Cutting-edge research reveals that parents can play a huge role in helping toddlers and preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) connect with others and live up to their potential. This encouraging guide from the developers of a groundbreaking early intervention program provides doable, practical strategies you can use every day.

Sally J. Rogers, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry at the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis. She is a pioneering autism researcher known for her work on early intervention for preschoolers, imitation deficits, family interventions, and autism in infancy. With Geraldine Dawson and colleagues, Dr. Rogers developed the Early Start Denver Model, the treatment approach that is the basis for this book.

Geraldine Dawson, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development at Duke University. She served as Founding Director of the University of Washington Autism Center. An internationally recognized autism expert with a focus on early detection, intervention, and brain plasticity in autism, Dr. Dawson is a passionate advocate for families. She is coauthor of An Early Start for Your Child with Autism and A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. Laurie A. Vismara, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, has spent her research career working closely with families with autism and contributing to the science and program development of the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). She is coauthor of An Early Start for Your Child with Autism (for parents) and Coaching Parents of Young Children with Autism (for professionals). Dr. Vismara uses telehealth platforms and travels throughout the United States and internationally to help families, publicly funded programs, and universities develop ESDM in their communities.

Introduction I. Getting Started 1. Setting Up Your Child's Early Intervention Program 2. Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family 3. How Your Early Efforts Can Help Your Child Engage with Others and Boost Your Child's Learning II. Everyday Strategies to Help Your Child Engage, Communicate, and Learn 4. Step into the Spotlight: Capturing Your Child's Attention 5. Find the Smile!: Having Fun with Sensory Social Routines 6. It Takes Two to Tango: Building Back-and-Forth Interactions 7. Talking Bodies: The Importance of Nonverbal Communication 8. "Do What I Do!": Helping Your Child Learn by Imitating 9. Let's Get Technical: How Children Learn 10. The Joint Attention Triangle: Sharing Interests with Others 11. It's Playtime! 12. Let's Pretend! 13. Moving into Speech 14. Putting It All Together Appendix. Toys and Books for Your Young Child with Autism Resources