"Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle to find a balance of family time and instructional time. Many families are cautious of turning their homes into schools and are searching for methods of teaching their children that can be incorporated into the routines of family life. Even though the principles of applied behavior analysis have been used successfully for years to enhance the lives of individuals with ASD (Schreibman, 2000), some families may eschew the idea of using these techniques because of a perception that the methods are repetitive and out of context. However behavioral teaching encompasses more than discrete trial training. In fact, a 'modern behaviorism' (Malone, 2003, p. 85) has emerged in recent years and exists as a middle point on the continuum between naturalistic interventions and traditional behaviorism (Prizant & Wetherby, 1998). In this vein, Autism 24/7 provides an easy-to-follow guide for using behavioral teaching principles to promote contextual learning in the home and community.
The authors use case examples and family-friendly terminology to explain the basic ideas of behavioral teaching. The strategies explained in the book are adapted from the Pyramid Approach (Bondy & Sulzer-Azaroff, 2002), a work by the first author. Essentially, parents are guided through the processes of selecting goals and teaching strategies, introducing and fading prompts, identifying errors in the process, and evaluating the success of a lesson. The primary target audience is families with young or newly diagnosed children or with children with more significant needs. However, the book also would be helpful for families with older children who are exhibiting persistent behaviors that make home life and community outings more stressful. As children develop increased skills and independence, it is helpful to be reminded that were effective for teaching basic skills can be applied successfully to teach independence and to reduce reliance on prompting. Chapters 6 and 7 would be particularly helpful in this regard.
Chapter 1 deals with setting goals for teaching. Parents are encouraged to spend time deciding on critical skills by evaluating which family patterns are most disrupted or stressful. The book is written so that each chapter is applicable to either a child with limited skills or a child with problem behaviors that are significantly affecting the family. In this first chapter, the authors provide clear suggestions for prioritizing and writing measurable goals in either of these two areas.
Reinforcement is the topic of the second chapter. Positive and negative reinforcement are explained as well as the importance of differentiating teaching activities and activities that have a more immediate goal. For example, several practice trips to the grocery store may be needed before expecting the child to use new skills during the family’s lengthy weekly shopping trip. This is an essential message as the natural inclination is to begin by teaching in context in order to save time. Instead, establishing a basic level of proficiency and gradually expanding the expectations for the child are essential steps that avoid setting the child up for failure.
The third chapter serves as a helpful tutorial of communication and language skills. Parents are given a framework to assist in determining when a child’s verbal speech is, in fact, communication. Nine critical expressive and receptive skills are identified as potential goals, and the authors do a nice job of describing how to motivate children to communicate.
In chapters 4 and 5, the authors explain how to structure lessons and carry them out in the home and community. Terms such as discrete trials, verbal prompts, task analysis, and shaping are adequately explained in contextual examples. The authors begin with a skill a parent may wish to target and take the reader through the questions parents might ask themselves as they analyze the task, provide practice opportunities, and attempt to determine the correct level of prompting for successful task completion.
Reading the sixth and seventh chapters will assist parents in problem solving. Chapter 6 contains explanations of back stepping and anticipatory prompting as methods parents can use when a child fails to complete tasks correctly. This chapter is a critical component of the book in that a quick reread of this chapter may prevent parents from simply giving up when lessons do not seem to be working. In chapter 7, the authors explain strategies for eliminating problematic or contextually inappropriate behaviors. The authors sagely advise the need to determine the function of a behavior before a strategy can be designed to eliminate it. Although parents may need to consult a professional or locate additional resources on this topic, the chapter serves as a nice introduction.
Data collection and analysis are key elements in behavioral teaching and in chapter 8, the authors encourage parents to collect data to chart and summarize progress. The authors aptly state that 'most skills are learned gradually and via the accumulation of small improvements over time'(p. 109) rather than through an 'ah-ha' moment that can be readily identified. Although collecting data would no doubt be ideal, the strategies provided here seem cumbersome for a busy household and may be overwhelming for families to implement on a long-term basis. The authors discuss sampling and spot checks, which seem to be more realistic alternatives.
Effective communication interventions need to target meaningful communication, with functional reinforcement provided in a natural environment (Goldstein, 2002). In the final chapter, the authors briefly address several home and community activities where behavioral lessons could be utilized to improve a child’s ability to interact and participate appropriately. Context-specific suggestions are provided for libraries, playgrounds medical visits and other typical locations. This final chapter should provide a nice reference for parents to consult as they establish new goals or attempt to generalize skills within the community.
Overall, the book can be described as a primer on structured teaching for families who are ready to systematically target specific behaviors and skills in the home. The authors do an excellent job of explaining the basics of behavioral teaching and how these principles can be realistically utilized by parents. Because access to services can be limited, especially for lower income families in nonmetropolitan areas (Thomas, Ellis, McLaurin, Daniels, & Morrissey, 2007), explicit tools such as this one are necessary to bridge the gap. I appreciate the authors’ obvious understanding that every moment in family life should not be a lesson. For example, parents are encouraged to forego teachable moments that interfere with taking care of the child or the family. This realistic attitude should serve to encourage and empower families. Parents who utilize the principles in the book to steadily make improvements in key areas should see enhancements in their quality of family life over time."
-Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Volume 24, Number 3, September 2009
"The authors’ examples are appropriate for a wide range of children and adults with autistic spectrum disorders. Disability studies collections will benefit from this accessible primer.
This latest entry in Woodbine’s series helps parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) overcome every day challenges (e. g., getting dressed, tooth brushing, behaving in public). Bondy has more than 35 years’ experience working with adults and children on the spectrum, and Frost is a certified speech/language pathologist; their latest collaboration (see also A Picture’s Worth) draws on Bondy’s Pyramid Approach that emphasizes interaction and functional communication, a frequent deficit among children and adults with ASD. Particularly useful topics include verbal prompting to encourage conversation, breaking down activities into component tasks, and using reinforcing actions to reward good behavior. The authors also discuss the danger of becoming reliant on prompts and cues."
Library Journal Xpress Reviews, February 19, 2008
"Written by speech/language pathologist and the developer of the Picture Exchange Communication System, this book is an excellent resource for parents who are ready to help their child learn skills important for their family. Louisa, who parents a child with autism, wishes she had read it closer to when her son was diagnosed.
The nine chapters cover setting goals at home, motivational strategies, communication goals, creating natural opportunities for learning, teaching strategies, dealing with common errors, dealing with difficult behaviors, evaluating what you are doing, and putting it together in the neighborhood. Louisa found the chapter on evaluation the least helpful because implementation would be difficult for most parents.
The book is clearly written and easy to follow with principles well founded on research. The authors avoid jargon and carefully define terms. Suggestions are positively framed. Chapters start with a description of parents dealing with specific challenges or needs. Principles are illustrated and applied and a review ends each chapter. Principles from an earlier book by the authors (The Pyramid Approach to Education in Autism) are incorporated. The book is based on applied behavior analysis and there is an emphasis on functional communication along with other functional skills. Parents are not expected to spend all their time teaching their child but to focus on areas that will support their child's long term development and help the child be included in valued family activities.
This book is for parents when they are first considering how to help their child learn. Important skills for independent functioning and for reference when they face new challenges or strategies that are not working. Students who are just beginning to work in this area and want to understand how to support parents will find the book helpful."
-Canadian Journal Of Occupational Therapy, Volume 76, Number 3, June 2009
"Autism 24/7 is a great resource for both professionals working in the autism field and caregivers of an autistic child. In fact, it is a must read for caregivers, and all professionals should recommend it to parents.
The authors Andy Bondy, PhD, and Lori Frost, MS, CCC/SLP, come across enthusiastically in the text, showing that learning skills can be managed in the home as well as in the classroom. They make wonderful suggestions which can be readily carried out, and the text demonstrates word for word how to teach each task. The authors also show how early learning experiences lead to independence and successful adult living.
The reader is given examples and ways to use progressively learned skills, with an emphasis on common sense. The authors encourage participation in daily routine tasks at an early age to help the child both at home and in the community.
The authors support positive reinforcement and the use of natural rewards. They encourage caregivers to have a plan in place for each lesson to be taught. They also emphasize having a backup plan. The authors stress the importance of evaluating and measuring the strategies parents use and how these strategies affect the child’s growth and learning. Evaluating and reevaluating allows one to know if the skills should be changed and when to make the change.
As a professional and as a grandmother of a 5-year-old autistic child, I found the book enlightening and educational."
-ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, July 7, 2008
