Cutting-edge research reveals that parents can play a major role in teaching even the youngest children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) how to connect with others and live up to their potential. The key is turning everyday activities into rich and enjoyable learning experiences that target specific developmental skills while also bringing parents and kids closer together. Drs. Sally Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, and Laurie Vismara translate their groundbreaking early intervention approach into step-by-step strategies that help parents promote play, language, and engagement during daily routines like meal time and bath time. Compassionate, accessible, and optimistic, this book opens new doors for families coping with the challenges of ASD.

Sally J. Rogers, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California, Davis. She is a pioneering autism researcher known for her work on early intervention for preschoolers, imitation deficits, family interventions, and autism in infancy. With Geraldine Dawson and colleagues, Dr. Rogers developed the Early Start Denver Model, the treatment approach that is the basis for this book. Geraldine Dawson, PhD, is Chief Science Officer at Autism Speaks and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She served as Founding Director of the renowned University of Washington Autism Center. An internationally recognized autism expert with a focus on early detection and intervention, brain imaging, and genetic studies, Dr. Dawson is a passionate advocate for families. Laurie A. Vismara, PhD, is a clinical research scientist at the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California, Davis, and a board-certified behavior analyst. Dr. Vismara's interests include developing innovative ways to teach early intervention techniques to professionals and parents.

Introduction I. Getting Started 1. Setting Up Your Child's Early Intervention Program 2. Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family 3. How Your Early Efforts Can Help Your Child Engage with Others and Boost Your Child's Learning II. Everyday Strategies to Help Your Child Engage, Communicate, and Learn 4. Step into the Spotlight: Capturing Your Child's Attention 5. Find the Smile!: Having Fun with Sensory Social Routines 6. It Takes Two to Tango: Building Back-and-Forth Interactions 7. Talking Bodies: The Importance of Nonverbal Communication 8. \u201cDo What I Do!\u201d: Helping Your Child Learn by Imitating 9. Let's Get Technical: How Children Learn 10. The Joint Attention Triangle: Sharing Interests with Others 11. It's Playtime! 12. Let's Pretend! 13. Moving into Speech 14. Putting It All Together Appendix. Toys and Books for Your Young Child with Autism Resources