Teaching Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This guide discusses autism in a straightforward way, describes the major types of autism, and discusses the major characteristics associated with the disorder. Chapters help teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world and focus on setting up a proactive preschool environment.

Preschool can be overwhelming for a child with autism. Autism affects how a child communicates, behaves, and relates to others. What do you do when a three-year-old with autism falls on the floor kicking and screaming? How do you communicate with a child who looks away and flaps his hands? What do you do with a four-year-old who watches the ceiling fan as it rotates around and around?

Who can help if you suspect a child in your class has autism? Childcare providers need to know what they can do to help children with autism reach their full potential. Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder discusses autism in a straightforward way. It describes the major types of autism in ways that are very easy to understand. The first two chapters discuss the major characteristics associated with autism, decipher the jargon related to this disability, and help teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world. Other chapters focus on setting up a proactive preschool environment, helping children learn life skills, managing behavior, helping them communicate, encouraging children with autism to play, helping them to get along with others, and working with families. Each chapter contains specific strategies for the teacher to use in the classroom.

Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder will help teachers connect with all children in meaningful ways and encourage children with autism to learn and grow.