News and Knowledge

Two people with longstanding ties to OAR and well known on their own as experts on educating students with autism have co-authored a new book aimed to help school administrators foster a positive learning environment for students with HF-ASD. Diane Adreon, Ed.D., associate director of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) and OAR guide contributor, and Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D., a consultant at Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, president of AAPC Publishing, and a member of OAR’s Scientific Council, recently published “Special Considerations for Students with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Guide for School Administrators.”  Both women were part of the team that produced OAR’s “Life Journey Through Autism: An Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome” in 2005.

Drs. Adreon and Myles realize the key role that school administrators play in creating a mindset within their school district as to how school personnel approach various challenges they may encounter when working with students and families. The new book explores how, in many instances, a school administrator can provide certain accommodations for students with disabilities, as well as guide decisions regarding how teachers address behavioral challenges. It offers useful and practical suggestions and strategies that can:

• Increase achievement, engagement, positive behavior, and social skills for high-functioning students on the spectrum (HF-ASD)
• Help reduce educator stress and frustration
• Increase positive interactions between families and school personnel so that the school day is more successful for all parties

As Dr. Adreon notes, the book was written to provide evidence-based strategies and useful resources for common concerns. “School personnel and parents frequently seek information regarding common school issues such as effective discipline practices and how to address bullying, as well as the challenges in determining whether a students’ behavior is a manifestation of his/her disability.”