Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Assessment, Curricula, and Intervention

This handbook identifies the various social deficiencies widely associated with children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It discusses possible causes as well as the lifelong effects if these deficiencies are not addressed. The handbook presents current behavioral and curriculum-based methods for assessing social deficits. Chapters examine the various interventions that have been used to improve social skills and behavior, including video modeling, peer-mediated interventions, and script fading. Chapters also assess various interventions using empirically based procedures, evaluate the research of each of these procedures, provide guidelines for treatment planning, and offer clinical recommendations. The handbook concludes with future directions for the development of both social behavior and clinical social skills interventions.

Topics featured in the Handbook include:

• Impairments in social behavior that may result in negative outcomes such as depression, loneliness, and suicide in individuals with ASD.
• Bullying among youth with ASD.
• Behavioral skills training to promote social behavior of individuals with ASD.
  
• The Early Start Denver Model approach to helping young children with ASD.
• The implementation of social skills groups for individuals diagnosed with ASD.

The Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, behavioral therapy, and social work, as well as such interrelated disciplines as child and adolescent psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine/therapy, pediatrics, and special education/educational psychology.

Justin B. Leaf, Ph.D., BCBA-D., is the Director of Research and Training for the Autism Partnership Foundation (APF) and for the Center for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis(TM) (CABA). Dr. Leaf is also an Adjunct Professor at Endicott College. Dr. Leaf received his doctorate degree in Behavioral Psychology from the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. He worked under the mentorship of Drs. James Sherman and Jan Sheldon. Currently, he leads the research team at APF, which conducts research projects nationally and internationally. His research interests include examining methods to improve social behaviors and, more importantly, develop meaningful friendships for children and adolescents diagnosed with autism, comparing different teaching methodologies, evaluating parameters of reinforcement, and evaluating long-term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism. Dr. Leaf has over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals or book chapters and has presented at national and international professional conferences and invited events. He is an Associate Editor for the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and serves or has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disorders, and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.