Autism Parent Handbook

Dr. Raun D. Melmed is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and Director of the Melmed Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is also co-founder and Medical Director of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, and Adjunct Senior Researcher at the Translational Genomics Institute in Phoenix. Dr. Melmed has established physician-training programs for the early identification of infants and toddlers with autism and other developmental and behavioral concerns. He is currently investigating the genetics and phenotypes of autism, as well as the use of novel therapeutic agents in the treatment of ADHD and autism. He is author of Autism and the Extended Family: A Guide for Those Outside the Immediate Family Who Know, Love Someone with Autism and Autism Early Intervention: Fast Facts: A Guide That Explains the Evaluations, Diagnoses, and Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, BCBA, RSD, has been a special education teacher, school psychologist, autism specialist, speaker, writer, counselor, university instructor, and board-certified behavior analyst. She is the mother of two awesome individuals with autism, and was married for twenty-seven years to an amazing man with Asperger's syndrome. People on the spectrum, and the dedicated teachers who work with them, are among her favorite people in the world. Dr. Marsh lives in Salem, Oregon with her three children.

• PREFACE: Begin with the End in MindPART I FIRST STEPS: They Say it's Autism…What Does That Mean? Chapter 1 Hearing the NewsChapter 2 Responding to the NewsChapter 3 Looking ForwardPART II HOME BASE: Create an Environment that Works for EveryoneChapter 4 Home Safe HomeChapter 5 Home Sweet ClassroomChapter 6 Home Sweet HomePART III HEALTHY HABITS START AT HOME: Start on the Right Path from Day OneChapter 7 Nutrition NeedsChapter 8 Exercise NeedsChapter 9 Sleep NeedsChapter 10 Stimulation Needs Chapter 11 Well-Child Check-UpPART IV LEARN TO LOVE THE PARADE: Get the Most out of Your ProfessionalsChapter 12 Who Are All These People? Chapter 13 What Should My Child be Learning? Chapter 14 What Shouldn't My Child be Learning? PART V OUT AND ABOUT: Venturing Forth into the CommunityChapter 15 The Unwritten Rules of the Park and PlaygroundChapter 16 How to Go to the Grocery Store Without Going CrazyChapter 17 Navigating Barber Shops, Dentists' Offices, and the Rest of the WorldChapter 18 Safety First…But What if They Get Lost Anyway? PART VI EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER: When There is No Emoji to Express What They FeelChapter 19 Negative Feelings: Anxiety, Anger, Sadness Chapter 20 Positive Feelings: Joy, Delight, Ecstasy Chapter 21 Strategies for Dealing with Over-stimulationPART VII SCHOOL DAYS: Navigating the IEP Process Chapter 22 What is an IEP, Anyway? (And What's My Role as Parent?) Chapter 23 How to Assert Your Child's Rights (Without Being a Jerk) PART VIII TRANSITIONS: Look the Future in the Eye Without BlinkingChapter 24 Pre-Adolescence and the Dreaded Teen Years Chapter 25 Transition Planning: EducationalChapter 26 Transition Planning: FinancialChapter 27 Transition Planning: RecreationalChapter 28 Transition Planning: VocationalPART IX PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN THE TIME OF COVID POSTSCRIPT: CONGRATULATIONS! You Are on the Right Track and Moving ForewardRESOURCES