Pre-schoolers with autism - Avril V Brereton

The title is an effective, manualized parent education programme'

- Educational Book Review

This ground-breaking training programme has been developed in response to a real need for evidence-based early interventions for very young autistic children.

Authoritative and extensively tried and tested, it will help both parents and carers to understand the disorder and how it affects child development. Ultimately, the programme is designed to reduce the severity of emotional/behavioural difficulties by managing a child's particular problems and encouraging effective collaboration between professionals and parents.

The programme is delivered through two accessible manuals - one for parents and one for clinicians - which provide all the information and materials you need.

The Manual for Clinicians explains the purpose and content of each session and includes notes for discussion and teaching, a checklist of 'things to do', and photocopiable task sheets for distribution and discussion.

The Manual for Parents features tasks, exercises and discussion points for group sessions, and complements these training materials with engaging personal accounts, an introduction to the history of autism, information about approaches to treatment, and a list of useful websites and further reading.

Structured as a series of individual and small group sessions, the programme is designed to run for 20 weeks and covers key areas such as understanding and managing difficult behaviour; changing/encouraging new behaviours; communication problems in verbal and non-verbal children; social problems; and how to work and play together.

Together, these manuals will provide you with all the information, support and resources you need to run this programme successfully.

Avril V. Brereton is a Senior Research Fellow in the Monash University Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology in Melbourne, Australia. She has worked for many years with autistic children and their families in a variety of research, teaching and clinical settings and provides consultation to community health, education and welfare agencies. She also presents educational workshops for parents and professionals. Bruce J. Tonge is Professor and Head of the Monash University School of Psychology and Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine and established the successful Centre for Developmental Psychology and Psychiatry at the University. He has a distinguished record of teaching and research in child psychiatry, many years experience in clinical practice and a particular interest in Pervasive Developmental Disorders, mental health problems and intellectual disability, and effective treatments of emotional and behavioural disorders in childhood. Avril and Bruce are married and live in Melbourne with their children, Labradors, a cat and `Murray' the magpie. In their spare time, Avril enjoys playing the piano and pipe organ and Bruce enjoys music, reading and gardening.