The Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore staff will be attending the 28th Annual TEACCH Conference on Wednesday through Friday of this week (May 23rd-25th). The event is being held at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the topic of this year's conference is Current Research Advances in Autism.
This is one of our largest local bookstore events, and we bring a wide variety of titles to the conference each year. In conjunction with this conference, I would also like to announce a new book that features two Division TEACCH practitioners as chapter authors. The title is Growing Up With Autism: Working with School-Age Children and Adolescents, and it is edited by Robin L. Gabriels and Dina E. Hill.
This is a research-based volume that offers information and intervention strategies for professionals who work with older children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This work addresses numerous relevant issues that are divided into three thematic sections: the individual with ASD; families and caregivers of the individual with ASD; and the community aspects of intervention.
Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Division TEACCH Director, has co-authored the chapter Translating Early Intervention Into Positive Outcomes. According to Dr. Mesibov and co-author Laurie Sperry, Ph.D., it is imperative for professionals working with individuals with ASD who have more severe cognitive and language impairments to build upon early intervention strategies in the areas of communication, social skills, behavior, and adaptive functioning. The authors explain that impairments in these areas may continue into adolescence and impact independent functioning and a successful transition to adulthood. Dr. Mesibov and Dr. Sperry emphasize several key points, including: the importance of teaching persons with ASD how to make choices; life-long access to typically developing peers is the most effective way to teach appropriate social behaviors to individuals with ASD; and structured environments are highly effective in reducing challenging behaviors and increasing independence.
Mary E. Van Bourgondien, Ph.D., Clinical Director of the Raleigh TEACCH Center, is co-author of the chapter Sexuality and Autism: Individual, Family, and Community Perspectives and Interventions. In this chapter, Dr. Van Bourgondien and co-author Robin L. Gabriels, PsyD, provide a general review of sexuality issues for those individuals with ASD who have more severe cognitive and language impairments. According to the authors, social and communication deficits, as well as behavior difficulties, can hinder the ability of older children with ASD to adequately meet the challenges of their developing sexuality. As a result, Dr. Van Bourgondien and Dr. Gabriels recommend the following strategies: identify sexuality needs and issues specific to the child and in reference to family values; proactively teach general issues related to appropriate social boundaries and hygiene before the child reaches puberty; and educate caregivers and other community providers about how to better understand and address the sexuality needs of adolescents with ASD.
Many individuals with ASD are currently making the transition to adulthood. We hope that those professionals working with older children and young adults with ASD will consider reading this important new work.
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