Autism Every Day: Over 150 Strategies Lived and Learned by a Professional Autism Consultant with 3 Sons on the Spectrum

by Alyson Beytien

Overview

Stemming from a wealth of both professional and personal experience, this guidebook combines real-life stories of challenges and successes with practical ideas for handling autism, every day. Autism consultant Alyson Beytien outlines over 150 tried-and-true techniques for home, school, and community.

Alyson’s three boys cover the whole spectrum of autism—Asperger’s syndrome, high-functioning autism, and classic autism. She understands the wide range of needs these children have and has discovered what helps and what hinders. Covering a full gamut of issues—from picky-eating and echolalia to IEPs and “The Woes of Walmart”—Alyson’s ideas and interventions will inspire and inform all those who are connected to a person with autism. Alyson believes that each day brings more opportunities to learn, problem-solve, and celebrate the joys that children with autism bring to our world—after all, today’s crisis is tomorrow’s humor. Her family’s motto will soon become your everyday mantra: “Improvise and Overcome!”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935274506
Publisher:	Future Horizons, Inc.
Publication date:	11/15/2011
Edition description:	New edition
Pages:	286
Sales rank:	859,279
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Alyson Beytien, M.S. is a popular national and international speaker, parent/teacher trainer, and mother of three sons with autism. She is a consultant and trainer for school systems throughout the United States and Canada on educating individuals with autism. She has delivered over 300 presentations for numerous organizations on autism, spanning a wide range of topics. Alyson is the Behavioral Specialist at the Mercy Service Club Autism Center in Dubuque, Iowa, where she is involved in assessment, intervention, and training for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She is also a columnist for the Autism Spectrum Quarterly magazine.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents


Introduction
 
PART I - Characteristics of Autism
1. Foreshadowing: Early Signs of Autism
2. The Gathering: Passions and Obsessions
3. Eat, Drink, and Be Picky: Eating Issues
4. Sounds of Silence: The Myth of Quiet
5. On Any Given Day: Challenging Behavior
6. Disney DNA: Echolalia and Language Challenges
7. Refusing Puberty: Adolescence and Sexuality
8. The Weatherman: Mood Shifts
9. The Love Language of Autism: Expressing Affection
10. Confessions of a Gecko Killer: Teaching Death and Loss
 
PART II - Education
11. Pyramid Theories: Choosing Interventions
12. The Spectator Sport: Parent Involvement in Education
13. Ten Keys for Supporting a Student with Autism
14. Scheduled Grief: Individualized Education Plans
15. Moving On Up: Transitions in Education
16. Independence Day: Toileting and Self-Care
17. So you want to be an Expert: Studying Autism
 
PART III - Family Life
18. The Real Mom
19. Plan A: Accepting Plan “M”
20. Band of Brothers: Sibling Relationships
21. Autism Once Removed: Extended Family Opportunities
22. Crosswords: Maintaining Your Marriage
23. Conflicted and Coming to Terms: Aggression, Self-injury and Other Difficulties
24. Odd Mom Out: Life Outside the Norm
25. ‘Tis the Season: Holidays
26. The Trip: Travelling with Autism
27. You might be the Parent of an Autistic Child if……
28. Step-by-Step: Measuring Progress
29. Frequently Asked Questions: A Guide for Self-Defense
 
PART IV - Community Interactions
30. Do Neanderthals Hunt Mammoths Like We Pray?: Religion and Autism
31. Shop ‘til You Drop: The Woes of Walmart
32. Full Disclosure: What to Say and When
33. Autism Olympics: The hundred yard parking lot dash
34. An Apple a Day: Healthcare Interactions
 
Epilogue

 

Editorial Reviews

“Alyson is able to turn the mundane into the extraordinary, and deliver life’s important messages in ways that resonate and linger.” 
—Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Editor-in-Chief, Autism Spectrum Quarterly

From the Publisher