of autism? Switched On is the extraordinary story of what happened next.

Having spent forty years as a social outcast, misreading others’ emotions or missing them completely, John is suddenly able to sense a powerful range of feelings in other people. However, this newfound insight brings unforeseen problems and serious questions. As the emotional ground shifts beneath his feet, John struggles with the very real possibility that choosing to diminish his disability might also mean sacrificing his unique gifts and even some of his closest relationships. Switched On is a real-life Flowers for Algernon, a fascinating and intimate window into what it means to be neurologically different, and what happens when the world as you know it is upended overnight.

Tasks Galore: Creative Ideas for Teachers, Therapists, and Parents Working with Exceptional Children. Laurie Eckenrode, Pat Fennell & Kathy Hearsey, $60.95

Full-color pictorial series of multi-modal tasks, used in programs for children with autism. Applicable to any early education or leaning environment.

The authors are all current or former employees of TEACCH, and together have over sixty years of experience working with exceptional children and adults.

Tasks Galore for the Real World. Kathy Hearsey, Laurie Eckenrode & Pat Fennell, $60.95

Tasks Galore for the Real World, the second book in the Tasks Galore set, is a valuable tool for preparing older elementary students, adolescents, and adults for independence in the home, school, community, or workplace. Forty-three colorful photo pages present task ideas in these categories:

• Developing and Teaching Functional Goals
• Domestic Skills
• Vocational Skills
• Independent Living Skills
• Job Sites & School Transition Ideas

Tasks Galore Let’s Play: Structured Steps to Social Engagement and Symbolic Play. Laurie Eckenrode, Kathy Hearsey, Pat Fennell & Beth Reynolds, $84.95

The fourth book in the popular Tasks Galore resource series for parents, teachers and therapists utilizes play as the program foundation for learning. These strategies are based on evolving evidence that teaching play skills can increase young children’s symbolic understanding and, thus, have an impact on their imitation, language and social skills.

Tasks Galore Literature-Based Thematic Units. Laurie Eckenrode & Pat Fennell, $93.95

TASKS GALORE: LITERATURE-BASED THEMATIC UNITS, the fifth book in the popular resource series for parents, teachers, and therapists, integrates instruction across core curriculum areas by utilizing multisensory learning. 

Using the storybook, I’M HUNGRY, I’M HUNGRY, WHAT SHALL I DO? as a guide for creating literature-based thematic units, the authors have designed hands-on activities for use with young learners and students with special needs. The strategies employed encourage responsiveness to literature while enhancing vocabulary and language. Tasks illustrate how to make learning more meaningful by:

• using organizational strategies and visual cues
• connecting themes to everyday experiences
• adapting skills for 21st century learning, and
• individualizing for differing learning styles

Teaching University Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Guide to Developing Academic Capacity and Proficiency. Kimberley McMahon-Coleman & Kim Draisma, $39.95

Drawing on the latest research, this book offers practical strategies for supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in tertiary education. By looking at common issues faced by students with ASD, teaching and support staff will better understand how to help students develop vital skills needed for academic success.

Temple Grandin: 2014 DVD. Temple Grandin, $47.50 (DVD, 90 minutes)

Ninety minutes of the latest thinking from one of the great minds of the autism world. Including:

• How the DSM-5 changes will affect those working with autism spectrum disorders
• The autistic brain
• Teaching techniques that work
• Q & A with Temple Grandin

Temple Talks about Autism and the Older Child. Temple Grandin, $13.50

Dr. Temple Grandin’s pocket guide to older kids and young adults with autism. Here, in this handy reference book, Temple gives an overview of what it is like to grow up and get a career with autism, tells how she overcame certain issues, gives useful tips, then answers your questions in an easy to reference Q&A. This insightful book contains sections on:

• Building Social Skills
• Manners
• Eccentricity
• Video Games
• Thinking Types
• Education
• Bullying
• Employment Preparation
• Tips for Bosses
• And many others!

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are a Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World. Sharon Heller, $17.50

We all know what it feels like to be irritated by loud music, accosted by lights that are too bright, or overwhelmed by a world that moves too quickly. But millions of people suffer from Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD), a common affliction in which people react to harmless stimuli not just as a distracting hindrance, but a potentially dangerous threat.

Until now, the treatment for sensory defensiveness has been successfully implemented in Learning Disabled children in whom defensiveness tends to be extreme. However, the disorder has generally been unidentified in adults who think they are either overstimulated, stressed, weird, or crazy. These sensory defensive sufferers live out their lives stressed and unhappy, never knowing why or what they can do about it. Now, with Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight, they have a compassionate spokesperson and a solution–oriented book of advice.

Turning Skills and Strengths into Careers for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the BASICS College Curriculum. Michelle Rigler, Emily Quinn & Amy Rutherford, $49.95

The BASICS College Curriculum presents a hands-on approach to learning essential independence and life skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The third book helps young adults to translate their strengths and interests into possible careers and develop job-hunting skills that will set them on the road to success. Students are shown how to identify their unique skill set, write an effective resume, build a network of contacts, prepare for interviews, and secure that internship position. Other possible life paths are also explored including continuing in education and studying abroad. 

Ideal as a textbook for ASD college programs and suitable for young adults to use for their own self-study, each chapter has a lesson-based progressive structure, providing valuable information and advice for the student, useful diagrams, practical exercises and workbook components that can be filled in at home or in class. Self-assessment tools ensure the skills from each chapter can be reviewed and adjusted as necessary.

22 Things a Woman Must Know If She Loves a Man with Asperger Syndrome. Rudy Simone, $19.95

From an unwillingness to show affection in public or even sleep in the same bed, to problems holding down a job, this book looks at 22 common traits that women may discover when they are dating, living with or married to a man with Asperger's Syndrome. Rudy Simone explores the complications of Asperger's relationships with honesty and understanding, drawing on research and personal experience to inform and advise women with AS partners. She offers helpful tips for improving the relationship and finding fulfillment both individually and as a couple.

Understanding Autism: Parents, Doctors, and the History of a Disorder. Chloe Silverman, $32.50

UNDERSTANDING AUTISM, a social history of the expanding diagnostic category of this contested illness, takes a close look at the role of emotion — specifically, of parental love — in the intense and passionate work of biomedical communities investigating autism.

Chloe Silverman tracks developments in autism theory and practice over the past half-century and shows how an understanding of autism has been constituted and stabilized through vital efforts of schools, gene banks, professional associations, government committees, parent networks, and treatment conferences. She examines the love and labor of parents, who play a role in developing new forms of treatment and therapy for their children. While biomedical knowledge is dispersed through an emotionally neutral, technical language that separates experts from laypeople, parental advocacy and activism call these distinctions into question. Silverman reveals how parental care has been a constant driver in the volatile field of autism research and treatment, and has served as an inspiration for scientific change.

Recognizing the importance of parental knowledge and observations in treating autism, this book reveals that effective responses to the disorder demonstrate the mutual interdependence of love and science.

Understanding Death and Illness and What They Teach About Life: an Interactive Guide for Individuals with Autism or Asperger’s and their Loved Ones. Catherine Faherty, $34.95

With Understanding Death and Illness and What They Teach About Life, family and professionals have guidance for these important, but difficult, conversations. Author Catherine Faherty offers detailed, concrete explanations of illness, dying, losing a pet, and more. The Communication Forms following each short topic will engage learners and include them in the conversation, allowing them to share personal experiences, thoughts and concerns.

Understanding and Evaluating Autism Theory. Nick Chown, $39.95

Addressing the full spectrum of theoretical output associated with autism and Asperger syndrome, this is the complete guide to autism theory - spanning from mainstream and alternative, through to non-autism specific theories that might be applied to autism.

Previous study on autism has made significant inroads into the individual branches of autism theory, however, no text has brought together the complete range of theories in an accessible textbook for students and academics. The author argues that a more obvious application of theory to autism intervention would be beneficial to practitioners. With access to the complete range of available autism and Asperger syndrome theory, from development theories to learning style theories, the academics and students working towards the practical application of theory to intervention will have all the necessary information at their disposal. The book is based on a series of autism theory lectures delivered for the NAS and Sheffield Hallam University.

Understanding Facial Recognition Difficulties in Children: Prosopagnosia Management Strategies for Parents and Professionals. Nancy Mindick, $24.95

Can you imagine not being able to recognize those you know if they wore glasses, changed their hairstyle, or perhaps put on a hat? Prosopagnosia is a severe facial recognition disorder that is thought to impact around two per cent of the population. Frequently found in children on the autism spectrum, those with the condition have difficulties distinguishing between one face and the next, meaning that they may not recognize even those who are closest to them.

Nancy Mindick provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with an accessible explanation of the different types, causes, and characteristics of prosopagnosia. Providing an insider's perspective on the condition, she suggests ways to recognize the signs of facial recognition difficulties in children, and offers specific ideas for ensuring that they are properly supported in their learning and social development. The issues of diagnosis and disclosure are explored, and the author offers practical management strategies for helping children to cope with the condition and to navigate the many different social situations they will encounter at home, at school, and in the community.

This book offers specific, practical information for parents, teachers, child psychologists, and anyone else who wishes to support the learning and development of a child with a facial recognition disorder.

Understanding and Treating Self-Injurious Behavior in Autism: a Multi-Disciplinary Perspective. Stephen Edelson & Jane Botsford Johnson, Editors, $39.95

Self-injurious behavior occurs in almost half of those with autism and is one of the most devastating and challenging-to-treat behaviors. There are many different forms of self-injury, such as head banging, hand biting, hair pulling, excessive scratching, and much more. With contributions from the leading experts in research and treatment, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or related developmental disabilities, and the different methods available to treat them.

Medical and behavioral researchers have studied SIB for over 50 years, but many practitioners and parents are still unfamiliar with the wide range of contributing causes and treatment options. Beginning with an explanation of SIB and its various forms, the contributors outline the many possible underlying causes of self-injury, such as seizures, hormonal imbalance in teenagers, gastrointestinal conditions, allergies, and stress, and show how a multi-disciplinary approach when uncovering the causes of self-injury can lead to successful treatment strategies. They explain the treatment options available for SIB, including nutritional, medical, psychiatric, sensory, and behavioral approaches, and show how an integrative approach to treating self-injury may be effective for many individuals.

Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism. Roy Richard Grinker, $21.00

When anthropologist Richard Grinker’s daughter was diagnosed with autism in 1994, it occurred in only about one in every 10,000 children. Within ten years, rates had skyrocketed, and the media was declaring autism an epidemic. Unstrange Minds documents Grinker’s quest across the globe to discover the surprising truth about why autism is so much more common today. Grinker shows that the identification and treatment of autism depends on culture just as much as on science. Filled with moving stories and informed by the latest science, Unstrange Minds is a powerful testament to a father’s quest for the truth.

Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder): How Seeking a Diagnosis in Adulthood Can Change Your Life. Philip Wylie, $24.95

As awareness and understanding of Asperger Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder increases, more adults are identifying themselves as being on the spectrum and seeking formal diagnosis. This book discusses the process, the pros and cons, and the after-effects of receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood. Outlining the likely stages of the journey to diagnosis, this book looks at what the individual may go through as they become aware of their Asperger characteristics and as they seek pre-assessment and diagnosis, as well as common reactions upon receiving a diagnosis — from depression and anger to relief and self-acceptance.

Combining practical guidance with advice from personal experience and interviews and correspondence with specialists in the field, the book discusses if and when to disclose to family, friends and employers, how to seek appropriate support services, and how to use the self-knowledge gained through diagnosis to live well in the future.

Video Modeling for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Practical Guide for Parents and Professionals. Sarah Murray & Brenna Noland, $27.95

Video modeling takes visual learning to the next level by using new technologies to create an effective teaching tool. This book explains how professionals and parents can use innovative video modeling techniques to support the development of young children with autism spectrum disorders in school, home or community settings.

Offering practical step-by-step guidance, the book shows how to film and edit personalized videos that highlight the exact skill that is being taught. Whether the focus is increasing attention, peer interaction, getting dressed or creative play, these videos are easy to incorporate into daily routines. They allow the child to learn new skills quickly and with less hands-on adult support leading to greater independence. Three video modeling strategies are presented — Basic Video Modeling, Video Self-Modeling and Point-of-view Video Modeling — along with all the information needed for readers to start using the techniques for themselves. The research behind the approach is also discussed and each chapter includes detailed case studies that demonstrate the techniques in action.

Visual Perception Problems in Children with AD/HD, Autism and Other Learning Disabilities: a Guide for Parents and Professionals. Lisa Kurtz, $24.95

This book provides a comprehensive overview of vision problems in children with developmental disabilities such as AD/HD, autism spectrum disorders, and specific learning disabilities. Written in a very accessible style, it is appropriate for parents and professionals alike and offers non-technical explanations of how vision difficulties are screened for and advice on where to seek appropriate professional care. Lisa Kurtz outlines a range of activities for strengthening children's functional vision and perceptual skills using simple, homemade materials that are readily available in the home or classroom.

Waging War on the Autistic Child: the Arizona 5 and the Legacy of Baron von Münchausen. Andrew Wakefield, $29.99

As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders grows each year, new discoveries and controversies arise. Andrew Wakefield explores many of these in his thorough investigation of the recent trial case of the "Arizona 5," which destroyed an Arizona family. Two parents, with five children on the spectrum, were accused of Münchausen syndrome by proxy — a rare form of child abuse — and physicians, child protective services, and the courts alleged that the parents fabricated medical symptoms in all five children.

The shocking story of the Arizona 5 family delves into the tremendous challenges some parents have to face, especially if their views on how to treat the syndrome don't align with the medical world's standards. Wakefield also includes numerous studies and research trials that support the controversial yet significant roles that vaccines and diet play in autism.

The Way I See It: a Personal Look at Autism & Asperger's, Revised & Expanded Collector's Edition. Temple Grandin, $27.95

The collector’s edition of this best-selling book contains revisions based on the most current research on the autistic brain and therapies. As well as expanding and, in some cases, significantly updating the content, the book includes 12 new chapters. In this highly anticipated revised and expanded edition, Dr. Grandin gets down to the REAL issues of autism, the ones parents, teachers, and individuals on the spectrum face every day:

• How and Why People with Autism Think Differently
• Economical Early Intervention Programs tha
• Behaviors Caused by a Disability vs. Just Bad Behaviors
• Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine
• Improving Time Management and Organizational Skills
• Which School is Best for My Child with ASD?
• Teaching Turn Taking and the Ability to Wait
• Get Out and Experience Life!
• Why Do Kids with Autism Stim?
• Teens with ASD Must Learn Both Social and Work Skills to Keep Jobs

The Weighted Blanket Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Weighted Blankets and Deep Pressure for Autism, Chronic Pain, and Other Conditions. Eileen Parker & Cara Koscinski, $21.95

Providing everything you need to know about the use of weighted blankets to help with sensory integration, improve sleep, ease chronic pain and more, this book includes:

• What a weighted blanket is and how it works
• An exploration of deep pressure and how weight on the body affects the mind
• Guidelines for using weighted blankets at home and in professional environments
• Studies into the effectiveness of weighted blankets
• Advice on how to select an appropriate weighted blanket or sew your own.

Based on the latest research, this book dispels the online myths surrounding weighted blankets. It delivers clear information for occupational therapists and anyone considering using a weighted blanket to help with sensory processing disorder, autism, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.

What Do You See When You See Me? Together for Autism/Autism Ontario, $30.00 DVD, 12 minutes

What Do You See When You See Me profiles four young teenagers with Autism and Aspergers who are thriving in grades six, seven and eight. In their own words, each student provides personal insights into their disability and offers strategies and attitudes that have been particularly beneficial to them. Suitable for Grades 6 and Up. 12 Minutes.

When Babies Read: a Practical Guide to Helping Young Children with Hyperlexia, Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. Audra Jensen, $29.95

Audra Jensen' son began reading when he was only two years old. In When Babies Read Jensen shares her experiences of raising a child with autism and hyperlexia — an early and obsessive interest in the written word associated with social deficits and significant difficulty in understanding verbal language. With practical suggestions on how to modify teaching and therapy programmes to suit a child's individual learning style, this practical guide will prove invaluable for parents of children with autism and hyperlexia.

When Down Syndrome and Autism Intersect: a Guide to DS-ASD for Parents and Professionals. Margaret Froehlke & Robin Zaborek, $38.95

WHEN DOWN SYNDROME AND AUTISM INTERSECT offers a thorough examination of the unique profile of a Down Syndrome-Autism Spectrum Disorder (DS-ASD) diagnosis and best practices for screening, treatment, and caretaking through the lifespan. This one-stop resource, the first of its kind, will greatly benefit families whose child is already diagnosed, and also those who suspect something more than Down syndrome. Professionals, too, will find information on how to distinguish DS-ASD from a diagnosis of just Down syndrome, and guidance on providing services for children and adults.

Working with Parents of a Newly Diagnosed Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Guide for Professionals. Deb Keen & Sylvia Rodger, $43.95

Finding out that a child has an autism spectrum disorder can put an enormous strain on families, and the quality of support offered by professionals at this time can make a huge difference to how they adjust to the news. This book comprehensively sets out the type of support that is most beneficial to families immediately following an ASD diagnosis, and will equip professionals with the information and tools they need to best provide that support.

The authors provide all of the key information professionals supporting families at the time of an ASD diagnosis need to know about the diagnostic criteria of ASD, key characteristics, etiology, prevalence, and prognosis, and explain how to pass on accurate and meaningful information to families, and how to build effective family-professional partnerships. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with 50 families of children with ASD, they provide strategies for helping families understand the options and make informed choices about early intervention programs, set realistic goals, develop effective parenting strategies that build upon the strengths and capacities of the child, and strengthen family support networks.

This is an essential resource for any professional involved in supporting families at the time of, or immediately following, an ASD diagnosis, including psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, general medical practitioners, and educators.

Worlds of Autism: Across the Spectrum of Neurological Difference. Edited by Joyce Davidson & Michael Orsini, $36.95

Amid controversies about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of autism, this timely collection of new and critical perspectives on how the disorder is understood and represented brings together innovative work on autism by international scholars in the social sciences and humanities. WORLDS OF AUTISM boldly challenges the deficit narrative prevalent in both popular and scientific accounts of autism spectrum disorders. A major contribution to this emerging, interdisciplinary field, it situates autism within an abilities framework that respects the complex personhood of individuals with autism.

Yoga Therapy for Children with Autism and Special Needs. Louise Goldberg, $29.950

If you are a parent of a child with special needs or a professional who works with one, you know how challenging it can be for them to sit still, to cope with change, to focus on self-soothing strategies, and to interact successfully with others. For these kids, yoga therapy can provide crucial support. Behavior and focus, strength, flexibility, balance, and self-regulation are all improved through yoga, making it an ideal practice for children on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, sensory processing and emotional/behavioral disorders, and other exceptionalities.

For use in school, at home, or in therapeutic settings, YOGA THERAPY FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND SPECIAL NEEDS is a how-to manual that meets children where they are, providing a yoga therapy "lesson plan" that will engage them; promote play, social interaction, speech, language, and motor development; and enhance their self-esteem. It teaches an array of Creative Relaxation techniques using posture, breathing, and mindfulness designed specifically for children with autism and special needs. With this book, parents, therapists, and educators alike have the tools to successfully develop a therapeutic yoga program for the very children who can benefit most from it.

The ZONES of Regulation®: a Curriculum Designed to Foster Self-Regulation and Emotional Control.Leah Kuypers, $68.95* (Includes USB drive with full-colour, ready-to-print reproducibles) *a 10% discount applies to all professional-use purchases of Social Thinking publications.

The Zones Of Regulation is a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem solving abilities. Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum's learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called "zones," with each of four zones represented by a different color. Students learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one to another. Students explore calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports so they will have a toolbox of methods to use to move between zones. To deepen students' understanding of how to self-regulate, the lessons set out to teach students these skills: how to read others' facial expressions and recognize a broader range of emotions, perspective about how others see and react to their behavior, insight into events that trigger their less regulated states, and when and how to use tools and problem solving skills.

The curriculum’s learning activities are presented in 18 lessons. To reinforce the concepts being taught, each lesson includes probing questions to discuss and instructions for one or more learning activities. Many lessons offer extension activities and ways to adapt the activity for individual student needs. The curriculum also includes worksheets, other handouts, and visuals to display and share. These can be photocopied from this book or printed from the accompanying USB drive.