Inclusion of information about Autism organizations, providers, publications, services, programs and products on our web site does NOT constitute any agreement, sponsorship, endorsement or warranty of any kind by the FEAT of Oregon.

Useful Books

[back to index]

Behavioral Intervention / Special Education

Behavioral Intervention for Young Children With Autism : A Manual for Parents and Professionals by Catherine Maurice (Editor), Gina Green (Editor), Stephen C. Luce (Editor)
This book provides an overview of successful behavior intervention programs. This book is a must have for effective behavior treatment of autism.

A Work In Progress by Ron Leaf and John McEachin
Explains how to run an ABA program do discrete trials complete with prompting and reinforcement. 

Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities by Mark Sundberg and James Partingon
Focuses on the different aspects of language such as mands, tacts, intraverbals per Skinner's 1957 book, Verbal Behavior.  It provides a unique perspective on learning language that goes beyond just labeling nouns.

Right from the Start : Behavioral Intervention for Young Children With Autism : A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Sandra L. Harris, Mary Jane Weiss, Mary Jane Gill-Weiss
A brief introductory book (138 pages) that is easy to read and provides useful information about behavioral intervention and applied behavioral analysis.

Teaching Developmentally Disabled Children: The ME Book by O. Ivar Lovaas
This book was published in 1981. It has references to aversive consequences that are not the best practice based on todays research. This is suitable for someone running an early intervention program as a reference to pick and choose from, but not as an end-all guide.

Positive Behavioral Support and Teaching Children with Autism by Robert Koegel and Lynn K. Koegel

Activity Schedules for Children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior by Lynn E. McClannahan and Patricia J Krantz
Activity schedules enable children with autism to accomplish activities with greatly reduced adult supervision. A simple set of pictures or words that cues a child to engage in a sequence of activities, these schedules can help children become more self-directed and purposeful in their home, school, and leisure activities.

Speech and Language

Teach Me Language: A Language Manual for children with autism, Asperger's syndrome and related developmental disorders by Sabrina K. Freeman, Lorelei Dake, Isaac Tamir
A comprehensive language program for children who have mastered communicative intent and have gained a small vocabulary and the skills to use language to communicate. 

Success Stories

Let Me Hear Your Voice : A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice
This is a story of a family with two autistic children who have recovered from Autism by following an ABA program.

Autism: From Tragedy to Triumph by Carol Johnson and Julia Crowder

IEP/IFSP Development

ABLLS - The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills by Partington & Sundberg
A wonderful way parents, teachers, aides can assess your child every 6 months to a year. Shows a graphical chart of progress. Great for ideas on IFSP goals & evaluation criteria. For beginner, younger children with few beginning skills (so they don't fall off the scale).

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law by Pamela Darr Wright and Peter W.D. Wright
Includes a CD-ROM with the latest information on the IDEA and other relevant special education laws. This book covers commonly asked questions, with answers on the laws surrounding autism and related disorders. It also includes the entire IDEA.

What Do I Do When. . . The Answer Book on Special Education Law - 2nd Ed by Susan Gorn

Better IEPs : How to Develop Legally Correct and Educationally Useful Programs by Barbara D. Bateman and Mary Anne Linden
This is the definitive guide to understanding and writing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It presents a powerful, three-step process that focuses on  the individual student and avoids the all too common routinized approach to program development.

General Autism / Asperger's

Autism Treatment Guide by Elizabeth K. Gerlach
This comprehensive guide outlines basic facts, research information and effective treatment options for autism. Objectively written, it contains extensive resource listings and suggested readings.

Asperger's Syndrome : A Guide for Parents and Professionals
by Tony Atwood
Describes Asperger's syndrome and various approaches of dealing with associated behaviors. The book is valuable both for those with prior knowledge on the subject, and for others, like teachers, encountering the subject for the first time.

The World of the Autistic Child : Understanding and Treating Autistic Spectrum Disorders by Bryna Siegel
This is a comprehensive book that covers diagnosis of autism and PDD, social and communication characteristics of autistic behaviors, the importance of early intervention, and school support.

Targeting Autism : What We Know, Don't Know, and Can Do to Help Young Children With Autism and Related Disorders by Shirley Cohen
This book gives overview information about life cycles in autism, intervention options, recovery from autism. This is a light read that provides a general overview.

Siblings of Children with Autism by Sandra L. Harris
An invaluable guide to understanding sibling relationships, how autism affects these relationships, and what families can do to support their other children.

Educating Children with Autism published by National Academy Press
Guide can be purchased or viewed on-line at http://www.nap.edu/books/0309072697/html/

Indicates young children with autism need 25 hours of intensive services a week.

Medical

 Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD by William Shaw, Bernard Rimland, Bruce Semon, Lisa Lewis
A books for parents and professional about biological basis for autistic behaviors. Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD is an authoritative, comprehensive, and easy-to-read resource guide to a wide range of therapies that have been useful in the treatment of autism including antifungal and antibacterial therapies, gluten and casein restriction, homeopathy, vitamin therapy, gamma globulin treatment, transfer factor therapies, treatment of food allergies, and alternatives to antibiotic therapy. The information in this book may be useful not only in the field of autism but also in virtually any disorder in which some of the symptoms of autism are sometimes or frequently present.

Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis
A mother who developed and implemented a successful diet program that aided in the recovery of her child who had allergies that caused autistic symptoms.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (advanced reading)

Applied Behavior Analysis by John O. Cooper, Timothy E. Heron, William L. Heward

Functional Assessment and Program Development for Problem Behavior : A Practical Handbook by O'Neill, Horn