Right from the Start

Karin Donahue, PhD, is associate professor of psychology at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA. She is also a behavior specialist consultant specializing in autism and has more than thirty years of clinical experience working with children and their families. Kate Crassons, PhD, is associate professor of English at Lehigh University and the director of the Lehigh University Press. After becoming the parent of an autistic child, her research and teaching have expanded to focus on topics including neurodiversity and disability studies.

Preface



Acknowledgements



Introduction: An Exceptional Child, An Unexceptional Story: A Parent’s Perspective on the Preschool Years



Part I: Self-Regulation: The Key to Making it Through the Day



Chapter 1: The Case for Self-Regulation



Chapter 2: Why Do Autistic Children Have Difficulty Self-Regulating?



Part II: Setting Children Up for Success



Chapter 3: Adjust Learning Experiences and the Environment



Chapter 4: Emphasize Structure and Consistency



Chapter 5: Foster Collaboration and Emotional Awareness



Part III: Social Skills



Chapter 6: Autistic Children and Social Skills Challenges



Chapter 7: Teaching Social Thinking



Chapter 8: Teaching Conversational Skills



Chapter 9: Building Social Confidence across Settings



Part IV: Encouraging Imaginative Play



Chapter 10: When Playtime Isn’t All That Fun



Chapter 11: Teaching Play and Building Imagination



Chapter 12: Facilitating Play with Peers



Chapter 13: Maintaining Play and Coping with Resistance



Part V: Making Sense of the Senses



Chapter 14: The Eight Senses



Chapter 15: Signs and Symptoms of Sensory Processing Challenges in Children



Chapter 16: Dominant Classes of Sensory Processing Disorder: Profiles and Strategies



Chapter 17: General Approaches to Managing Sensory Processing Disorder



Conclusion: A New Lens of Understanding



Appendix



References



About the Authors