Respecting Autism: The Rebecca School DIR Casebook for Parents and Professionals

In this useful volume, Tippy%E2%80%94clinical director at New York%E2%80%99s Rebecca School, a therapeutic institute in Manhattan for children with special needs%E2%80%94and Greenspan, who, when he died last year, left a legacy of pioneering work with autistic children. profile 16 students on the autism spectrum, describing their rocky histories in the medical and special education systems, the concerns and fears of their parents, and the ways in which the Rebecca School%E2%80%99s transdisciplinary approach helped them reach developmental milestones: attention, communication, problem solving, comparative thinking, etc. As he did as a consultant to the Rebecca School, Greenspan makes recommendations to amplify successes and push through limitations. Parents of children who respond poorly to therapy systems based on memory and behavior, will be rallied by Tippy%E2%80%99s stories, while educators will be roused by his critique of %E2%80%9Cevidence-based%E2%80%9D systems of rewards and punishments that dehumanize autistic children whose core deficits, Tippy says, can best be addressed through respectful relationships. Anyone working with autistic children will find surprising insights and effective tools in this practical yet deeply empathetic volume.