A Strength Based Approach To Parent Education For Children With Autism

Currently, the vast majority of empirically supported early intervention programs for children with autism include a parent education component. Despite the ubiquitous nature of parent education programs in autism treatment, relatively few studies directly address how parent education should be conducted. The literature on parent variables for parents of children with autism, such as stress and depression, suggest that treatments that facilitate positive adaptation to the child's disability may be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a strength-based approach to parent education. Specifically, an alternating treatments design was employed to compare the effects of therapist statements that highlighted the child's deficits vs. therapist statements that emphasized the child's strengths. These two approaches to parent education were evaluated on the following measures: (1) parent affect following therapist statements, (2) parent statements regarding child behavior, (3) parent affect during parent-child interactions, (4) parent stress during parent-child interactions, (5) parent playfulness, and (6) physical affection. The results indicate that parents displayed improved affect and decreased levels of stress immediately following therapist statements and during parent-child interactions in the strength-based approach. Additionally, in the strength-based condition, parents demonstrated more playfulness and physical affection toward their child. Results are discussed in terms of implications for parent education programs, parent well-being, and parent-child interactions.

'Being strength-aware has brought many moments of joy to our family life. It is this potential for growth and joy that I now want to share in this book' This flexible, dip-in-dip-out guide will introduce you to the strengths-based approach that is helping autistic children and their families to thrive. By focusing on how to identify, develop and use your child's strengths to support them throughout childhood and into adolescence, this transformative approach is here to show you and your child that their unique character-strengths can empower them and shape their future. Claire O'Neill combines her personal experience as an autistic person and mother to autistic children with her expert knowledge as a professional working with autistic young people to demonstrate the value of a strengths-based approach. With step-by-step instructions on how parents and teachers can incorporate this approach easily into family and school life, Claire also offers a variety of specific tips, tricks and engaging activities to provide ongoing support for parents and teachers alike.

This handbook offers practical strategies and evidence-based parent-implemented interventions for very young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It explores this important subject within the context of rapidly increasing numbers of toddlers who are diagnosed with ASD during the second year of life. The handbook discusses how parents of young children with ASD can effectively be supported, taught, and coached to implement evidence-based parenting strategies and intervention techniques, and describes a broad range of developmentally appropriate programs at the family, community, and service delivery levels. In addition, the handbook examines individual differences in parenting cognitions, emotions, and practices and proposes strategies for supporting the varying capacities of diverse families to meet the needs of young children with ASD. Chapters provide diverse coverage, spanning cultural/socio-economic differences as well as differences in family structure; parenting cognitions, emotions, and practices; parental learning styles; and access to social support. Featured topics include: Supporting families of high-risk infants who have an older sibling with ASD. The use of video feedback strategies in parent-mediated early ASD intervention. The Incredible Years (IY) Parent Program for preschool children with ASD and language delays. Self-help for parents of children with ASD. The Family Implemented TEACCH for Toddlers (FITT) support model. Parent-implemented interventions for underserved families in Taiwan. Family and provider-based interventions in South Asia. The Handbook of Parent-Implemented Interventions for Very Young Children with Autism is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, family studies, behavioral therapy, and social work as well as rehabilitation medicine/therapy, child and adolescent psychiatry, pediatrics, and special education/educational psychology.

Since the first edition of this text, families across English-speaking nations have become more diverse and complex, more early intervention practitioners have begun embracing the imperative for family-centered early intervention, and increasingly more families and their young children with hearing loss have been requesting the services of auditory-verbal practitioners. This second edition, designed to be more reader-friendly, is a cross-cultural collaboration of expert family-centered practitioners that focus on how families and their infants and toddlers with hearing loss might best be served. Toward that end, the authors in this book examine the process toward certification in the field of auditory-verbal practice and the empirical bases as well as research outcomes pertaining to this global-wide practice. The development of a systemic and positive perspective, critical for practitioners who must evolve to serve more than just the parent-child dyad, is analyzed. Theoretical and practical bases of family-based models and parent-child interactions are explored. Issues related to diverse family structures and interactions are considered across chapters. The family decision-making process and family-centered strategies that can be effectively implemented by practitioners are discussed in detail. Implementing and evaluating routines-based interventions within natural environments as well as ways of engaging families with current technologies are included in this comprehensive resource. This book provides early intervention service providers with thought-provoking insights into the challenges and opportunities that affect 21st century auditory-verbal practice.

"I am impressed with the layout, the writing, and the integrative nature of this volume. It should have a long shelf life, for it is extremely comprehensive and will be relevant for years to come." -Samuel T. Gladding, PhD, LPMHC, CCMHC, NCC Professor of Counseling Wake Forest University Fellow in the American Counseling Association Past President of the American Counseling Association This the first text to fully integrate the developmental, systemic, multicultural, and relational elements of child and adolescent counseling. This unique approach emphasizes the powerful interconnections supporting effective child and adolescent counseling with creative and time-efficient methods. Supported by CACREP standards, competencies, and outcomes, this book features best practice strategies and techniques to aid counselors-in-training who will be assisting children, adolescents, and their families in developing transformative coping methods while navigating contemporary issues. This textbook is distinguished by its broad and holistic focus as a means of increasing counseling efficacy and applies to a range of therapeutic modalities. The text advocates for a multisensory approach, using creative props, expressive arts, and interactive activities that helps to foster change by harnessing the learning styles best suited to individual children and adolescents. Based in theory yet highly practical, time-efficient, real-world counseling methods are illustrated through case studies, vignettes, and verbatim counseling sessions that are tailored to the needs of today's child and adolescent counselor. The book presents a comprehensive toolkit to foster engagement and assist the future counselor in grasping key concepts. Pedagogical aids include learning objectives, key terms, learning activities, case studies, points to remember, chapter summaries, and questions for further study. Abundant instructor resources include sample syllabi, an instructor's manual with experiential activities and assessment rubrics, additional chapter discussion questions and resources, a test bank, and PowerPoint slides. Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers. Key Features: Grounded in a unique integrated approach encompassing developmental, systemic, multicultural, and relational elements and innovative and time-efficient practices Applies to a range of therapeutic modalities including school, marriage, couples and family, clinical mental health, clinical rehabilitation counseling, and more Illustrates time-efficient counseling methods through case studies, vignettes, and examples from actual client and counselors-in-training sessions Highlights contemporary issues including incarcerated parents, sexual minorities, military influences and same-sex parents. Infused with CACREP standards, competencies and outcomes to help with accreditation and prepare students for exams Edited and authored by educators and authors with a wealth of professional expertise Includes learning objectives, key terms, charts, tables and figure, questions for further study and chapter summaries

Building on the formative work of High Leverage Practices (HLP) for Inclusive Classrooms, this critical companion explores how HLP can be applied to the education of students with extensive support needs (ESN). Each chapter walks readers through a different HLP, exploring its implications for students with ESN and aligning it with current practice, supports, and terminology. Edited by researchers and teacher educators with decades of experience in serving students with ESN and their teachers, this book is packed with rich examples of and detailed supports for implementing HLPs to ensure every student has access to all aspects of their school community.

In 2002, the American School Counselor Association presented the ASCA National Model for school counseling programs as a framework for implementing best practices in training counselors to deliver effective evidence-based approaches for K-12 students. Without a unifying theory of practice, school counselors are often uncertain about how to implement the National Model. Considering school counselors' professional role under the National Model, Theories of School Counseling for the 21st Century offers readers a compilation of contemporary, cutting-edge theoretical models to inform the way school counselors practice the art and science of school counseling.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.