Part 1: The Importance of Early Education
The Importance of Early Educational Intervention
Do Not Get Trapped by Labels
Economical Quality Programs for Young Children with ASD
Different Types of Thinking in Autism
Higher Expectations Yield Results
Teaching Turn Taking
What School Is Best for My Child with ASD?
Part 2: Teaching & Education
Finding a Child's Area of Strength
Teaching How to Generalize
The Importance of Developing Talent
Teaching People on the Autism Spectrum to Be More Flexible
Teaching Concepts to Children with Autism
Bottom-Up Thinking and Learning Rules
Laying the Foundation for Reading Comprehension
Motivating Students
Getting Kids Turned On to Reading
Too Much Video Gaming and Screen Time has a Bad Effect on
Child Development
Therapy Animals and Autism
The Importance of Choices
The Importance of Practical Problem-Solving Skills
Learning to Do Assignments that Other People Appreciate
Learning Never Stops
Foreword
Introduction
THE PROBLEM
Chapter 1: Meltdowns: When rewards and punishments are not enough
What is a meltdown?
The usual parenting advice: start with rules and consequences
The limits of discipline: when rewards and punishments no longer work
But aren't meltdowns just manipulative behavior?
Can we really expect no more meltdowns?
An overview of the four-step model for reducing meltdowns
Chapter 2: What are meltdowns made of?
Fight, flight or freeze response
Temperament
Difficulties with abstract thinking and perspective taking
Inflexibility
An explosive combination
THE SOLUTION
Chapter 3: Accepting and appreciating our children
Controlling our own frustration
Building competence
Avoiding learned helplessness
The 80/20 rule
Anticipating frustration as part of learning
When to avoid power struggles
Chapter 4: De-escalating a meltdown
How to de-escalate a meltdown
Distractions
When too much distraction can make things worse
Helping children find their own distractions and calming strategies
Steps for creating self-calming strategies
Chapter 5: Understanding why repeat problems occur
Understanding the triggers
The ABCs of behavior: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
Getting the ABCs: Interviews and observations
Seeing the pattern
Chapter 6: Creating a prevention plan
The components of a good prevention plan
A prevention plan for Kevin
The four types of meltdown situations
Plans for the Four Types of Meltdown Situations
Chapter 7: Demands
Do your schoolwork
Try it, it's delicious
Hurry up, the bus is coming
Clean up
Let's go to the party
Chapter 8: Waiting
Just wait
You can't always get what you want
Okay, time to stop playing
Chapter 9: Threats to self-image
Winning isn't everything
It's okay to make mistakes
But names will never hurt you
Chapter 10: Unmet wishes for attention
I can't play with you now
Don't be jealous
Time to go to bed
Chapter 11: Closing thoughts: Finding your own way
Prevention plan form
References
Chapter One: I am a whole child.
Chapter Two: My senses are out of sync.
Chapter Three: See the difference between won't (I choose not to) and can't (I'm not able to).
Chapter Four: I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally.
Chapter Five: Listen to all the ways I'm trying to communicate.
Chapter Six: Picture this! I am visually oriented.
Chapter Seven: Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can't do.
Chapter Eight: Help me be social.
Chapter Nine: Identify what triggers my meltdowns.
Chapter Ten: Love me without "if."
Foreword
How to Use This Book
Social Story (TM) 10.2 Tutorials
Chapter 1: Learning with Stories
Chapter 2: Social Stories for Young Children
Chapter 3: Self Care
Chapter 4: Change
Chapter 5: Mistakes
Chapter 6: Feelings
Chapter 7: Celebrations and Gifts
Chapter 8: People Skills and Friendship
Chapter 9: Bullying: What to Think, Say, and Do
Chapter 10: Understanding Adults
Chapter 11: Home
Chapter 12: Community
Chapter 13: School
Chapter 14: Planet Earth
Chapter 15: Social Articles
Glossary
Foreword to the 10th Anniversary Edition
References
About the Author