1st Edition
A Spectrum of Solutions for Clients with Autism Treatment for Adolescents and Adults
This book is a comprehensive resource to guide work with individuals on the autism spectrum. It reflects the true range of needs presented by individuals with autism, pulling together the most salient aspects of treatment with invaluable information from several disciplines synthesized to guide your work.
Divided into topical sections with chapters from three field experts in each, this book features contributions from therapists, educators, and medical doctors, as well as financial planners, health advocates, and innovators. The diverse disciplines and backgrounds of each author lend a different voice and perspective to each chapter, reflecting the continuum of care necessary when working with clientele on the autism spectrum, and that, for clients on the spectrum, one solution does not fit all.
For use by psychotherapists, counselors, applied behavioral analysts, occupational therapists, social workers, teachers, and more, this text presents readers with expertise from various contributing disciplines to give them a treatment resource that can inform and guide their daily work with clients on the autism spectrum.
Table of Contents
Section 1 Individually Focused Treatment *
Chapter 1: Working with Individuals on the Spectrum - Tony Attwood *
Chapter 2: Challenging and Rewarding: Individual Psychotherapy for Adults and Adolescents with Autism - Brea M. Banks *
Chapter 3: Social Skills Treatment for Adolescents and Adults on the Autism Spectrum - Deanna Dow & Elizabeth Laugeson *
Section 2 Marriage and Family Life *
Chapter 4: Taking the Time to Listen: Oliver’s Story - Julie Ramisch *
Chapter 5: The Transformative Power Of The Autism Spectrum Narrative - Marilyn J. Monteiro, Ph.D. *
Chapter 6: Neurologically-Mixed Marriages and the Audacity of Social Compliance - David Finch *
Section 3 Acknowledging and Including Siblings *
Chapter 7: Siblings: Unique Concerns, Unique Opportunities - Emily Holl *
Chapter 8: The Spectrum of Siblings’ Experiences - Brie Turns & Brandon P. Eddy *
Chapter 9: Addressing the Needs of Siblings in Adolescence and Young Adulthood - Emily Daniels *
Section 4 Enhancing Interpersonal Communication with Speech Language Pathology *
Chapter 10: Improving Quality of Life with Communication Coaching: Redefining Speech and Language Therapy - Gina-Marie Moravcik *
Chapter 11: Everybody Communicates! - Kelly Lorenz *
Chapter 12: My Client Has No Friends: Knowing When Your Client Needs a Good Speech Language Pathologist - Mallory Griffith *
Section 5 Addressing Executive Functioning and Sensory Needs *
Chapter 13: Executive Functioning Needs - Valerie L. Gaus *
Chapter 14: Achieving Health, Well-being, and Participation through Engagement in Occupation - Robin Seger *
Chapter 15: An Occupational Therapist Does What Exactly? - Megan Wolff *
Section 6 Navigating Education Holistically *
Chapter 16: Fall in Love with the Social World - Jennifer C. Townsend *
Chapter 17: Lessons from the Admissions Office - Lea Anne Paskvalich *
Chapter 18: Being Prepared and Aware: Helping Individuals with Autism with Post-Secondary Education Goals - Amy Radochonski *
Section 7 Preparing for the World of Work *
Chapter 19: Job Preparation and How to Help People on *
the Spectrum Have Successful Employment - Temple Grandin *
Chapter 20: Working Together: Empowering the Autistic Voice - Barb Cook *
Chapter 21: Autism Spectrum Job Readiness Challenges and Possibilities - Sara R. Colorosa *
Section 8 Addressing Nutrition and Eating Concerns *
Chapter 22: Why so Picky? Food Selectivity and How It Impacts Eating - Nicole. A Withrow *
Chapter 23: Feeding and Nutrition in Individuals Diagnosed with Autism - Dannah G. Raz and Abigail S. Angulo *
Chapter 24: Occupational Therapy in the Treatment of Selective Eating- Melanie A. Hunt *
Section 9 Finding Solutions for Sleep Concerns *
Chapter 25: Sleep Challenges for People with Autism - Karen Landmeier *
Chapter 26: Approaching Sleep Problems in Adolescents with Autism - Kathleen Kastner *
Chapter 27: Catching Some ZZZs: Helping Individuals Sleep Better - Terry Katz *
Section 10 Acknowledging and Addressing Medical Concerns *
Chapter 28: The Role of Medication for Children on the Spectrum, from the Perspective of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist - Aaron G. Meng *
Chapter 29: Common Comorbid Conditions with Autism - Lauryn M. Toby *
Chapter 30: Autism Spectrum from the Inside Out - Cynthia Zuber *
Section 11 Encouraging Health and Wellbeing *
Chapter 31: I Got Fired from My Primary Care Physician - Anita Lesko *
Chapter 32: Why Good Hygiene and Grooming? - Mary J. Wrobel *
Chapter 33: Mentoring Successful Living in a Social-Energetic World - R. Vicente Rubio *
Section 12 Using Strengths to Drive Skill Growth *
Chapter 34: Combining Strength-Based Therapy with Behavior Analytic Approaches to Treatment - Autumn Vendramin and Patricia Belmas *
Chapter 35: Motivation, Interests and Activation - Susan L. Hepburn *
Chapter 36: There Are Other Operating Systems Besides Windows: Finding Strengths in Neurodiversity - Frank W. Gaskill *
Section 13 Animal Assisted Interventions *
Chapter 37: To the Rescue: How Animals Can Assist People Diagnosed with Autism - Cyndie Kieffer *
Chapter 38: Dogs, and Horses, and Cats, Oh My! Animal-Assisted Interventions for People with Autism - Laura A. Bassette *
Chapter 39: Animal Assisted Play Therapy - Risë VanFleet *
Section 14 Legal and Financial Planning *
Chapter 40: Options for Adulthood: How to Support Decision-Making and Independence for People with Autism - Melissa L. Keyes *
Chapter 41: Planning for the Financial Future of Individuals with Autism - Clayton Olson *
Chapter 42: Financial Planning for Families with Children with Autism - Phillip Clark *
Section 15 Moving Towards Adulthood: An Important Developmental Step *
Chapter 43: Launching into Adulthood: Transitioning with the Youth at the Center - Matt Cloven *
Chapter 44: Countdowns, Mis-launches, and Birds in Flight - Jan Starr Campito *
Chapter 45: The Launching - Dena L. Gassner *
Biography
Rachel Bédard, PhD, is in private practice in Fort Collins, CO. A long-standing advocate for those with autism, she primarily works with clients on the spectrum and has previously published two books about autism.
Lorna Hecker, PhD, is in private practice in Fort Collins, CO. She is a professor emerita of Purdue University NW and has published numerous books and articles on mental health-related topics and enjoys working with neurodiverse couples.
Endorsement #1:
Our understanding of the autistic experience is evolving at breakneck speed, yielding more effective and respectful approaches for supporting autistic individuals. Two great instigators of this acceleration are represented in full force in this important volume: our long overdue acceptance that all autistic children due indeed grow up to be autistic adults, and the emphatic voices of autistic individuals sharing their stories. In Diverse Interventions, Rachel and Lorna are to be congratulated for providing a platform for autistic and neurotypical experts to discuss some of the most crucial topics related to quality of life issues for autistic teens and adults. It is both the depth and breadth of this volume that makes it an essential contribution for service providers, families and autistic individuals.
Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, adjunct professor Brown University and author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, and The SCERTS Model.
Endorsement #2:
The book is a triumph! Highly knowledgeable and experienced editors selected fifteen important topics for autistic adolescents and adults, from sleep and siblings to employment and relationships. Expert autistic and neurotypical clinicians, academics, and authors generously impart their hard won and sophisticated understanding of autism and how to help. I can highly recommend this book to any professionals working with teens and adults with autism, to their families, and to the adults themselves.
Michelle Garnett, MPsych(Clin), PhD, MAPS, FCCP, Clinical Psychologist, Minds & Hearts, A Private Clinic for Autism Spectrum Conditions.
Endorsement #3:
Diverse Interventions for Adolescent and Adult Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder is about changing perspectives - not people. Assembling a buffet of well-known voices and names yet unfamiliar, Rachel and Lorna deliver a scrumptious blend of academic prowess and keepin'-it-real readability. Diverse and divergent as real community should be, this compilation is both celebration and invitation for all of us on the human spectrum - to be different...together."
Jennifer Cook O'Toole, international speaker, self-advocate, author of the bestselling "Asperkids" series and award-winning memoir, "Autism in Heels."
