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AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom: Breaking Down Barriers for Learners with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (nasen spotlight)
by Katy Leckenby Meaghan Ebbage-TaylorHave you got learners in your class who have Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCNs) who would benefit from resources to support their communication skills, such as using Aided Language/ Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)?This empowering book is designed with these questions at its heart. Written in an accessible style, by teachers for teachers, it offers guidance and support to help you to overcome barriers and successfully implement AAC. The book: Addresses myths and misconceptions, with discussion points to encourage the reader to reflect on their own practice. Shares the current evidence base around successful support strategies. Includes easy to implement, practical strategies that can be adopted in any classroom to have maximum impact and enhance learners’ communication skills. Contains a wealth of relatable, real-life examples and case studies included throughout, to bring theory to life and help you deliver effective classroom practice and support your learners with SLCN. Clearly outlines the variety of different assistive technologies available for facilitating communication. Providing readers with a range of useful tools and resources to implement Aided Language/AAC, AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom builds practitioners’ confidence and enables educators to provide a universal level of support for learners with SLCN. It is valuable reading for school leaders, SENCOs, teachers, and learning support assistants, as well as speech and language therapists supporting educators with the implementation of Aided Language/ AAC.
ASPIRE to Wellbeing and Learning for All in Secondary Settings: The Principles Underpinning Positive Education
by Sue RoffeyThis truly accessible resource shows secondary school practitioners how to help make every child and young person feel like they really matter when they are in school, so they can develop confidence, resilience, love of learning, a positive sense of self and healthy relationships. Sue Roffey shows how to create a learning environment where all pupils can thrive and make progress in learning, and where wellbeing for everyone is at the heart of every school. By using the unique evidence-based ASPIRE principles of Agency, Safety, Positivity, Inclusion, Respect and Equity in practice, this insightful book shows teachers how to redress the balance in ways that maximise a love for learning, build a positive sense of self, construct healthy relationships, foster resilience and help young people make good choices. This resource features a chapter for each principle which explores what this means, why it matters and how it can be applied across secondary schools. Although visionary, the book is based on both substantial evidence and good practice, with each chapter supported by case-studies across the world. The book demonstrates the positive difference each principle makes to children in secondary school settings as well as teachers, parents and the overall community. It is a must-read for secondary school teachers, tutors, school leaders, psychologists, parents and anyone who wants an education system that is inclusive, holistic and effective for all students.
Building Asset-Based Transitions to Postsecondary Education with Multilingual Students with Disabilities
by Audrey A. Trainor Lindsay E. Romano Lynn A. NewmanThis important volume presents the results from a five-year, mixed methods study on the transition from high school to postsecondary education for young adults who, during secondary school, received both English learner and special education services. It aims to improve our understanding of, and thus the supportive service provisions for, the dually identified student population in secondary and higher education settings. The book explores dually identified students’ complex and intersectional experiences, strengths, and needs using multiple methods of inquiry, including the examination of educational transition-focused policies and practices, a comprehensive review of research results, case studies, and comparative analysis of key stakeholder perspectives for this student population. With a focus on equitable, culturally sustaining transition research and practice, the book informs graduate students, researchers, and teacher educators about how to mitigate the effects of historical marginalization, increasing our collective understanding of intersectional experiences and how they shape young adults’ choices as they leave high school and move into young adulthood.
Cultural Narratives of Old Age in the Lives, Work, and Reception of Old Musicians
by Joseph StrausOperating largely within the world of European-American classical music, this book discusses the creative work of old musicians—composers, performers, listeners, and scholars—and how those forms of music- making are received and understood. Like everything else about old age, music-making is usually understood as a decline from a former height, a deficiency with respect to a youthful standard. Against this ageist mythology, this book argues that composing oldly, performing oldly, and listening oldly are distinctive and valuable ways of making music—a difference, not a deficit; to be celebrated, not ignored or condemned.Instead of the usual biomedical or gerontological understanding of old age, with its focus on bodily, cognitive, and sensory decline, this book follows Age Studies in seeing old age through a cultural lens, as something created and understood in culture. This book seeks to identify the ways that old musicians (composers, performers, listeners, and scholars) accept, resist, adapt, and transform the cultural scripts for the performance of old age. Musicking oldly (making music in old age) often represents an attempt to rewrite ageist cultural scripts and to find ways of flourishing musically in a largely hostile landscape.
Disability, Gender and the Trajectories of Power
by Asha HansThis book explores the gendered experience of disability. It investigates how women with disabilities fare in society focusing on the experiences of women and their interactions with family, society and medical and legal institutions.Women with disabilities face unprecedented levels of violence, oppression and marginalisation in their daily lives as well as a lack of visibility, proper care and opportunities for socio-economic development. This book examines the reasons and consequences of the stigmatisation of disabilities and neurodivergence, denial of proper care, and various forms of exclusion and violence women with disabilities face both within and outside of their homes. It brings together the perspectives of academicians and activists that try and understand the various challenges faced by women with disabilities and highlights the fight for their right to autonomy, respect, equality, and justice. Filling the gap in the existing feminist research, this revised edition seeks to influence the way in which society treats women with disabilities and will be of interest to scholars and researchers in the field of women’s rights, disability rights, rehabilitation, social policy, and the body.
Disability Hate Crime: Perspectives for Change (Routledge Studies in Crime and Society)
by David Wilkin Leah BurchBringing together perspectives from academics, practitioners, campaigners, and activists, this book explores the victimology of disability hate crime (DHC).For the first time, this book brings together recent academic thought, the stance of those working for the United Nations to further the rights of disabled people, and a helpful toolkit on how to advance the status of the disabled victim of hate crime. Campaigners, support workers, and legal scholars present a tangential approach to revealing the plight of disabled victims and their associates. The book will reveal the expertise required to understand experiences of victimisation and how to help reconstruct the lives of those affected by this type of violence. Never before has a book produced such a nuanced and multidisciplinary approach to discussing disability hate crime.This volume will be useful not only for those academically interested in how disability hate crime is perpetrated but also for scholars who wish to study how to raise awareness and lobby for change. It is essential reading for those engaged with hate studies, victimology, disability, and vulnerable communities, as well as practitioners and campaigners.
Disabling Migration Controls: Shared Learning, Solidarity, and Collective Resistance (ISSN)
by Rebecca YeoWhen people are prevented from meeting their needs, the impact is disabling, whether in the immigration system or in the wider population. Drawing on many years of research and activism, this book argues that insights from the disabled people’s movement, particularly the original Social Model of Disability, can be usefully extended to focus resistance on the disabling restrictions imposed on people subject to asylum and immigration controls.While acknowledging the pain and discomfort of many impairments and of forced displacement, the book focuses on injustices that can be changed. It does not catalogue the hostility of the ‘hostile environment’. Nor does it promote inclusive asylum restrictions. An unjust system is not transformed by including disabled people. Policies designed to deprive people of essential needs and to stoke hatred among the wider population are core elements of the rise of fascism. In this context, bringing together movements for disability and migrant justice could help build urgently needed solidarity and resistance with which to develop a society based on equity and common humanity.Quotations and images are used to convey the messages and priorities of disabled people seeking asylum, ensuring that the book is both engaging and grounded in the insights of lived experience. This book will interest people seeking to improve social justice, including scholars of disability, migration, sociology and politics.
Dyslexia in Many Languages: Insights, Interactions and Interventions
by Gavin Reid Gad Elbeheri Angela FawcettDyslexia in Many Languages thoroughly investigates the fascinating relationship between dyslexia and language systems by highlighting research and practice initiatives around the world.Focusing on how dyslexia manifests itself in non-English languages, readers of this text will enhance their understanding and appreciation for the role of language systems and the interplay they have with dyslexia, assessment and intervention. Experienced and expert contributors around the world consider how dyslexia is defined, assessed, and supported in their native country, drawing on the linguistic features of that language and how this affects monolingual, bilingual and multilingual speakers. This book also compares dyslexia in different languages and questions what are the universal lessons that we can learn from comparing dyslexia in different languages and do different languages affect its prevalence and incidence? The editors consider the implications for classroom practice, such as learning and teaching challenges, the social emotional and educational impact on the child as a learner and considers the various sides of the educational process of students with dyslexia in different languages.This volume is essential reading for teachers and psychologists who deal with a large number of students and patients coming from different language backgrounds. Researchers and educators interested in dyslexia in different languages will also find its contents useful and relevant in their learning and work contexts.
Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience: Exploring Intersectionality and Addressing Misrepresentations
by Sohyun "Soh" Meacham Su-Jeong Wee Jinhee Kim Sophia Han Wu-Ying HsiehThis essential and urgent book presents research-based understandings about Asian American early childhood, bringing to light the battle Asian Americans face against American nativism from their early years’ experiences. The first of its kind in academic literature, the book addresses the well-known issue of underrepresentation of Asian Americans in early childhood education research and practice, and in American society in general. Using the intersectionality and multiple identities perspectives, the authors explore a myriad of inaccurate cultural perceptions and misrepresentations, centering within-group differences among Asian American children and giving particular attention to disempowered groups among them. Issues related to socioeconomic status, gender, dis/abilities, linguistic backgrounds, and minority groups among Asian American populations are addressed, with implications for researchers and educators as well as context for examining the policies that cause inequities among Asian American children. This book is key reading for early childhood education researchers, professors, and graduate students to become more productively engaged in discussions and practices toward racial justice.
Embracing the Exceptions: Meeting the Needs of Neurodivergent Students of Color (Equity and Social Justice in Education Series)
by JPB GeraldNeurodivergent students of color are often overlooked, as research and teaching strategies predominantly focus on white males in the classroom. How can we help teachers reach all students to honor their full humanity, and to understand how ableism – neuronormativity in particular – and racism intersect on our bodies and brains? JPB Gerald’s fascinating book offers a blend of narrative and interviews to show what would help neurodivergent students of color feel more supported and cared for in schools, and to demonstrate how much better their lives could be when they feel that love. Each chapter covers a common trait among neurodivergent students, and concludes with takeaways and approaches for supporting our youth in the classroom. Turning from a deficit-based look to a strength-based one, JPB helps us see how NDSOC students think and learn differently, and how we can do right by them, supporting them more effectively in the classroom and beyond.
Ethical Applied Behavior Analysis Models for Individuals Impacted by Autism
by Betty Fry Williams Randy Lee Williams Stephanie Peterson Rebecca EldridgeEthical Applied Behavior Analysis Models for Individuals Impacted by Autism provides teachers, parents, and behavior analysts with a comprehensive analysis of evidence-based, behavior analytic programs for the therapeutic treatment of persons with autism, from infancy through adulthood. Chapters review the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), behavior analytic concepts and interventions, and discuss the eight different effective treatment programs, examining each approach's scientific base and value. Fully updated to reflect current research and understanding of autism, this second edition includes new chapters on evaluating high-quality behavior analytic programs, as well as explorations of programs covering the verbal behavior approach and those specially designed for adults.
Handbook of Research-Based Practices for Educating Students with Intellectual Disability
by Karrie A. Shogren LaRon A. Scott Evan E. Dean Brad LinnenkampNow in its second edition, this comprehensive handbook emphasizes research-based practices for educating students with intellectual disability across the life course, from early childhood supports through the transition to adulthood.Driven by the collaboration of accomplished, nationally recognized professionals of varied approaches, lived experience and expertise, and philosophies, the book is updated with new theory and research-based practices that have been shown to be effective through multiple methodologies, to help readers select interventions and supports based on the evidence of their effectiveness. Considering the field of intellectual disability from a transdisciplinary perspective, it integrates a greater focus on advancing equity in educational outcomes for students.This book is a professional resource and graduate level text for preservice and in-service educators, psychologists, speech/language therapists and other clinicians involved in the education of children, youth, and adults with intellectual disability.
Inclusive Environments and Access to Commercial Property
by Adrian TaggThis book presents and examines the challenges and compromises required to deliver inclusivity in the existing commercial-built environment and the socio-economic benefits that could result from successfully delivering it.To illuminate the advantages of an inclusive environment to property owners, investors and service providers, the book covers the history of disability and evolution of the legislation and examines the demographics and types of disability to question the ‘one size’ ‘blanket’ approach that currently exists to providing access. Delving further into the characteristics of the commercial property sectors and individual disability-specific requirements, experienced commercial building surveyor, Adrian Tagg, analyses the contradictions in the existing legislation to establish examples of design compromise or reasonable adjustments. He seeks to contextualise public and commercial attitudes to disability and go further to demystify the term ‘reasonable adjustment’, which is used currently as a tool of compromise in providing access. The aim is to assess disability-specific requirements for access, as well as adopt a simplistic approach to developing access solutions to the existing built environment from a consultancy and user perspective.Ultimately, this publication hopes to promote accessibility and inclusion from the perspective of surveyors, investors and landlords working in commercial property. It is not just targeted at those on undergraduate or post-graduate surveying courses, as well as those early career professionals undertaking their APC or post-graduate qualifications, but also at those owning or delivering goods, services and employment from commercial premises who want to make a difference.
Indigenous Disability Studies
by John T. WardThis book provides a comprehensive approach to the perspectives, lived experiences, and socio-cultural beliefs of Indigenous scholars regarding disabilities through a distinctions-based approach. Indigenous people demonstrate considerable knowledge in a multitude of capacities in spite of legal, monetary, social, economic, health, and political inequalities that they experience within from administrative authorities whether health, education, or governments.By including various knowledge systems related to social-cultural, traditional governance, spirituality, educational, and self-representation within a communal understanding, the knowledge brought forth will be a combination of information from within/communal and outwards/infusion by Indigenous teachers, scholars, academics, and professionals who aim to combat the negative effects of disability labels and policies that have regulated Indigenous peoples.Comprised of five sections: The power, wisdom, knowledge, and lived experiences of Elders Reframing the narrative – Navigating self-representation Learning from within – Including traditional knowledge Challenging colonial authority – Infusing regional ideals and concepts Interpretations, narratives, and lived experiences of grassroots teachers and social service providers It will be an asset to those who seek out a deeper understanding of the complexity of Indigenous people and their knowledge, including anyone who deals with predominantly non-Indigenous mindsets and barriers to education.Courses on disability studies, Indigenous studies, social work, health, education, and development studies will all benefit from this book.
An Introduction to Young Children With Delays and Disabilities: Birth Through Age Eight
by Richard M. Gargiulo Jennifer L. KilgoAn Introduction to Young Children With Delays and Disabilities: Birth Through Age Eight introduces readers to educational policies, services, and practices for future educators serving young children birth through age eight with delays and disabilities in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). Thoughtfully and comprehensively addressing the needs of young children and their families, esteemed authors Richard M. Gargiulo and Jennifer L. Kilgo offer interventions and instructional techniques that provide students with a broad understanding of important theoretical and philosophical foundations, including evidence-based decision making, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, and appropriate instruction and interventions in classroom settings and beyond. The Sixth Edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators developed by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in 2020, as well as the DEC Recommended Practices. The revised text reflects these standards and practices in crucial content around assessment processes, partnering with families, teaming and collaboration, and services in natural environments, among many other updates to provide contemporary information and resources for future educators.
An Introduction to Young Children With Delays and Disabilities: Birth Through Age Eight
by Richard M. Gargiulo Jennifer L. KilgoAn Introduction to Young Children With Delays and Disabilities: Birth Through Age Eight introduces readers to educational policies, services, and practices for future educators serving young children birth through age eight with delays and disabilities in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). Thoughtfully and comprehensively addressing the needs of young children and their families, esteemed authors Richard M. Gargiulo and Jennifer L. Kilgo offer interventions and instructional techniques that provide students with a broad understanding of important theoretical and philosophical foundations, including evidence-based decision making, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, and appropriate instruction and interventions in classroom settings and beyond. The Sixth Edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators developed by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in 2020, as well as the DEC Recommended Practices. The revised text reflects these standards and practices in crucial content around assessment processes, partnering with families, teaming and collaboration, and services in natural environments, among many other updates to provide contemporary information and resources for future educators.
Radically Excellent School Improvement: Keeping Students at the Center of It All
by Kate Anderson FoleySix Steps to Improving Outcomes for Every Student When gaps keep ambitious instruction and engaging learning experiences out of reach of every student, including students with disabilities, those learning English, and others who tend to be left out of school improvement plans, it′s time for radical excellence! Radically Excellent School Improvement presents a model for ambitious improvement and tireless focus that ensures every student grows, thrives, and achieves to their fullest potential. It provides district and school leaders with a bold blueprint for designing, implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive school improvement process for radical excellence. Inside, you′ll find: A six-step school improvement process that ensures all students have access to high-quality instruction Ways for districts and schools to ensure they meet legal and ethical standards Figures, examples, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, and appendices Written by a transformational leader with years of experience leading districts and states toward equitable, integrated, and inclusive services for all, this resource is a must-read for education leaders who aspire to create a learning environment focused on providing every student the opportunity to achieve.
Radically Excellent School Improvement: Keeping Students at the Center of It All
by Kate Anderson FoleySix Steps to Improving Outcomes for Every Student When gaps keep ambitious instruction and engaging learning experiences out of reach of every student, including students with disabilities, those learning English, and others who tend to be left out of school improvement plans, it′s time for radical excellence! Radically Excellent School Improvement presents a model for ambitious improvement and tireless focus that ensures every student grows, thrives, and achieves to their fullest potential. It provides district and school leaders with a bold blueprint for designing, implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive school improvement process for radical excellence. Inside, you′ll find: A six-step school improvement process that ensures all students have access to high-quality instruction Ways for districts and schools to ensure they meet legal and ethical standards Figures, examples, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, and appendices Written by a transformational leader with years of experience leading districts and states toward equitable, integrated, and inclusive services for all, this resource is a must-read for education leaders who aspire to create a learning environment focused on providing every student the opportunity to achieve.
The SEND Handbook for Parents and Carers: How to Navigate the SEND System and Support Your Child Through School
by Sarah AlixBeing a parent of a neurodivergent child can be challenging and exhausting. It can feel like a constant battle to be heard and to gain the support that you and your child need. This book provides an accessible overview of the SEND system and how it works, so that you can successfully untangle and navigate the system and draw upon the best resources offered.The handbook is divided into three main parts: SEND systems, policy and legislation; support for your child in school; and looking forward. Chapters: Introduce the world of SEND systems and break down key documentation and the roles and responsibilities of school staff Take you on your child’s journey through school and explore key aspects from assessment and EHCPs, to funding and gaining further support for your child Look ahead and consider important transitions through each of the school phases in your child’s journey and allows you to acknowledge some of your own fears and challenges as a parent Include a range of both practical and reflective activities to bring each area to life The voices of parents and carers are woven in throughout the book, as well as key staff who you might encounter, from occupational therapists to speech and language therapists. This comprehensive guide will be an essential tool to support your journey to get the best from your child’s school experience.
Sharing Perspectives for Educating Young Children with Disabilities: Developing Family and Professional Partnerships
by Nancy Sall Catherine Hall Rikhye Darnell Carr Newsum Samreen HodaThis important book is an exploration of the ways parents, teachers and academics view the development and schooling of young children with disabilities. It offers an in-depth examination of the common and critical issues that emerge as children and their families first enter the school system, navigate the educational landscape and learn to advocate for their rights. Each chapter of the book presents a parent’s perspective of significant issues, followed by a teacher’s perspective. From their stories, numerous themes are identified and connected to the academic literature. The experiences shared and the literature reviewed address the challenges, successes and opportunities for increased understanding that emerge as parents and educators work together toward a common goal. Sharing Perspectives for Educating Young Children with Disabilities is essential reading for all pre-service and in-service early childhood and special education professionals and parents engaging in the process of listening carefully to others with the aim of supporting the education of young children.
The Special Educator’s Guide to Behavior Management (Evidence-Based Instruction in Special Education)
by Paul Mooney Joseph B. RyanThis accessible, practitioner-focused textbook details a comprehensive classroom behavior management framework that is easy to understand and implement within a K-12 classroom. Influenced by decades of classroom teaching and special education teacher candidate preparation experiences, the book features effective evidence-based strategies designed to both prevent problem behaviors from occurring in classrooms and address challenging behaviors that presently exist or may arise.Each of the book’s four sections show readers step-by-step how to develop, implement, and evaluate a personalized behavior management plan that best meets the unique needs of their classrooms which can vary tremendously in both size and types of students served. From the first page to the last, this new text addresses the reader in a friendly, personal way in an effort to enhance accessibility and encourage them to want to understand the "what and how" of each strategy and/or process and how it relates to the overall behavioral framework laid out in section one.Ideal for both current and prospective special educators, this book supports readers in developing their own comprehensive approach to classroom behavior management that can be implemented across grade levels.
Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms
by Diane Pedrotty Bryant Brian R. Bryant Deborah D. SmithTeaching in Inclusive Classrooms uses the research-validated ADAPT framework (Ask, Determine, Analyze, Propose, Test) to help teachers determine how, when, and with whom to use proven academic and behavioral interventions to obtain the best outcomes for students with disabilities. Through clear language and practical examples, authors Diane P. Bryant, Deborah D. Smith, and Brian R. Bryant show how to create truly inclusive classrooms for students who have disabilities and who are gifted through evidence-based practices and hands-on strategies. The Third Edition includes reorganized chapters on Individualized Services and Diverse Learners, new information on the latest court cases and IDEA funds, and revised sections on disabilities. Brand new videos address a wide range of current issues in teaching, including the impacts of COVID on inclusive classrooms. With this guide, educators will be inspired and equipped to effectively teach students with disabilities in inclusive settings.
Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms
by Diane Pedrotty Bryant Brian R. Bryant Deborah D. SmithTeaching in Inclusive Classrooms uses the research-validated ADAPT framework (Ask, Determine, Analyze, Propose, Test) to help teachers determine how, when, and with whom to use proven academic and behavioral interventions to obtain the best outcomes for students with disabilities. Through clear language and practical examples, authors Diane P. Bryant, Deborah D. Smith, and Brian R. Bryant show how to create truly inclusive classrooms for students who have disabilities and who are gifted through evidence-based practices and hands-on strategies. The Third Edition includes reorganized chapters on Individualized Services and Diverse Learners, new information on the latest court cases and IDEA funds, and revised sections on disabilities. Brand new videos address a wide range of current issues in teaching, including the impacts of COVID on inclusive classrooms. With this guide, educators will be inspired and equipped to effectively teach students with disabilities in inclusive settings.
Understanding Anxiety at School: From Personal Experience to Practical Pupil Support
by Rachel ThynneAn increasing number of children face feelings of anxiety and isolation, negatively impacting their mental health and wellbeing, as well as their attainment in school. Having battled social anxiety herself, Rachel Thynne knows first-hand how hard it can be to be misunderstood and receive little help. By understanding the communicative function of behaviours and seeing the person behind their actions, staff can learn to support and nurture pupils with consistency, empathy and positivity.This book explores anxiety in children and young people, unpicking social anxiety, situational mutism, school anxiety and separation anxiety within a school context, and shining a light on the importance of relationships, effective communication and self-regulation skills. A wealth of strength-based strategies are provided that can be implemented quickly and easily by busy school staff to alleviate anxiety, build self-esteem and increase feelings of safety and belonging. The book also supports sensitive and collaborative work with caregivers to achieve the biggest impact and includes real-life examples, case-studies and reflective opportunities to bring theory to life.Little adjustments can make a huge difference and have a positive, lifelong effect on the individual but also on the other pupils. Advocating for whole school approaches to create a culture where all pupils can thrive, Understanding Anxiety at School will enable school staff, including teachers and special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), to recognise signs of anxiety and to provide support empathically and compassionately.
Understanding Autism and Autistic Functioning: A Guide for Parents, Educators and Professionals (Understanding Atypical Development)
by Laura Villa Luca CasartelliThis concise volume offers an accessible overview of recent clinical and research perspectives addressing autism and autistic functioning. By providing an innovative lens, the book benefits from two different angles: a concrete and pragmatical view of an expert clinician with three decades of practice in diagnosis and treatment of autism, and a more “speculative” and “long-term” view of a researcher who works on neural and computational architecture of (a)typical neurocognitive functioning.Trying to understand autism beyond its behavioral symptoms, the book spans from clinical descriptions (e.g., communicating diagnosis, clinical intervention, and prognosis) to recent neuroscientific evidence supporting a potential perspective-shift. The fil rouge of this volume can be summarized in three fundamental aspects that should orient any clinical practice in the context of autism (e.g., diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, etc.): we need an age-dependent, context-dependent, and functioning-dependent approach.Understanding Autism and Autistic Functioning is crucial reading for parents and caregivers, and professionals in health, education, and social care.