Steps to Independence (Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs, Fourth Edition)

Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers. That's an important job—and this popular, highly respected guidebook makes it much easier. A trusted resource for thousands of families, this lively book gives parents of children from age 3 through young adulthood proven strategies for teaching children the life skills they'll need to live as independently as possible. Parents will start with a reader-friendly overview of the basics of teaching and then go deeper with a step-by-step guide to teaching seven different types of skills: get-ready, self-help, toilet training, play, self-care, home-care, and information gathering skills. In this fourth edition, they'll also find helpful updates and additions, such as

• an expanded section on managing behavior problems, including guidance on identifying the problems, examining behavior, initiating a behavior management program, and encouraging alternative behaviors
• a chapter on technology that reflects recent advances and shows how to benefit from using email, instant messaging, Internet communities, search engines, and software
• a chapter on strengthening partnerships with other teachers in the child's life during IEP meetings, through classroom volunteer work, and in everyday communication with them

Based on years of work with parents and laced with humor, helpful illustrations, and vignettes, this is a must-have resource for families and all professionals who work with them.