Transition or Transformation?
Helping young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder set out on a hopeful road towards their adult lives
Published on 15. June 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-84310-964-8 (ISBN)
Description
Young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) can often find the step into adulthood and independence more difficult than their neurotypical peers, particularly where employment is concerned. The authors show, however, that with the right guidance and a positive attitude in schools, young people with ASDs can be every bit as happy and successful as those who are not on the spectrum.
The book describes a programme developed over a number of years by teachers at a school for young people with ASDs, which successfully enabled autistic pupils to achieve their full potential. The authors explain in detail the challenges faced by the young people at the school, and show how, encouraged by a culture of optimism and hopefulness, the programme developed their confidence and skills, with the result that many of them are now in employment. The book also provides an in-depth exploration of a multitude of styles and techniques for building relationships. Concluding with a reflection on leadership and organisational culture, the authors demonstrate that if the approach is adopted by an entire school and not just a handful of teachers, it really can work.
This inspiring and innovative book will be a must for educators at every level, psychologists, academics, and anybody else interested in a positive educational approach that will enable young people with ASDs to get the most out of life.
The book describes a programme developed over a number of years by teachers at a school for young people with ASDs, which successfully enabled autistic pupils to achieve their full potential. The authors explain in detail the challenges faced by the young people at the school, and show how, encouraged by a culture of optimism and hopefulness, the programme developed their confidence and skills, with the result that many of them are now in employment. The book also provides an in-depth exploration of a multitude of styles and techniques for building relationships. Concluding with a reflection on leadership and organisational culture, the authors demonstrate that if the approach is adopted by an entire school and not just a handful of teachers, it really can work.
This inspiring and innovative book will be a must for educators at every level, psychologists, academics, and anybody else interested in a positive educational approach that will enable young people with ASDs to get the most out of life.
Reviews / Votes
So often books describing an educational method or philosophy can seem divorced from the real world of the schoolroom and the school office, with the day-to-day procedures, staffing difficulties and petty bureaucracy involved. This title comes as an exception to that rule, chronicling the "transformation" experienced by a group of students on the autism spectrum, and the teachers and staff in their special school, as a result of making major changes to their way of working. These changes were based firmly on what the latest research has revealed about learners with autism, but you get a sense of how hard it is to turn around school cultures alongside the engaging descriptions of students and their development. The authors are highly experienced practitioners with a wealth of expertise in understanding and managing behaviour problems and challenges to learning. This shows through in their descriptions of the hard work involved in this process of change... Interestingly, past receipt of speech and language therapy emerged as an importantfactor in later progress, something that should be highlighted in an era of cuts that have affected this already hard-to-access specialty. In sum, educators will find the attitudes, enthusiasm and practices described by these authors worth emulating. -- Educational Review "Transition or Transformation?: Helping Young People With Autistic Spectrum Disorder Set Out on a Hopeful Road Towards Their Adult Lives" reveals a program developed by teachers concerned with helping autistic spectrum kids make the transition into adulthood, and is a 'must' for any health or educator's collection dealing with these kids. It explores styles for building relationships at school, explains how the program fosters social skills that continue into successful employment and social interactions outside the classroom, and addresses the need for a whole-school approach to helping autistic children integrate into the classroom -- The Midwest Book Review Through case studies and descriptions of 'ecological' approaches they show us how to do that difficult thing: link autism 'theory' to practice. Tbook shows in detail how to:
* get the 'relationship style' right
* build an autism specific curriculum
* promote well-being in young people with autism spectrum condition.
The book has at its core the belief that people with autism can, and the people who will get most out of this book are those who share that belief. -- Learning Disability today Within a school culture of optimism and hope, the program can develop students's confidence and skills in building day-to-day relationships in adulthood. Student stories and staff perspectives accompany techniques for visual support for communication, developing a reflective self, body basics and massage, and reward and punishment. Appendices provide sample staff training materials, and a 25-page paper on the role of educational placement and parents on the school performance of children with ASD. -- Reference & Research Book News
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Primary & secondary/elementary & high school
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
4 tables, 10 figures
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
259 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84310-964-8 (9781843109648)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
John Clements | Julia Hardy | Stephanie Lord
Transition or Transformation?
Helping young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder set out on a hopeful road towards their adult lives
E-Book
06/2010
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
€22.99
Available for download
Persons
John Clements is a clinical psychologist of over thirty years' standing, specializing in the field of developmental disabilities. He has previously worked for the NHS and university system in the UK and jointly established the UK's first independent psychology practice specializing in issues for people with developmental disabilities. Julia Hardy is Principal Educational Psychologist at The Duke's Centre in Kingston, London. She has worked with autistic children for many years. Stephanie Lord is a retired Headteacher and Director of Children's Services who has worked with young people with autism since 1979. She developed the BERIS and Touch Talks programme for children with autism and is currently furthering these approaches in Romania.
Content
Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. Student Stories. 2. The Staff Perspective. 3. An Understanding of Autism. 4. Ethos, Practice and Curriculum. 5. The Relationship Style. 6. Relationship Techniques - Visual Supports for Communication. 7. Relationship Techniques - Developing a Reflective Self. 8. Relationship Techniques - Body Basics and Massage. 9. Relationship Techniques - Reward, Punishment and a Culture of Celebration. 10. Transition or Transformation? 11. Organisational Supports. Appendix I. Sample Staff Training Materials. Appendix II. The Role of Educational Placement, Education Provision, and Parents on the School Performance of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Phil Reed, Lisa A. Osborne and Emma Waddington, Swansea University).