Hygiene and Related Behaviors for Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders: A Fun Curriculum With a Focus on Social Understanding

This innovative curriculum teaches important hygiene skills and associated social understanding using a fun approach that targets the core characteristics and learning styles of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. The author's generous use of structure, predictability, self-monitoring, and ways to convey and check for social understanding is worked into all discussion and activities. Ranging from basic daily hygiene to picking, using public restrooms, burping, and farting, topics focus on healthy and socially acceptable behaviors. The book is the answer to the constant search for inventive and intriguing ways to teach often quite boring topics surrounding functional life skills. Lesson plans are well conceptualized and organized, showing that the author knows what makes children and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and related disorders tic.

Kelly Mahler is a school-based occupational therapist for the Capital Area Intermediate Unit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Kelly, along with three other colleagues, offers evening Friendship Groups in the community targeted at developing friendship skills in children, adolescents, and teenagers with autism Spectrum disorders and other social difficulties. Kelly has presented at numerous conferences. Kelly thoroughly enjoys working with children, adolescents, and teenagers on the autism spectrum, specializing in the development of social skills, including the skills surrounding self-regulation and social-cognition.