'Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities', Fall 1998.
"Concepts and Strategies presented ... will prove to be a valuable resource for educators programming for individuals with autism [Spectrum Disorders]."


From the Publisher
Teach Me Language is designed for parents and therapists who teach language to children with autism, Asperger's syndrome and other related developmental disorders. Teach Me Language is a step by step "How to" manual with 400 pages of instructions, explanations, examples, games and cards that attack language weaknesses common to children with pervasive developmental disorders. This book is based on professional speech pathology methods developed specifically to teach children with autism and related disorders the language skills they need in school and in life. Areas Targeted include Social Language, General Knowledge, Grammar and Syntax, Functional Knowledge, Written Expression, and Language-Based Academic Concepts such as sequencing, problem-solving, time, and money. Children Who Benefit are visual learners. By this we mean that they are able to learn better with their eyes than their ears. The entire book is based on this principle. The child must be table ready (able to sit willingly at a table for short periods of time). The child must also be able to communicate to some extent, either through limited verbal communication, through signing or through the use of a picture communication system. This Book should be introduced once the child has learned one and two word sentences, has some basic vocabulary, and can answer simple "What" or "Where" questions from a picture book. The exercises in Teach Me Language take the child from one and two word sentences to more complex sentences and lay the foundation for conversation. The various activities in Teach Me Language are appropriate for children from kindergarten through the teenage years, with simple adaptation for cognitive level i.e. the materials become more difficult, yet the activities remain structured in the same way.


About the Author
Sabrina Freeman, Ph.D. received her doctorate from Stanford University. Dr. Freeman, a sociologist and technical writer, worked in consultation with an innovative speech pathologist to compile newly developed exercises, games and drills for this population of children. Teach Me Language is designed to allow speech pathologists, paraprofessionals and experienced parents to use and customize the educational instruments presented in this book. After receiving her doctorate from Stanford, Dr. Freeman became involved in the project when she saw the tremendous difference these drills made to her own child's ability to communicate, and learn. Teach Me Language is designed for children, such as her own, who learned basic language concepts but needed "Step Two" to improve their ability to communicate and understand higher level language. Lorelei Dake, B.A., is the senior therapist on several behaviorally based, autism therapy teams. Since receiving her degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, she has been working "in-the-field" and has established a reputation as a highly skilled and effective therapist in the behavioral treatment of autism. Ms. Dake refined and tested many of the exercises collected in this book to maximize their real-world effectiveness.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Teach Me Language is designed for parents and therapists who teach language to children with autism, Asperger's syndrome and other related developmental disorders. Teach Me Language is a step by step "How to" manual with 400 pages of instructions, explanations, examples, games and cards that attack language weaknesses common to children with pervasive developmental disorders. This book is based on professional speech pathology methods developed specifically to teach children with autism and related disorders the language skills they need in school and in life.

Areas Targeted include Social Language, General Knowledge, Grammar and Syntax, Functional Knowledge, Written Expression, and Language-Based Academic Concepts such as sequencing, problem-solving, time, and money.

Children Who Benefit are visual learners. By this we mean that they are able to learn better with their eyes than their ears. The entire book is based on this principle. The child must be table ready (able to sit willingly at a table for short periods of time). The child must also be able to communicate to some extent, either through limited verbal communication, through signing or through the use of a picture communication system.