Book Study Resources for Autism Focused Professional Learning Communities
Learn how to support individuals with autism spectrum disorder through the use of our book studies. The OCALI Autism Center has provided book study questions available worldwide for any user on a variety of topics to enhance your understanding of ASD. Each book contains free downloadable guiding questions.
Use in a variety of ways:
- With a professional learning community
- Through an online learning platform
- With groups including families, educators, and professionals
- In large group, small group, or individual learning format
Learn how Ohio’s State Support Teams have utilized the book studies along with webinars.
"Support Team 8 (SST8) serves Summit, Portage, and Medina counties. Given the size of this area, our educators need the convenience of virtual learning experiences. OCALI provides such experiences through their book study opportunities. SST8 region collaborated with OCALI, SST14, and SST16 to provide an engaging statewide book study focusing on Executive Functioning. Participants were able to attend the virtual sessions, but flexibility was built in to allow access through a recording as well. The virtual sessions expanded on what the book had to offer and provided a platform for discussion and personal connections in addition to responding to guided questions connected to the book on an online learning platform between sessions. The experience was designed to meet the needs of both families and educators which led to greater understanding of both groups’ perspectives. This format was so successful, we have tried to replicate the organization and engagement methods with book studies in our own region. We are grateful for OCALI as both a resources and collaborator to serve our region.”
Tracy Mail, Book Study Facilitator, Kent, OH
"State Support Team 16 is a rural region, spread across many counties, covering a great distance. The feasibility of traveling to a central location for professional learning is quite often impossible for area educators. Therefore, we reached out to other SSTs, inquiring about their use of online professional learning communities. One of the regions shared a book study they developed using OCALI’s book study resources. We replicated their ideas and had an overwhelming response across our region from teachers, special education directors, principals, and paraprofessionals. The flexibility in the course design allows participants to make personal connections with others closer to their home school/district. Some decided to meet for book study discussions, while others chose online discussion groups. With so much variability in adult learners (time, obligations, interests, technology skills) and barriers such as travel, and time away from work, flexibility in the design of this professional learning was a “non-negotiable.” Our region is excited at the opportunity to partner with other SSTs, using OCALI’s book study resources, to develop more courses using free online learning management systems."
Lisa Arthur, Book Study Facilitator, Racine, OH
“So many GREAT things in the book and I want to do them ALL! But I am going to be strategic about it, first with myself, then with staff. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the book study and the prompts - I hope to be able to go back to them and capitalize on the questions you posed to grow our staff.”
Dawn Wallace, Book Study Participant, Winchester, OH
The following books can be borrowed from OCALI’s lending library for any person over the age of 18 residing or working in the state of Ohio.
Click here to provide us feedback on how you have used this resource in your practice and/or personal life.
New
Attacking Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Guide to an Engaging Approach to Treating Anxiety and Phobias in Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
Karen Levine and Naomi Chedd
Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, this book shares a step-by-step enjoyable approach for addressing anxieties, fears, and phobias common in autistic children and teens. It provides scenarios including visiting medical professionals, managing transitions and changes, and tolerating mistakes. This model is designed to help family members, teachers, and therapists of autistic individuals successfully alleviate many of the anxieties and phobias that interfere with life enjoyment for the child/teen and the entire family.
Practical Strategies for Supporting Emotional Regulation in Students with Autism: Enhancing Engagement and Learning in the Classroom
Leslie Blome with Maureen Zelle
Discover how to support students with autism using this practical guide. Based on research, this guide provides descriptions of strategies followed by ways to implement the strategies in inclusive environments. Using real-life examples, the authors connect emotional regulation to understanding behaviors, learning, and engagement in the classroom.
Building Communication and Independence for Children Across the Autism Spectrum: Strategies to Address Minimal Language, Echolalia and Behavior
Elizabeth Ives Field
Learn how to teach communication and social skills to individuals with autism. The author shares composite case studies to demonstrate common issues (I.e., echolalia, pre-symbolic, atypical, behavioral) faced by children with different levels of development and varied degrees of autism severity. A wide range of interventions that address communication and social behavior are covered. This book offers skills that are developmentally appropriate and immediately useful to help individuals with autism express themselves more effectively and build relationships with others.
Take Time for You: Self-Care Action Plans for Educators
Tina H. Boogren
This book sets the stage for educators to recognize that research-based educational strategies and pedagogy truly depend on the teacher’s mental health and well-being. It reminds educators of the importance of taking care of themselves, so they can take better care of their students. The book is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: (1) Physiological, (2) Safety, (3) Belonging, (4) Esteem, (5) Self-actualization, and (6) Transcendence. Read this book and discover a range of manageable research-based strategies, self-care surveys, and reflective teaching questions in each area of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that can help guide you in developing a personalized self-care action plan. The author’s thought-provoking questions and strategies make this book a meaningful, positive journey for those in the education field.
Understanding Sensory Processing Disorders in Children
Matt Mielnick
This book explains the way our sensory system works and provides early childhood professionals and families with a deeper understanding of how sensory processing disorder can have a huge impact on a young child’s behavior. Through relatable examples of case studies, this book describes the variety of sensory processing differences that can occur in children and offers practical advice to help manage these differences. The author is an OT and provides the information to readers in a clear, concise manner that is ideal for those seeking to learn more about sensory challenges.
Sensory Issues and High-Functioning Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders
Practical Solutions for Making Sense of the World
Brenda Smith Myles, Kelly Mahler, Lisa Robbins
Expanding on the first edition, this book provides information on how children with high-functioning ASD connect through their senses. Sections on assessment tools and evidence based interventions are included. Checklists and practicable forms are included to assist readers with supporting children across environments and throughout the entire day.
Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System
Kelly Mahler
This book provides information to parents and professionals on the eighth sensory system, Interoception. The Interoceptive System allows individuals to understand signals from their body, such as hunger, thirst, pain, fear, etc. Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder are challenged with labeling how they are feeling internally. This book provides research as well as practical strategies to support individuals who struggle with self-regulation.
Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism
Dr. Barry Prizant
This book, written by a well-regarded expert in the field, is filled with inspiring stories taken from years of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The author encourages readers to look at individuals with ASD differently, not as persons with an unfortunate disability but as people who are uniquely human.
Interested in taking a 2-hour course with Dr. Barry Prizant on Uniquely Human? All proceeds will be donated to a weekend parent retreat fund. Click here to learn more.
Late, Lost and Unprepared
Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel
This book is full of practical strategies and tips to support families and educators of children from elementary school through high school who are challenged by weak executive function skills. Despite their best efforts, children who struggle with executive function skills may need support in areas such as organization, impulse control, self-monitoring and working memory. Given the academic and social demands students encounter on a daily basis, this book is a must-have resource for parents and educators.
There's A Boy In Here
Judy Barron and Sean Barron
This is a view from inside the mind of autism — a dual autobiography written in point-counterpoint style by Judy Barron and her son, Sean Barron. Together, they chronicle Sean's young life and the effects of autism on him and his family. As a youngster, Sean was confrontational, uncontrollable, "isolated and desperately unhappy." Baffled about how to interact with others, he felt "like an alien from outer space." Then, at seventeen, Sean experienced a breakthrough that began his release from autism. Today he's a public speaker and reporter—and close to his family.
A Land We Can Share
Dr. Paula Kluth and Kelly Chandler-Olcott
This book moves beyond functional literacy skills and shows K-12 educators how to bring high-quality, meaningful literacy instruction to students with autism. It helps in-service and pre-service teachers understand how students with mild to significant autism can be perceived as literate and then supported to participate in literacy activities both in and out of school.
The Hidden Curriculum
Dr. Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa Trautman, and Ronda Schelvan
This book offers practical suggestions and advice for how to teach and learn those subtle messages that most people seem to pick up almost automatically but that have to be directly taught to individuals with social-cognitive challenges. Given the serious consequences that can befall a person who violates a social rule, the strategies and detailed lists of curriculum items make The Hidden Curriculum a much-needed resource.
Building Social Relationships 2
Dr. Scott Bellini
Building Social Relationships 2 by Scott Bellini uses the same comprehensive five-step model to address social programming as discussed in the first edition, while including the infusion of new lessons learned through implementing the practices. New to this edition is the teaching of both social skills and social-cognitive processing, including social problem-solving, observational learning, and attention and successful strategies to teach social skills and social-cognitive processing.
Building Social Relationships
Dr. Scott Bellini
This book addresses the need for social programming for children and adolescents with ASD by providing a comprehensive five-step model. The model incorporates the following steps: assess social functioning, distinguish between skill acquisition and performance deficits, select intervention strategies, implement intervention, and evaluate and monitor progress. The book also supports parents and professionals with organizing and making sense of the myriad of social skills strategies and resources currently available.
The Ziggurat Model
Dr. Ruth Aspy and Dr. Barry Grossman
This book provides a framework for designing interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. It includes the latest autism research as well as a special section on how to integrate The Comprehensive Autism Planning System (CAPS; Henry and Myles, 2007). It is being adopted by many school districts as essential tools in program planning and treatment. It includes assessment tools, case scenarios, and interventions developed to meet the unique needs for those with ASD.