Suspecting that your baby or toddler may have autism spectrum disorder or another developmental delay can be scary and overwhelming. But there is a lot you can do to help, even while waiting for an evaluation or early intervention. With the right tools, everyday tasks can be terrific opportunities for building critical social and communication skills. Start at the kitchen table, bathtub, or shopping cart! In this easy-to-navigate guide, leading experts present more than 100 games and activities designed to support development in children from birth to age 3. Your child's daily routines are transformed into learning opportunities that promote crucial abilities, like how to imitate others or use simple hand gestures to convey wants and needs. As a parent, you are the most important person in your child's life. Now you can be the best teacher, too.
"I had the tremendous fortune of previewing this book and being coached by the authors when my daughter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 14 months old. We actually had fun incorporating the creative activities into our daily lives. Along with therapy, these techniques undoubtedly contributed to my daughter's amazing progress. Reading this book is like having these four leading consultants guiding you in your home every step of the way!"--Stephanie S., parent
"Fantastic! The book provides key information about typical developmental milestones from birth through toddlerhood, and is chock full of clever games and activities to make learning fun."--Wendy Stone, PhD, Director, READi Lab (Research in Early Autism Detection and Intervention), University of Washington
"I will recommend this book to all the parents I work with. It is just what you need if you are worried about your infant's or toddler's development. The chapters are bursting with easy-to-implement games and activities, embedded in daily routines, that could help any child."--Sally Ozonoff, PhD, coauthor of A Parent's Guide to High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition
"A marvelous, unique resource that fills an important need. This book is filled with practical and helpful advice and activities that parents can readily use when developmental delays are suspected. It enables you to take active steps to facilitate your child's development."--Fred R. Volkmar, MD, coauthor of A Practical Guide to Autism
"This clearly written, extremely user-friendly book will be invaluable to parents. It contains a plethora of ingenious ideas that you can incorporate into your everyday routines to enhance and expand your young child's learning."--Katarzyna Chawarska, PhD, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine