• AUTISM: NOW WHAT DO I DO? (35 minute video by Sabrina Freeman, Ph.D.)  Sabrina Freedman, Ph.D., author of Teach Me Language has created a video that is a must-see for parents of a child who is newly diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or for parents that are just starting an ABA treatment program for their child.

  In addition to being a sociologist and a publisher, Sabrina Freeman is the parent of a child with autism and a founder of the parent group, Families for Early Autism Treatment of British Columbia.  

  In this video Dr. Freeman takes us from the early days of wondering about diagnoses, and leads us through a step by step plan for gaining medically necessary autism treatment.  In a clear and concise way, Dr. Freeman gives parents advice and information about important issues such as: how to get a firm diagnosis, who gives the diagnosis, what kind of treatment is necessary, the importance of a good consultant, setting up a program, how to get therapists, what to pay therapists, what a good program looks like, what behavioral treatment is, important books, stress on families, and how to get funding.

  Dr. Freeman's years of experience with autism treatment and advocacy has enabled her to create a video that provides practical and essential information to parents who are just beginning this long and often confusing journey.  It is clear that Dr. Freeman believes that early and scientifically validated treatment is essential to the well being of any family that has a child with autism.

  This video was published by SKF Books Inc., info@skfbooks.com, produced by the International Documentary Television Corp., and is available through Different Roads to Leaning, www.difflearn.org, at a cost of about $20.
  
   

• AUTISM: THE CHILD WHO COULDN'T PLAY (video, 1996) provides an excellent overview of autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based treatment. The film features interviews with various prominent scientists and behavior analysts. These include Harvard Medical School neurologist Dr. Margaret Bauman, UCLA’s Marian Sigman, neuroscientist Dr. Eric Courschene, child psychiatrist Dr. Peter Szatmari, pediatrician Dr. Wendy Roberts, Patricia Krantz of the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI), and Bridget Taylor of the Alpine Learning Group. The film-makers also interview an individual with autism (Temple Grandin), and parents (including Clara Parks, author of The Siege). The video tracks the progress of various children who have received ABA programs and shows a range of outcomes. For example, we see a severely self-abusive child grow into a teenager who lives in a PCDI group home and is now able to enjoy all kinds of recreational activities and pleasurable interactions with others. There also is a "recovered" child who, having finished treatment, attends regular kindergarten without an aide. The video emphasizes the need to begin treatment early. As one of the parents says, "The critical thing is not the diagnosis, but what you do about it."

  45 minutes, produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Available as item #6497 from Films for the Humanities & Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053, (800) 257-5126. The cost, for home use, is $34.95 plus $5.95 shipping.

   

• TO FIND THE WORDS (video, 2001) originally aired on ABC's Nightline on March 9, 2001. It tells the story of two families and two young boys with autism -- each enrolled in ABA therapy. Both make progress, and one becomes indistinguishable from his peers. The video also addresses the issue of lack of services for children with autism.

  Approximately 30 minutes. Available as # N010309-01 from ABC News (800) 505-6139ext.104 or from www.ABCNewsstore.com. The cost for home use is $29.95.

   

• TEACHING VERBAL BEHAVIOR: AN INTRODUCTION TO PARENTS TEACHING LANGUAGE (video, 2001) follows the first ten months of an intensive language intervention program conducted by the parents of a young girl diagnosed with autism. By mastering specific expressive language skills and other basic skills, she gradually becomes more able to learn from less structured teaching activities. The video is narrated by Dr. James Partington. He explains how to identify which skills to teach first, and presents an analysis of effective teaching strategies.

  50 minutes. Available from Behavior Analysts, Inc. (925) 210-9378 or www.behavioranalysts.com. The cost is $49.95 plus $7 shipping.
  
   

• BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN (video, 1988) shows children who received treatment under the supervision of O.Ivar Lovaas, of the Department of Psychology at UCLA. The video covers the evolution of his treatment approach, beginning with the research conducted between 1964 and 1969 that paved the way for the development of the "Young Autism Project" treatment model. That model provided the basis for the landmark "long term outcome" research that Lovaas first published in 1987 The footage shows a number of the children after treatment, and the remarkable progress they made. (See the study Lovaas, O.I. (1987) Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 3-9.)

  45 minutes. Available from Focus International Inc., 1160 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743.
  
   

• "DOCTOR, MY CHILD DOESN'T TALK" - THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY AUTISM DIAGNOSIS (video, 1997) describes autism and its diagnosis using the CHAT (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) test. It emphasizes the need for pediatricians and other early intervention screeners to diagnose autism early, so that treatment can begin as soon as possible. The recipient of the 1997 ASA award for Media Excellence in Video, this is an especially good resource for educating pediatricians.

  25 minutes. Send a check or money order for $25 plus $3 shipping to FEAT, P.O. Box 255722, Sacramento, CA 95865-5722; note "FEAT Doctor’s Video" on the envelope.
  
   

• DISCRETE TRIAL TEACHING (video, 1999) provides a solid overview of the basic terms and teaching techniques used in intensive ABA programs. The information is presented primarily in lecture format, but includes footage of tutors implementing the techniques with children.

  Approximately 60 minutes. Available as Volume #1 in the Family Educational Series, from New York Families for Autistic Children, Inc., (718) 641-6711 or www.nyfac.org. The cost is $59.99 plus $6 shipping. Back to Top

   

• AN INTRODUCTION TO PECS: THE PICTURE EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (video, 1998) provides an overview of how to use PECS to help children acquire and improve their language skills. Using picture symbols, children learn to construct sentences and more complex communications, and to initiate communication in a social context. This method has been found helpful for some children with severe language difficulties, many of whom begin talking soon after learning how to use PECS. The video gives examples of each training phase within PECS, in school, home and community settings with a variety of communicative partners. Presenters include PECS developers Lori A. Frost, MS, CCC/SLP and Andrew S. Bondy, Ph.D. It emphasizes the importance of using PECS within an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program.

  Approximately 25 minutes. Available from Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., 226 W. Park Place, Suite 1, Newark, DE 19711 (888) 732-7462 or visit www.pecs.com. The cost is $59.00 plus $8.85 shipping.

Ordering Information: Most of these videos can be borrowed from the Special Education Resource Center (SERC) library in Middletown, CT. There is no fee, but you must first fill out a membership form. Videos must be checked out and returned in person, and are due back in 3 weeks. For more information, call the SERC library at (860) 632-1485 or visit www.ctserc.org.