The title is an effective, manualized parent education programme'

- Educational Book Review

This ground-breaking training programme has been developed in response to a real need for evidence-based early interventions for very young autistic children.

Authoritative and extensively tried and tested, it will help both parents and carers to understand the disorder and how it affects child development. Ultimately, the programme is designed to reduce the severity of emotional/behavioural difficulties by managing a child's particular problems and encouraging effective collaboration between professionals and parents.

The programme is delivered through two accessible manuals - one for parents and one for clinicians - which provide all the information and materials you need.

The Manual for Clinicians explains the purpose and content of each session and includes notes for discussion and teaching, a checklist of `things to do', and photocopiable task sheets for distribution and discussion.

The Manual for Parents features tasks, exercises and discussion points for group sessions, and complements these training materials with engaging personal accounts, an introduction to the history of autism, information about approaches to treatment, and a list of useful websites and further reading.

Structured as a series of individual and small group sessions, the programme is designed to run for 20 weeks and covers key areas such as understanding and managing difficult behaviour; changing/encouraging new behaviours; communication problems in verbal and non-verbal children; social problems; and how to work and play together.

Together, these manuals will provide you with all the information, support and resources you need to run this programme successfully.