An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn

Please, please, please give this book a read. If you have any nagging thoughts that there’s a chance your child might be on the spectrum, start implementing this now. It can only do good things for communication and language if nothing else. My son made amazing progress when I started putting this into practise, and it makes complete sense. It’s not harsh, it’s not tough love, it will simply teach you to engage with children, especially those that may be harder to reach. My youngest is 15 months younger than him and neurotypical, and it helped him progress with language and play too, as well as helping get involved with his older brother. It will take a few goes to get used to ‘narrating’ and ‘hamming’ up activities, but it will become second nature I promise.

This is an amazing book , and I highly recommend it for parents with children on the spectrum . I have to admit it works very well with those on the younger age and It's very informative . All the skills that the child must acquire before developing speech are explained in this book. It takes you step by step on how to get the best out of your child . While reading this book I felt that I had a plan for my child. I could see him improving and learning new skills by practicing with him the suggested techniques which is carried through daily activity , so I don't feel that I am obliged to sit my son and do a daily exercise . This book is fantastic it helped me a lot and I do highly recommend it.

This book is great and exactly what you need if you have any concerns about lack of eye contact & interest in people in your little one. It is full of really simple ideas to get your child more interested in you and has lots of ideas for interaction. I only wish someone had told me about this book sooner. I had concerns about my child's development at 6 months and kept asking what more could I do to help him. I was told "keep doing what your doing" but if they had told me about this book at 6 months instead of finding it myself at 1.5yrs I think he would be a different child. I have bought many books and this is by far the best

Works with the idea that parents are the experts on how to help their child, and can tailor to the child's needs all the right activities with a book like this one. You will find the up to date thinking in this book, and the ways that up to date schools or special schools are tackling matters, so it is good if you can recognise the approaches they are using and become part of the team, so that your child is learning 90% of the day, in a pleasant way that engages his/her attention by you learning to recognise and be willing to be led by the child and what motivates him. It is designed for the early pre-reception class child because most of the rapid learning takes place up to about age 3 when the brain is more plastic, although everyone still continues to learn at a slower pace after that and your ASD child is no exception. We are using some of these approaches with a six year old to good effect.

This has been a very informative and interesting book to read as part of my dissertation research.

Wish I could give a copy of this book to every parent or caregiver of young children with autism. My 4 year old has made remarkable progress over the last 10 months using the techniques and strategies in this book. He has gone from a constantly frustrated boy who was not interested in his environment to an affectionate and chatty (in his own way)child who initiates play is so much more interested in his environment. I found this book alongside verbal behaviour approach most useful amongst a number of books.

Highly professional information, comprehensive and very useful for Parents - although possibly too much to read and repetition of information throughout each chapter - please please produce a condensed, concise, activities based, shorter version - presenting the practical info that parents can use immediately.

Fantastic every parent of an autistic child must have it. So insightful and easy to follow. Explains everything in simple terms and practical steps to address the issues.