References

Autism Research Institute. 4 September 2004. ARI. 4 October 2004
        http://www.autism.com/ari/.

The Autism Research Institute (ARI) conducts research, and distributes the results of research, on the causes of autism and on methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating autism and other severe behavioral disorders of childhood. ARI might provide good examples of some statistics that can be collected concerning autistic children.

Bondy, Andy PhD. A Picture's Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies
        in Autism. Woodbine House. 2001.

This book lays out the PECS system which is a picture based communication system that is commonly used with autistic children that are either non-verbal or unable to read. This could prove to be very useful if we decide to implement the functionality for the parent to print off a pictorial copy of the schedule for the child.

The Floortime Foundation. http://floortime.org. Last updated: 16 September 2004.

The Floortime Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing awareness and provide information about the DIR / Floortime treatment model. The website includes links to general information, support groups, recommended books, and other useful resources for parents. Of particular interest are three narratives written by parents describing their success using DIR / Floortime.

For Parents, By Parents: A Resource Guide. The Parent Network and ICDL. 2003.

This resource guide, published by the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders, is designed to introduce parents to the wide variety of tools they can use to help treat their child. The last chapter, entitled “Home Program Guide”, provides basic tips from parents, such as suggested toys and techniques, and other simple tips.

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann. “Is One Style of Early Behavioral Treatment for
        Autism‘Scientifically Proven?”
        http://floortime.org/downloads/behavioral_treatment_autism.pdf 4 October 2004.

This article discusses the possibility that they may be other ways to treat autism, stating that were flaws in earlier experiments. The paper evaluates the methods used by Lovaas whose research led to the widespread adoption of the Applied Behavioral Approach (ABA) for autism treatment. The ABA is still the most popular treatment method, while awareness of the Floortime method is growing.

Greenspan, Jacob; Greenspan, Stanley I. M.D. “Functional Emotional Development
        Questionare (FEDQ) For Childhood: A Preliminary Report on the Questions and their
        Clinical Meaning.” The Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders. 6 (2002):
        71-116.

This article presents questions that may be used to profile a child’s functional emotional development. It discusses the development of the FEDQ and several case illustrations to show how useful and comparative the questionnaire is to clinical ratings.

Greenspan, Stanley I. MD; Wieder, Serena PhD. The Child with Special Needs:
        Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth. Addison Wesley Publishing
        Company. 1998.

Dr. Greenspan is the creator of the Floor Time treatment for autistic children. In his book he lays out the Floor Time system and shows how it is different and revolutionary. Also discussed in the book are basic principals for working with autistic children. This book will be a useful reference for us on the Floor Time system and the basic principals for working with autistic children should be taken into consideration in our design process.

Gutstein, Steven E Ph.D. Autism/Aspergers: Solving the Relationship Puzzle. Arlington:
        Future Horizons, 2000.

This book details an intervention program (Relationship Development Intervention) created by psychologist and autism specialist Steve Gutstein. The book discusses the social development pathway of the non-disabled child and contrasts this with children on the autism spectrum. In addition, the book describes ways to steer children with autism onto a new path of self discovery and social awareness.

Helping Delayed Kids. http://www.helpingdelayedkids.com/. 16 September 2004.

This website provides links to general information about the Floortime approach, and includes general tips and a getting started guide. In addition to these, the author provides personal excerpts from Floortime sessions with their son, and suggests enlisting the help of a young (~12 year old) babysitter / playmate. Also, the author suggests audio taping sessions at least once a week.

Kumin, Libby. Early Communication Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide
        for Parents and Professionals. Woodbine House. 2003.

Although the book focuses on children with downs syndrome it gives an overview of the developmental norms and treatment techniques that can be used with any developmentally delayed child. The developmental norms would be an important piece of information for parents to have and could be included. It would help parents to judge the child’s progress.

Lovendhal, Crisler. “Building Play Partnerships: Embracing the Greenspan Floortime Model.”
        http://www.polyxo.com/floortime/buildingplaypartnerships.html.

This article is a synopsis of Stanley Greenspan's book on the DIR approach, The Child With Special Needs. The article is intended to summarize the key concepts from Greenspan's 438 page book in order to function as a quick reference for parents and prospective play partners.

Ozonoff, Sally PhD., and Geraldine Dawson PhD., and James McPartland. A Parent's Guide
        to Aspergers Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism: How to Meet the Challenges
        and Help Your Child Thrive. New York: The Guilford Press, 2002.

This book offers descriptions of many case studies of affected autistic children and their families. It not only focuses on early intervention and basic skills, but it offers help for older children and adults as well.

Paul, Rhea. Language Disorders from Infancy to Adolescence: Assessment and
        Intervention. Mosby. 2001.

This book discusses basic information about autism as well as giving an overview of many of the different treatment methods that are currently used. This give us an excellent collection of background information to take into consideration and might allow us to develop our product to work for a variety of treatment methods.

Solomon, Richard MD., et al. “Evaluation of a Parent Training Program for Young Children
        with Autism: The PLAY Project Home Consultation Program.”
        http://floortime.org/downloads/community_based_model.pdf. 4 October 2004.

This article evaluates the PLAY program. PLAY is a 8 month – 1year program that trains parents with autistic children using the DIR model developed by Stanley Greenspan MD. It also discusses the results of the experiment with the program ending with an overall 90%.