| View Larger Image | Engaging Autism: Helping Children Relate, Communicate and Think with the DIR Floortime Approach (Merloyd Lawrence Book) | Hardcoverby Stanley I. Greenspan (Author)
| List Price: | $26.95 | | Price: | $20.48 | | You Save: | $6.47 (24%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Hardcover | | Publisher: | Da Capo Lifelong Books | | Page Count: | 448 Pages | | Publication Date: | March 27, 2006 | | Sales Rank: | 190,911th |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780738210285
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
The long-awaited landmark guide to autism and ASD by the authors of the timeless classic The Child with Special Needs The inspiring success of Dr. Stanley Greenspan's unique approach to autism and ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) is known to grateful parents and to professionals throughout the world. Now at last his highly effective and influential program is presented in one clear and accessible volume. A number of innovative, exciting features distinguish Greenspan's approach to autism: First, his program has demonstrated that children with signs of autism or autistic spectrum disorders do not have a fixed, limited potential, but in many cases can join their peers and lead full, healthy lives, emotionally and intellectually. Secondly, his approach can be applied at a very early stage, when signs of autism first appear. Thus, the hope of preventing the full onset of autism becomes a real possibility. Third, the approach empowers the entire family to promote their child's development throughout each day. Also, the DIR Floortime approach guides the efforts of speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and educators to work with the family and builds on the latest research on the development of the mind and brain. As cases of autism continue to rise worldwide, Dr. Greenspan's extremely successful Floortime approach is producing very promising results that could one day stem the tide against this dread disorder. No one involved in the care of children with autism, parent or professional, can afford to be without this landmark work. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 27 reviews)
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A Tested Way To Help an Autistic Child by Regis Schilken (Bethel Park, Pennsylvania)  5 Stars
November 09, 2009
This review of Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think) is written for any person interested in autism. Its main intent, however, is to speak directly to a parent or caregiver who may be dealing with a child with the disorder. In this review, I refer to a child with the disability as "her" and "daughter," even though there is a predominance of boys with this disability. Early in the book's chapters, authors Greenspan and Wieder warn that the presence of one symptom should never lead to a diagnosis of autism. Engaging Autism lists these three problem areas as indicative of the disorder.
1. The first problem you may notice is your child's inability to establish closeness and affection when relating to you and others. You may notice she does not turn meaningfully to greet you. Her general body motions appear uncoordinated and random for her age - purposeless. You get the unmistakable gut feeling that she shows little or no affection in spite of your best attempts to show her intimacy and warmth.
2. The second problem you might notice is her failure to communicate with gestures and expressions of emotion. Engaging Autism believes your child may feel pleasure and sense affection; still she is unable to express this feeling. To add to her problem, you may be more hesitant to respond to her, thus reducing the chain of social and emotional exchanges necessary for her to develop a sense of self.
3. A third area where your child may languish would be expressive language. You may find that although she has begun to use basic words, she may use them without showing longing or emotion. When she does vocalize, it may be the same words repeated over and over as if memorized with little or no feeling involved.
In Engaging Autism, floor-time refers to three actions you, and everyone who deals with your daughter, must be encouraged to take, in order to help her develop to her full potential. The actions must be taken as often as possible and should include other family members, neighborhood children, relatives, teachers etc.
1. Floor-time means you begin a sequence of two-way communication with your daughter at her own developmental level. It may not involve talking.
2. Floor-time means you start a communication sequence by following your daughter's lead regardless of what she is doing.
3. Floor-time means challenging your daughter to respond verbally or with some other kind of cue: a grin, a smile, an emotional change on her face - any noticeable reaction.
It can be extremely frustrating for you trying to engage your daughter if she is staring off into space or is engaged in obsessive stimming behavior. But before any real communication can begin, you must first engage her.
Floor-time could involve getting down on the floor with her many times a day. It could be a sequence of communication at any time, hopefully many more times than not: while you and she are showering and/or bathing; while going shopping together; while playing inside and outside the home with peers; while you attend some classes at school with her, until both teacher and aide (if available) can use the same sequencing system you use.
The key to begin communicative behavior is to place your body physically where your daughter is focused (called floor-time regardless of place), you follow her lead, and challenge her to respond. The following few paragraphs contain an example of floor-time as I, the reviewer of Engaging Autism, understand it:
If your daughter is staring off to one side of the room or out a window or at a wall, it is necessary for you to go to that spot and be seen by her. It is important that you don't stand in front of her and demand her attention nor would you turn her head to force her to look directly at you. No, you must start where she is focused.
If you now jiggle her favorite doll (any toy), you might challenge her, "How can we play with this doll now?" If she responds, "Play," or "Me Play" (just an example), then a communication circle -- you-daughter-you -- has happened.
Suppose you challenge again, "What can we play?" she might just answer, "Play here," or "Play now!" Holding the doll, you would then approach your daughter in her line of vision and attempt to keep communication going by repeatedly challenging her with simple questions, hopefully to add more layers to your circle of communication. As you develop this engaging, you'll want to try to ask questions which require more than a "Yes" or "No" response.
Another example of floor-time by this reviewer: Suppose you want to take your daughter outside to play. She is sitting at a table rubbing the same spot over and over. There is no possibility of eye contact because she stares downward, vacantly. You place your hand beside hers so that her hand now slides alongside yours. If she utters anything and you answer, a communication circle has started.
If she doesn't respond, you push your hand slightly against hers to move it a tiny bit. This is a challenge. Back off if you suspect a meltdown is coming.
She may respond; she may not. If you keep challenging by moving against her hand, she may eventually look up and make eye contact, or even smile - another response. Now you might challenge her again with words, "Let's put our fingers on a toy we can take outside?" or you might just begin to play some kind of finger game. The book describes several.
Engaging Autism would readily agree that it is not always easy to start a communication circle, but RESPONSIVE communication is your main objective. The longer - the better; the more circles of communication you can build - the more helpful your floor-time will be in helping your daughter learn to relate, communicate, and think.
This is not to say there will never be lapses, or tantrums, or days of complete frustration on your part. After taking a break -- a few minutes, an hour, the rest of the day -- the most critical thing to remember is: keep trying! Don't give up.
What I have described here are only two imaginary examples of floor-time approaches to engage your daughter in communication circles with you at a relatively low level. But Engaging Autism describes a multitude of ways to engage her at every level of development from infancy through her schooling years.
It suggests ways you can work with your daughter's teachers so that at school and at home, the same floor-time approach provides her with a wrap-around interactive environment. It even discusses successful ways to toilet train. Finally, the book explains how you can help playmates interact and accept her, by literally joining in their play and showing them how to interrelate.
After some 30 years working with exceptional children in the Pittsburgh Public School System, this reviewer feels that floor-time as described in Engaging Autism is a genuinely unique way of helping a child with autism to communicate and relate to others in a meaningful and satisfying way. There are many approaches out there, but I think a lot will be ventured and a lot gained using floor-time.
Engaging Autism is a must read for parents, caregivers, teachers, physicians, psychologists and psychiatrists who have been frustrated in their attempts to help young and older children with autism. Its methods will give all of them more than just a ray of hope.
Other interesting reads:
Strange Son
He's Not Autistic But...: How We Pulled Our Son From the Mouth of the Abyss
1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Engaging Autism by John A. Ramos (estero, florida) 5 Stars
August 14, 2009
I sent this book to my daughter. She has learned a lot about autism as it affects my grandaughter and her obvious disabilty. easy reading,, and teaches one how to understand and live with a child affected with Autism.
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Great book by E. C. Burroughs 5 Stars
June 04, 2009
My son has Autism-As a Marine I attack the issues with the same mind set....Autism doesnt have us , We,ve got Autism under control..!!!
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wonderful by Kate E. Schroeder (Tulsa,OK) 5 Stars
March 28, 2009
I have 2 boys with Autism. With both I used the Floortime method. They are now 5 and 3 and are doing so well! The oldest was dxgd @ 18 months and was at 2month levels. He is now 5 and communicates at a 5 year old level! It takes hard work and dedication but Floortime is worth it!
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Works Well generaly, but not as ABA Replacement for my child by Dan (Twin Bridges, CA)  2 Stars
March 22, 2009
I would give more stars, if book didn't seem to suggest Floortime as a primary means to deal with behavior. For my child, modern\newest ABA are working better for helping my child connect to the world. Floortime seems to help my child during free time and when behavior is not negative; but, as a means to deal with negative, or otherwise "not typically developing" behavior, Floortime doesn't seem to give my child enough of a chance. To me, Floortime-only (without ABA) may work for other children, but not mine. Note: I am a layperson & parent, but would have liked less conjecture in this book, in regards to lack of any empirical evidence for Floortime-only approach being included. Generally speaking, my child seems to respond well to Floortime, but not as a means to deal with behavior, or when my child is upset. Floortime = good play time & learning time for my child, but not good for when my child is upset (ABA has provided more growth for my child it turns out, in regards to tantrums and negative behavior\reactions to the world).
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SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| The Child With Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth (Merloyd Lawrence Book)
by Stanley I. Greenspan (Author), Serena Wieder (Author), Robin Simons (Author)
Covering all kinds of disabilities--including cerebral palsy, autism, retardation, ADD, and language problems--this comprehensive guide offers parents specific ways of helping all special needs children reach their full intellectual and emotional potential.
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| Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Carers
by Julia Moor (Author)
Praise for the first edition:
`An approachable and practical edition that will be welcomed by parents and carers alike. I know how hard it can be to find "How to" resources for parents. Well here is a gem.'
- Children, Young People and Families
Parents of young children newly diagnosed as on the autism spectrum are often at a loss for ideas about how best to help their child. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum is not just a collection of...
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| Floortime DVD Training Series. Set 1 The Basics: Relating and Communicating
Stanley I. Greenspan, MD and Serena Wieder, PhD illustrate the principles of Floortime and the DIR model for children with special needs.
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| Great Kids: Helping Your Baby and Child Develop the Ten Essential Qualities for a Healthy, Happy Life
by Stanley I Greenspan (Author)
Parents all over the world have certain universal aspirations. They want their children to contribute meaningfully to society and to pursue their own dreams. But we appear to be missing the essentials. In this inspiring book, based on 30 years of research and practice, Dr. Stanley Greenspan redefines the qualities of an emotionally and intellectually healthy child and identifies the ways that parents can help their children develop each quality. The qualities that make us call a child a...
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| Relationship Development Intervention with Young Children: Social and Emotional Development Activities for Asperger Syndrome, Autism, PDD and NLD
by Steven E. Gutstein (Author), Rachelle K. Sheely (Author)
Friendship, even for the most able, requires hard work, and the odds are heavily stacked against those with autism spectrum disorders. Designed for younger children, typically between the ages of two and eight, this comprehensive set of activities emphasizes foundation skills such as social referencing, regulating behavior, conversational reciprocity and synchronized actions. The authors include over 300 objectives to plan and evaluate a child's progress, each one related to a specific...
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