Improving Social Behaviors in the Classroom
Special educators across America will be cheering for this book!Improving the social behaviors of children with developmental disabilities is such an essential aspect of treatment for these students, yet it is often just an assumed component of the curriculum lacking any clear guidelines. This book fills the gap by providing clear, step-by-step instructions for implementing social activities for children with developmental disabilities. The subtitle, An Easy Curriculum for Teachers of Young Children with Autism, Developmental Disabilities and Typical Children, could not be more accurate. Dr. Freeman and her colleagues have put together a program that is easy to follow with tasks that are easily integrated into the daily routines of the classroom. --Melissa Del'Homme, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Associate Director, UCLA ADHD Program, Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDeveloped using a strong body of evidenced based practice and philosophical frameworks, the curriculum provides a user-friendly developmentally-based social skills training program that is well thought out and practical for use in the classroom, clinic or in the home. Specific attention is given to the importance of the child being able to generalize the skills learned in the classroom/clinic to the home environment through the use of scripted parent letters. Weekly lesson plans are user-friendly and can be easily implemented by clinicians as well as classroom support staff. --Jacqueline Williams, MA, School Psychologist, Program Manager, Desert/Mountain SELPA Comprehensive Assessment, Research and Evaluation ClinicThe authors have written a comprehensive, accessible curriculum for teachers to teach foundational skills necessary for children to exhibit positive social behavior and build cooperative social relationships that ultimately will contribute to their success in and out of school. This curriculum includes many of the strategies (e.g., modeling, behavioral package) deemed Established or Emerging in the National Autism Center's National Standards Project report. Teachers will appreciate the catch phrases, the generalization ideas, the Dear Parent communications, and the minimal preparation required for lesson delivery. I am excited about sharing this curriculum with colleagues and preschool teachers. --Alecia Rahn-Blakeslee, Ph. D., Program Assistant for Innovation, Heartland Area Education Agency 11, Iowa