Resource Reads of Interest:
You will likely find that there is more information on the web and in print than you could read in a thousand lifetimes. Well, we don’t have a thousand lifetimes to help our precious loved ones get better. After you have absorbed a data base of information into your likely over-stressed brain, settle into these reads and they will greatly assist you on your journey:
- A Work in Progress by John McEachin, M. Ed. and Ron Leaf, M. Ed. This book gives an essential overview of the ABA concept and how to apply its principles in a step by step method. This book is essentially the “ABA User’s Guide”. Remember, this book is just a starting point, but it will send you in the right direction.
- Teaching Individuals with Developmental Delays by O. Ivar Lovaas. While this book is foundational in establishing an ABA model and gives valuable insight into its strategies and considerations. It is not quite as “user friendly” as the aforementioned book. You will, however, want to buy this book as these two books supplement each other nicely.
- The Autism Treatment Guide by Elizabeth King Gerlach, published by Future Horizons, Arlington, TX. This is a handy one stop overview of current autism treatments. When you would like to know “what time it is” (without building a clock), this little guide will give you the baseline info on current modalities and their contact info. You can throw it in your purse or glove box and off you go. Be sure to get the most current edition as there have been several revisions.
- Teach Me Language by Sabrina Freeman, Ph.D. You will not need this book immediately, but it should be acquired as you expand your knowledge base. This is a spiral-bound manual and is very helpful, but not immediately essential.
- The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz and Lucy Jane Miller. If your child has a sensory processing disorder, and they likely do, you will want to purchase this book. There are great ideas for things that you can do at home as well as a knowledge base to communicate effectively with your OT if you have one. The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun is also written by the same author.
- No More Meltdowns by Jed Baker, Ph.D. Offers straight-talk suggestions for managing non-compliant behaviors. Compliments ABA nicely.
More Resource Links of Interest:
We hope these sites will assist you as you begin or continue your journey with a loved one on the autism spectrum. We are not directly affiliated with any of these organizations but we believe they are great resources!
- Natural Learning Concepts / Sturdy, inexpensive flashcards and teaching materials for autism spectrum activities.
- Autism Speaks / At this point in history, this is arguably one of the best organized and publicly recognized groups in the “Autism Cause”.
- Families for Effective Autism Treatment, North Texas / Organized source of information for families who have been affected by Autism in the North Texas area.
- Disability Resources / This site strives to make community resources available to residents in outlying Texas counties as well as heavily populated areas.