Learning How to Mind Read

Mind Reading: The Interactive Guide to Emotions DVD-ROM is finally, finally, finally out! After a great deal of delay, illustrated by how much the Harry Potter actor pictured on the cover has aged, they seem to have worked out the formatting issues. We've been excited about this product for a while, because it seems like it offers so much more than the standard "let's learn emotions" books and videos out there. From the description:

"This disc contains an Emotions Library, which features 412 emotions organized into 24 groups. Each emotion is illustrated using 6 video clips, audio clips, notes, and mini-stories. There is also a Games Zone, which allows users to have fun with emotions and encourages informal learning about emotions in a less structured setting. In addition, there is a Learning Center, which contains lessons and quizzes to help users improve their emotion recognition skills."

The use of real photographs, instead of line drawings, is a definite strength, as is the use of photographs of people of all different ages and appearances, to help support generalization of the emotion identifcation skills learned from the computer activities.

Teachers and parents can also learn more strategies for teaching children with ASDs to recognize emotions in the book, Teaching Children with Autism to Mind-Read: A Practical Guide For Teachers and Parents, by Patricia Howlin, Simon Baron-Cohen, and Julie Hadwin, all renowned researchers in the field of ASDs. The strategies presented are divided into three core areas: teaching children about emotional understanding, including facial expressions; teaching children about informational states, including taking another person's perspective; and teaching children how to develop pretend play.

Visually Supporting Food Choices

We just got in a new CD-ROM from the "Picture This!" people, called Visual Foods. It contains over 3500 photos of food and cooking-related procedures, more than 300 pre-made layouts, and formatting software. This photo collection can be used with any age group. For young children it can be used to teach sequencing, receptive vocabulary words, and equipment labels. For older individuals it can be used to teach sequencing, meal preparation, and nutrition. It can also be used to assist nonverbal individuals who need a picture menu. It is designed to help provide support to visual learners (including early readers and nonverbal persons) in gaining new life skills and independence.

We think this is a particularly good item to pair with our customer favorite, Visual Recipes. This book contains 35 recipes grouped in the following categories: breakfast; lunch; side dishes; snacks, desserts; and drinks. The recipes consist of picture-based directions, and each step is framed for visual clarity. Simple text directions also accompany each step, and the importance of safety is highlighted. The book can also be used to teach functional math and beginning reading skills. It was designed by a parent of a child with ASD in order to teach her son fundamental skills in the kitchen, so it can serve as an excellent guide for creating further recipes of your own with the Visual Foods CD-ROM above, or with your own pictures.

General Explanation of ASDs in Spanish

We've been working on expanding our selection of Spanish-language autism titles in the bookstore, but we've been finding that there aren't all that many out there, or at least, not very many accessible to us here in the US. Therefore, we are always thrilled when we find a new one.

Our latest addition is El niño autista: Detección, evolución y tratamiento. It provides a general overview of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), with good explanations of the kinds of behaviors, language delays and/or disorders, and cognitive differences associated with autism. It also provides information on how caregivers can spot signs of autism, and where families can go for diagnosis and treatment.

This book seems particularly valuable in our Spanish selection because it does offer this nice general overview. Many of our other books focus on specific tasks, strategies, or only Asperger Syndrome, as opposed to ASDs as a whole. It offers a good place to start for newly diagnosed families, or teachers and other caregivers who would like to know more.

However, for those Spanish-speaking individuals who are ready for a lot more information, we do have another book to offer: Los Trastornos del Espectro de Autismo de la A a la Z. Presented in an easy-to-read format, the comprehensive information and strategies included in this handbook will help families, teachers, and other professional staff support individuals with ASD through the lifespan to achieve the best possible outcome. The two authors have a great deal of experience between them; Emily is the mother of a young man with ASD and an educational advocate, and Barbara has been a professional in the field of special education for more than 32 years. They decided to translate their original English version of this book into Spanish to help Spanish-speaking parents overcome the feeling of "double isolation," first due to the ASD diagnosis, and also because of the lack of information in Spanish about the disorder. The Spanish version won the 2006 Autism Society of America "Outstanding Literary Work of the Year" Award.

Two New "Topics in Autism" Books

We really like the "Topics in Autism" series from Woodbine House here at the ASNC Bookstore. Each book is written by professionals in the field, who present their information in a clear, knowledgable manner, accessible to professionals, paraprofessionals, and parents alike. Here are the two newest books in the series.

Self-Help Skills for People with Autism: A Systematic Teaching Approach stresses the importance of teaching self-help skills, reasoning that they are the foundation for many other more complex skills needed to reduce long-term dependence on others. It is appropriate for use with individuals between the ages of 24 months to the early teen years; however, it can also be used with older individuals working on skills typically taught within that age range. The core self-help skills presented in this guide are eating, toileting, dressing, and personal hygiene. Although the authors recommend a systematic approach, individualized instruction is stressed to help ensure successful skill acquisition. Emphasis is placed on developmental milestones, adhering to individual readiness to learn, and what the family or professional is prepared to teach. The authors also discuss determining what to teach, the context for learning, and motivating the individual to learn. Step-by-step examples include identifying target skills, baseline task analysis, instruction plans, and planning for the generalization of skills across settings.

Visual Supports For People with Autism: A Guide for Parents and Professionals was written by experienced professionals who currently head the Adult and Transitional Services Division at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University. They have written this resource to provide parents and professionals with the tools they need to accommodate the visual learner in any environment. The book provides valuable information on how to identify individuals who need visual supports, and also offers guidelines for use and determining the effectiveness of chosen supports. Illustrated visual support examples are presented in areas such as classroom organization; daily schedules; developing language; increasing memory; facilitating attending; motivation; and teaching sequential, math, reading, and social skills. The book is filled with more than 140 visual support ideas, and it also contains numerous tips, strategies, and case examples.

ASNC Bookstore Top Ten Bestsellers List for August

August 2007 Top 10 Bestsellers

1. Tasks Galore
   
   
2. Tasks Galore: Making Groups Meaningful
   
   
3. Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and Related Disorders
   
   
4. More Than Words: Helping Parents Promote Communication and Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
   
   
5. Tasks Galore for the Real World
   
   
6. Climbing Art Obstacles in Autism: Teaching Visual-Motor Skills Through Visually Structured Art Activities
   
   
7. Ten Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew
   
   
8. Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew
   
   
9. TEACCH Structured Teaching Assessment: Guides to Individualizing the Schedule and the Work System
   
   
10. Listen & Collaborate: Creating a Parent/Professional Partnership (Version 2-English)
    

Please visit our website to read detailed descriptions of these and other popular titles. We are also adding new books weekly, so check out our New Items category to see our latest offerings.