Handbook Of Quality Of Life For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This handbook offers a comprehensive examination of wide-ranging issues relevant to adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Coverage includes a detailed review of such issues as psychiatric comorbidity, family relationships, education, living in different settings (e.g., group homes, community), meaningful and effective interventions, functional goals (e.g., social, language, vocational, and adaptive behaviors), and curriculum. In addition the book provides unique perspectives of parents as well as individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have reached adulthood. Key areas of coverage include: Transitioning adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder from educational settings to vocational settings. Strategies that can help create independence for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Effective approaches to address issues relating to sexuality for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The effectiveness of early intensive behavioral intervention to help adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an essential reference for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, therapists, and related professionals in clinical child and school psychology, social work, behavioral therapy and related disciplines, including clinical medicine, clinical nursing, counseling, speech and language pathology, and special education.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. ​This handbook synthesizes and analyzes the growing knowledge base on life course health development (LCHD) from the prenatal period through emerging adulthood, with implications for clinical practice and public health. It presents LCHD as an innovative field with a sound theoretical framework for understanding wellness and disease from a lifespan perspective, replacing previous medical, biopsychosocial, and early genomic models of health. Interdisciplinary chapters discuss major health concerns (diabetes, obesity), important less-studied conditions (hearing, kidney health), and large-scale issues (nutrition, adversity) from a lifespan viewpoint. In addition, chapters address methodological approaches and challenges by analyzing existing measures, studies, and surveys. The book concludes with the editors’ research agenda that proposes priorities for future LCHD research and its application to health care practice and health policy. Topics featured in the Handbook include: The prenatal period and its effect on child obesity and metabolic outcomes. Pregnancy complications and their effect on women’s cardiovascular health. A multi-level approach for obesity prevention in children. Application of the LCHD framework to autism spectrum disorder. Socioeconomic disadvantage and its influence on health development across the lifespan. The importance of nutrition to optimal health development across the lifespan. The Handbook of Life Course Health Development is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology/science; maternal and child health; social work; health economics; educational policy and politics; and medical law as well as many interrelated subdisciplines in psychology, medicine, public health, mental health, education, social welfare, economics, sociology, and law.

Creating Quality of Life for Adults on the Autism Spectrum: The Story of Bittersweet Farms provides an overview of the first farmstead community for adults with autism established in North America. The book also provides a detailed description and evaluation of the intervention model used to promote quality of life for the adults with autism who live as residents at Bittersweet Farms. Through its aim to provide a better understanding of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the text enables a deeper appreciation of the Bittersweet Farms model, which meets the residential and therapeutic needs of this population that are not often well understood. The book discusses the apprenticeship model used at Bittersweet Farms along with examples of how residents benefit from this approach. The text expands upon its approach through the inclusion of specific guidelines that can be adopted for improved communication and social interaction, managing troublesome behaviors, calming anxieties, and establishing daily routines. These guidelines reflect a positive approach to intervention and are consistent with the quality-of-life emphasis inherent in the Bittersweet model. This book will serve as a seminal work for professionals and paraprofessionals working with people with ASD. It will further be of interest to parents and relatives of people with ASD along with researchers and policymakers concerned about the ASD adult population, and those interested in services for people with ASD.

Autism is a complex developmental disability. Generally, Autism presents itself during the first three years of a person's life. The condition has an effect on normal brain function characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour. Males are five times more likely to be affected than females. As early as infancy, a baby with Autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item only. A child may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. Children may fail to respond to their names and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can't understand social cues."e;Autism - A Handbook of Diagnosis & Treatment of ASD"e; discusses signs, symptoms, causes, myths, facts, therapies, treatment, education, career and many more things related to autism. It provides practical advice so that the special child can lead a quality life to the extent possible.

"In the next five years, hundreds of thousands of children with autism spectrum disorder will reach adulthood. And while diagnosis and treatment for children has improved dramatically in recent years, no one is answering the question that plagues so many parents: What happens to my child when I am no longer able to care for or assist him? In this ground-breaking book, autism expert Chantal Sicile-Kira and her son Jeremy take on the challenge of planning for the full lifespan. Working together and drawing on the insights of others facing the same challenges, they offer real solutions to a host of difficult questions, including how young adults across the autism spectrum can: *negotiate adult life in this new economy where adult service resources are scarce *cope with the difficulties of living apart from the nuclear family *create and maintain a support network, including friends, support staff, and therapists *find and keep a job that provides meaning, stability and an income *discover the joys of fulfilling relationships"--

Education is an important aspect of the environmental influences on autism and effective education can have a significant effect on outcome for those on the autism spectrum. This handbook is a definitive resource for reflective practitioners and researchers who wish to know and understand current views of the nature of autism and best practice in educational support. It explores the key concepts, debates and research areas in the field.

This positive, straightforward book offers kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day. Some children with ASDs are gifted; others struggle academically. Some are more introverted, while others try to be social. Some get "stuck" on things, have limited interests, or experience repeated motor movements like flapping or pacing ("stims"). The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders covers all of these areas, with an emphasis on helping children gain new self-understanding and self-acceptance. Meant to be read with a parent, the book addresses questions ("What’s an ASD?" "Why me?") and provides strategies for communicating, making and keeping friends, and succeeding in school. Body and brain basics highlight symptom management, exercise, diet, hygiene, relaxation, sleep, and toileting. Emphasis is placed on helping kids handle intense emotions and behaviors and get support from family and their team of helpers when needed. The book includes stories from real kids, fact boxes, helpful checklists, resources, and a glossary. Sections for parents offer more detailed information.

A life skills guide for individuals with autism and Asperger's syndrome discusses social skills and strategies needed for success in the adult world, including discussion of perspective-taking, nonverbal communication skills, and stress management.

Do you want to know how to make life easier, simpler, and better for children affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder using solid strategies and useful information? If your children or someone you know is affected with Autism Spectrum Disease (ASD) you probably know that learning and development is a very big challenge. Also you may know that children diagnosed with ASD face difficulties in areas like communication, language, repetitive behavior, socialization, and restricted interests. For this reason it is extremely important that the family and caregivers (at home and school) have the appropriate education and knowledge to make life easier, simpler and better for these beloved children. This guide contains the most important information you must know about ASD and its primary objective is to guide and educate the readers about the difficulties and challenges that an autistic child faces every day and how he or she can help them make their days, weeks, months and years smoother. You'll also discover the needs of ASD affected children and great tips for taking care of them; solid strategies for teaching social skills, improving their communication and how you can get involved with them. Finally you will understand that each child has different needs and difficulties. No two children affected with ASD are the same. With the information that this guide provides you, you will have the knowledge to detect and analyze your children's unique needs and you will also have a variety of tips and strategies that you can apply. Why would you want to download this book? Taking care of a child that is affected with ASD is a very important task with a lot of responsibility and sometimes a lot of difficulty. This guide will help you immensely because after reading it you will begin to fully understand the disease and you will have tips that you can start using immediately. With your love, patience and the correct information, you can give your autistic child a much better quality of life. Here is what you'll learn: What is autism? Learning needs of ASD affected children Strategies for teaching social skills strategies for teaching communication Parent involvement, IEP and an appropriate space Much more! Are you ready to take action and learn as much as you can to improve your child's life? Whether you are a parent or a caregiver of an ASD affected child, right now is the perfect time to get this useful guide. You can take action now and start learning the best ways to improve your child's life.

Effective Programs for Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder is written for teachers, parents, and the many service providers who work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Part one reviews the characteristics of ASD, summarizes major theories and research findings regarding cause(s) of ASD, and discusses the most popular treatment claims, examining each approach's scientific base and value. Part two provides an informative overview of applied behavior analysis, focusing on the principles of learning and basic procedures based upon those principles. These two parts provide a foundation for understanding the strategies implemented by the outstanding treatment programs described in Part three. The eight models described in Part three represent comprehensive, evidence-based programs for the treatment of persons with ASD, from infancy through adulthood. Programs reviewed include the Lovaas Institute, Koegel Center, Strategic Teaching and Reinforcement Systems (STARS), Project DATA, New England Children's Center, May Institute, Princeton Child Development Institute, and Judge Rotenberg Center. Strategies explained include intensive early behavioral intervention, Pivotal Response Training, verbal behavior, script fading, social stories, visual activity schedules, functional analysis, the Picture Exchange Communication System, and the Family-Teaching Model.