Autism and Developmental Disabilities: Current Practices and Issues

by Anthony F. Rotatori, Festus E. Obiakor, Sandra Burkhardt

Overview

This book examines real life reflections on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), current practices and issues related to assessing, instructing and life-long planning for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. School systems, mental health facilities, and society are being challenged to deal effectively with the growing number of people with autism and developmental disabilities. This is partly due to the inclusive philosophy of educating, training and treating individuals. This book provides regular, special educators, mental health professionals, clinicians and parents with information on best practices and research based findings related to: identification, characteristics, diagnosis; special, general, early and post-secondary education; and quality of life concerns. The book's chapters are topical, comprehensive and diverse. Chapters on assessment examine the emerging field of infant mental health, testing protocols, barriers to diagnosing diverse students, and recent developments in the diagnosing and assessment of autism spectrum disorders i.e. genetic testing, home movies and robots. A number of chapters on instructional aspects delineate curriculum innovations, procedures to implement social skills, assistive technology use and planning for postsecondary education. Life long planning, provides unique content on self-determination, social competence, sibling aspects, and employment and retirement considerations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848553569
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:	11/12/2008
Series:	Advances in Special Education , #18
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

The challenge of social competence for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD. Curriculum innovation to educate students with autism in general education. Implementing social skills for students with autism. Assessment of autism spectrum disorders. Recent developments in the diagnosis and assessment of autism spectrum disorders. Asperger syndrome in the African American community: Barriers to diagnosis. Issues pertaining to siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Reflections on the school experiences of a student with autism spectrum disorders. Infant mental health: an emerging field for children with developmental disabilities. Self-determination and persons with developmental disabilities. Post-secondary planning for students with developmental disabilities. Employment and retirement concerns for persons with developmental disabilities. Using assistive technology to educate students with developmental disabilities and autism. List of Contributors. Preface. Advances in special education. Autism and developmental disabilities: Current practices and issues. Copyright page.