The clear instructions and logical directives in "Activity Schedules for Children with Autism" place it on my 'highly recommended' list. While not a book I would recommend for a parent whose child has been newly diagnosed, I certainly recommend it to those parents with other therapeutic programs already in place. The activity schedules are very easily integrated into existing therapies and school environments, greatly boosting their success. I've also implimented an advanced version of activity schedules, verbally explained, with my five-year-old typical daughter - as a result the morning 'dilly-dallies' and afternoon 'hum-drums' have all but disappeared.
I would recommend that existing image programs be used whenever possible, only to cut down on the time it takes to prepare the schedules. I use Flash! Pro2, which can be found online, though there are many other graphic programs that could be used as well. (As a webmaster I've found that many of the 'web-ready' image collections contained pictures that were appropriate for this program as well as ABA and DTT programs.)
All-in-all, excellent book, flexible program, expertly explained.
An activity schedule is a set of pictures or words that cues a child to follow a sequence of activities. When activity schedules are mastered, children are more self-directed and purposeful in their home, school, and leisure activities-doing puzzles, interacting with classmates, and preparing food with minimal assistance from adults. In Activity Schedules for Children with Autism, parents and professionals find detailed instructions and examples to help them: assess a child's readiness to use activity schedules; prepare an activity schedule; understand graduated guidance; monitor progress; expand social skills; and progress to written schedules.
Based on a decade of research conducted at the Princeton Child Development Institute, Activity Schedules for Children with Autism offers a proven teaching tool to help children with autism make effective use of unstructured time, handle changes in routine with more ease, and choose among an established set of activities independently. It can be used successfully with young children, adolescents, and adults, rewarding them with more control over their lives.