Brossura

ISBN 10: 0965756513 ISBN 13: 9780965756518

Casa editrice: Skf Books, 1997

Why These Forms Need the Teach Me Language Manual

Before using the Companion Exercise Forms for Teach Me Language, it is very important to read and understand the "How To" and "Why" sections in the Teach Me Language manual.  When working with children with autism spectrum disorders, the material must be taught in a way that sets the child up for success.  Without understanding how to introduce the various exercises, the child can become frustrated and "turn off" learning.  The instructions which accompany each exercise in the Teach Me Language manual are also important to help you decide if the child is ready for the exercise.

Why We Wrote the Companion Exercise Forms for Teach Me Language

The Companion Exercise Forms for Teach Me Language makes the Teach Me Language manual more convenient to use because it provides all the manual's exercise forms in a larger, blank format.  To help explain how the exercises in Teach Me Language are done, the book includes facsimiles of drill sheets, filled out with examples of how and who the exercises are done.  The Companion Exercise Forms for Teach Me Language is a collection of the exercise sheets found the the Teach Me Language manual without the examples written on the forms.  The exercise forms in this supplement are blank and enlarged for ease of use.

Use of the Exercise Sheets

The exercise forms in this supplement are designed to be photocopied and used in the child's program.  The ability to make several copies is important because the exercises need to be done several times, gradually increasing the level of ability as the child learns the material.  It is a good idea to photocopy the forms rather than use the originals in this supplement so a complete set of blank originals is always on hand.

Understanding How to Do the Exercises

In order to do the exercises in this supplement effectively, it is important to know that they are not self explanatory for the child.  They must be introduced to the child by the adult who presents each part of the exercise and demonstrates correct sample answers.  To complete the exercise independently (where indicated), the child should be very familiar with the exercise.  This may require doing the exercise many times with an adult.  To achieve this method of teaching, the adult must be very familiar with the exercise before working on it with the child.  This is why this book of companion forms cannot stand alone.  The Teach Me Language manual is needed to know how the exercises are done effectively.

Customizing the Exercise Sheets

The exercise sheets have been designed to be as easy to use as possible for the child; however, if required, they can be tailored to each child's program to make them more effective.  Some of the exercises can also be done on a dry-erase board.  Some children find it motivating to write on and erase a board.

From the Back Cover:

The Companion Exercise Forms for Teach Me Language is a collection of exercise and drill forms which appear as examples in Teach Me Language, A language manual for children with autism, Asperger's syndrome and related developmental disorders.  The forms in this supplement are blank, enlarged for ease of use and ready to photocopy for use with Teach Me Language.  This supplement is an extension of Teach Me Language.  It is only effective if used with the Teach Me Language manual which explains how and why the exercises and drills are done.

About the Author:

Sabrina Freeman (1958-)  graduated from Stanford University in 1995 with a Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in small group research and the study of organizations. Upon her return to British Columbia, Freeman spent 14 years advocating for the rights of children with autism to be included in the government funded health care system for their core health need -- autism treatment. During this period, so many parents were desperate to access treatment programs that Freeman created a 35 minute VHS/DVD Autism: Now What Do I Do? to help guide parents through setting up science-based treatment programs for their children. In 2002, she was awarded Queen Elizabeth's 50th Golden Jubilee Medal for advocacy work done on behalf of children afflicted with autism. Freeman's advocacy culminated in the now famous Supreme Court of Canada ruling Auton (Guardian ad litem of) v. British Columbia in 2004.
During these 15 years, Dr. Freeman wrote several books on autism, one of which Teach Me Language has been subsequently translated into French, Italian and Norwegian. The next book she wrote, Science for Sale in the Autism Wars, chronicles the struggle children with autism face against a system that does not recognize their rights to treatment. Her most recent book The Complete Guide to Autism Treatment (2011) is an up-to-date evaluation on the various treatments offered for children with autism. Her hope is that through her scholarship, thousands of parents will not have to go through the uncertain journey of generations of parents of newly diagnosed children. Instead, parents can quickly evaluate various treatments and make sure that their child receives science-based treatment rather than treatments based on testimonials and good wishes.