Everyday Activities to Help Your Young Child with Autism Live Life to the Full: Simple Exercises to Boost Functional Skills, Sensory Processing, Coordination and Self-Care

by Debra S. Jacobs

Does your child struggle with brushing their teeth? Is it difficult to get them dressed and undressed each day? Do they struggle to understand their body's relationship to the world? This book is brimming with simple ideas, activities and exercises to address these daily challenges that young children with autism face. Easy to carry out and to fit into your routines, they will help improve a child's sense of body awareness, coordination and motor skills, and address key tasks such as eating meals and healthy sleep. There are also ideas for tackling social challenges, including playing with friends, going on holiday and staying calm at school. The final chapter of the book explains the different support professionals parents of a child with autism are likely to encounter and how each can help their child. This jargon-free book shows how occupational therapy techniques can be used to help your young child with autism to live life to the full, and will be an essential tool for parents and carers.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2011

Reviews

[Analie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this brief, practical book. The tools and guidance are written in a warm, knowledgeable tone that makes you feel like the authors are in the room with you helping you support the child's development and feel confident doing it. It's perfect for parents, teachers, and anyone who works with young kids on the spectrum.

[TYJC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate how straight to the point this book is about incorporating simple tasks throughout the day to help a child on a spectrum. Great for family members and professionals alike. Lots of really good points regarding areas where to strike a balance, ie: keep a schedule for a child but don't adhere to it so strictly, which causes the child to stay inflexible to change. The author keeps things pretty realistic by not guaranteeing quick results - it's being consistent that makes change, even if it happens over period of years. I like how it's categorized by habits/routines/rituals/activities of daily living so that you can just flip to an aspect of everyday life that a child may be having a particularly hard time with.

[Marcelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for helping parents of young kids diagnosed. Mine was diagnosed at a much higher age, so some things could no longer be used, but I thought it was very helpful and informative.

[Mollie Feltman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful to a teacher