More Than Words: Helping Parents Promote Communication and Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Fern Sussman

More Than Words presents a step-by-step guide for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in an extensive, practical, and user-friendly format. Strategies are drawn from current research to help children develop more advanced communication skills, focusing on helping the child reach the following four goals: 1) improved two-way interaction, 2) more mature and conventional ways of communication, 3) better skills in communicating for social purposes and finally, 4) improved understanding of language. Wonderfully illustrated and with chapters divided into four color-coded stages of communication, this book was developed for The Hanen Program For Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Highlights Of More Than Words:
- How your child communicates and the next steps to take
- How your child learns best
- What motivates your child to communicate
- How to turn everyday activities into opportunities for learning to communicate
- How to use pictures and print to help your child's understanding
- How to talk so your child can understand you
- How to develop your child's play skills
- Why your child behaves in certain ways and what you can do about these behaviours
- How to help your child make friends

Fern Sussman, BA, DSPA, resides in Toronto, Ontario where she is program co-ordinator for More Than Words, The Hanen Program for Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has more than 25 years experience working with families of young children who have communication challenges as well as the children themselves. Ms. Sussman developed the More Than Words Program for the Hanen Centre. The program teaches parents how to structure everyday activities, such as getting dressed or playing with toys, to help their child learn to communicate.

In addition to being the author of the parent guidebook, More Than Words, based on the content of the program, Ms. Sussman and wrote and directed an accompanying teaching videotape. Fern Sussman speaks on the Hanen approach to helping children with autism communicate and conducts training programs for Speech Language Pathologists and other professionals all over the world. Currently she is developing a new program and guidebook on social skills for families with young verbal children with autism.