A recently published book to help parents teach social skills to their children with autism was included in a summer reading list created by Autism Speaks. Authors Jamie E. Carter Ph.D. and Ahna I. O'Shaughnessy, M.A. have developed a four step program to help parents teach their children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) how to improve social skills and emotion management. Their book, PREP for Social Success: A Guide for Parents of Children with Autism is available exclusively through Amazon Kindle.
When asked about their inclusion in the list, Carter replied "We were pleased to be included on the list. We hope that parents will find our book useful in reducing their own stress as well as their child's anxiety and discomfort in social situations".
PREP for Social Success outlines four easy steps (PLAN, REHEARSE, ENCOURAGE, PRAISE) that parents can use to teach their children with ASD how to more effectively handle and adapt to a variety of social settings. These settings include school, group activities, community settings, work settings, and novel situations. Parents learn a variety of techniques to use when applying PREP. These include visual cues, telling stories, developing scripts, performing role plays, playing games, and mapping out desired behaviors.
About the Authors: The authors have a combined fifty years of experience in treating children and adults. Jamie Carter is a Clinical Psychologist who has provided consultation to a variety of community and government agencies. She has performed evaluations and provided psychotherapy as well as developing behavior support plans. Ahna O'Shaughnessy is a Psychology Associate, providing behavior intervention services to various agencies and schools that serve adults and children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in the Greater D.C. and Baltimore areas. The authors can be reached at prepforsocialsuccess@gmail.com. The book is available for purchase at http://amzn.com/B00WQANRI4
