Helpful Links

Below are helpful resources on subjects related to early development, autism spectrum disorder, and challenging behaviors.

Read more about Early Signs of Autism.

IN THE NEWS:

Local Palm Beach news station interviews a family who has completed Early Start Denver Model parent coaching.

WEBINARS:

Autism and Early Development
This webinar by Melissa K. Burkhardt, M.S. Ed.,BCBA, will help both caregivers and professionals gain useful knowledge about the effects of autism during early development, and strategies that can be used immediately to incorporate learning into your everyday routines and interactions with your child.

Behavior Basics: The Power of Positive Reinforcement
This webinar by Melissa K. Burkhardt, M.S. Ed.,BCBA, will help you to add another effective tool to your behavior tool chest by learning about the power of positive reinforcement. This video will equip parents, teachers and therapists with strategies that can be implemented right away to increase a child’s desirable behaviors and replace and decrease challenging behaviors.

The Power of Parent Facilitated Play
This webinar by Melissa K Burkhardt, M.S.Ed., BCBA will help parents learn strategies to better connect with their child with autism through play, therefore increasing their child’s language, joint attention, imitation and flexibility in play.

BOOKS:

An Early Start for your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn by Sally J. Rogers, Ph.D., Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., and Laurie A. Vismara, Ph.D. – This book is based on the evidence-based, breakthrough program Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). It is written specifically for parents and has numerous, easy-to-implement, practical strategies that can be used daily to promote a child’s crucial developmental skills.

WEBSITES:

https://autismnavigator.com/ – Autism Navigator is a unique collection of web-based tools and courses that uses extensive video footage of children showing early signs of autism to educate parents and practitioners to bridge the gap between science and community.

https://autismnavigator.com/about-autism-in-toddlers/ – For families, professionals, or anyone interested in learning about autism spectrum. Video clips of over a dozen toddlers with ASD at 18-24 months of age.

http://www.autismprthelp.com/about-prt.php – This website has information about Pivotal Response Treatment® (PRT) is a highly acclaimed research-based intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). PRT® is a naturalistic intervention model derived from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

https://www.autism-society.org/ – Autism Society of America is a grassroots organization that provides current information regarding treatment, education, research, and advocacy. A helpful resource locater is available by state.

https://www.autismspeaks.org/ – This website offers information on early detection of autism spectrum disorder and free, informational  toolkits for parents and teachers. The Autism Response Team can be reached at 888-288-4762, or en Español 888-772-9050.

https://babynavigator.com – This website has social communication growth charts for parents to track their child’s social communication growth. A parent can screen their child if there are concerns about a child’s development.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/ – This section of the CDC website lists developmental milestones for children.

http://www.consciousdiscipline.com – This website has resources to support parents and professionals in teaching children emotional and self-regulation skills.

https://ebip.vkcsites.org/ – This website has evidence-based resources related to teaching children with developmental delays, and challenging behaviors.

https://www.exceptionallygoodfriends.com/ – This website has information about the award-winning book authored by Melissa K Burkhardt, M.S. Ed., BCBA

https://www.fau.edu/education/centersandprograms/card/aboutcard/ – FAU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)  is a community-based program providing assistance and supports to people with autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities, their families, the professionals serving them, employers and the community

https://www.hanen.org – This website has articles and resources for parents and professionals to help support children with language delays

https://www.hatchearlylearning.com/view-webinar/autism-in-early-childhood-evidence-based-practices-for-an-inclusive-classroom – Webinar about best practices for including children with autism in early childhood classrooms by Melissa K Burkhardt, M.S. Ed., BCBA

http://helpisinyourhands.org –This website has training modules for parents to learn how to implement Early Start Denver Model strategies to help their child learn through everyday interactions.

http://interactingwithautism.com/section/treating/esdmod – Videos showing ESDM therapy and detailed information about the Early Start Denver Model.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4951085/ – Randomized Control Trial of an Intervention for Toddlers  with Autism: the Early Start Denver Model

http://www.unicornchildrensfoundation.org – Unicorn Children’s Foundation is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to education, leadership, and funding of innovative programs that ensure the success and inclusion of neurodiverse individuals.

http://www.unicornchildrensfoundation.org/esdm – Early Start Autism has partnered with Unicorn Children’s Foundation to offer an ESDM Parent Coaching Scholarship. One can access the application for the scholarship here.