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Autism: what to do and what to avoid – Primary school– English version

Quick guide for teachers

Marco Pontis

Product: Book

Trim size in cm: 14x21cm

Pages: 152

ISBN: 9788859043928

Publication date: 01/10/2025

Suitable for: Primary 1st level (ages 6-7), Primary 2nd level (ages 8-10)


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This book is the English version of the guide “Autism – What to do and what to avoid – Primary School”, translated directly by Edizioni Erickson.

In the style of a Teacher Training notebook, the guide presents targeted and ready-to-use instructions to successfully face 15 problematic situations and behaviours typical of autism spectrum disorder. The book is structured in 15 chapters divided into three macro-areas: social interaction, communication and behaviours, interests and activities – or the typical problem behaviours of children with autism spectrum disorder of school age between 6-11.


Presentation
Introduction

Social interaction
Ch 1 Avoids making eye-contact
Ch 2 Relates to others in a strange way
Ch 3 Doesn’t share activities and interests
Ch 4 Prefers to be alone
Ch 5 Has difficulty empathising with others

Communication
Ch 6 Has communication difficulties
Ch 7 Does not follow conversation norms
Ch 8 Does not understand humour or irony
Ch 9 Repeats words and phrases

Behaviour, interests, activities
Ch 10 Does not play pretend
Ch 11 Has particular, restricted or all-absorbing interests
Ch 12 Follows rigid and repetitive rituals
Ch 13 Has difficulty dealing with change
Ch 14 Carries out stereotypical movements
Ch 15 Had difficulty separating from some objects

Bibliography



What to do and what to avoid - English versions

Quick guide for teachers

After selling more than 50.000 copies in Italy and being licensed in over 15 Countries, the two key-volumes of the What to do and what to avoid series – Autism and ADHD – are finally available in English for all English-speaking countries, for immediate publication and sales in international markets by distributors or publishers.

THE GUIDES

Both volumes are designed for primary school and serve as a practical, immediately useful tool for teachers. With a clear, straightforward and highly accessible style, the guides address two key issues in school life: Autism and ADHD.  The goal is to offer clear support, reducing uncertainty and providing effective, hands-on strategies.

BOOK STRUCTURE

Each book opens with an introductory explanation of the main topic – to support teachers that may not know much about it. Then, the following chapters describe the most frequent situations occurring in the classroom and provide concrete suggestions on how to manage them. The reason for each behaviour is initially explained in a few brief sentences (Why does he/she do this?), followed by simple and clear indications for the teacher on the attitudes to be adopted and avoided (What to do, What NOT to do).  A discussion on the topic follows (What to keep in mind) and tools and strategies are provided in How to intervene regarding some crucial educational and didactic aspects. This is further explored in the paragraphs dedicated to Structuring and collaboration guidelines are then drawn up with parents and other school workers (The educational pact).
At the beginning of each chapter, a drawing introduces the analysed behaviour.
• Explanations of the problem behaviour being consideredWhy does he/she do this? • Brief and simple indications that can be useful to the teacher as a reference point for quickly deciding What to do and reflect on What to avoid.
• A more in-depth description of the specific problem behaviour being worked on: Analysis of the problem behaviour. • The tools and educational strategies to create the intervention: How to intervene.
Each chapter closes with The expert advicereflections to further understand and enrich the teacher’s “briefcase of educational tools”.

ADVANTAGES OF THE BOOKS

To all countries where English is spoken as the first or the second main language, the books can stand as a benchmark for teachers and education professionals, coming with immediate advantages:
  • Quick guides that, in just 150 pages, allow readers to quickly learn how to handle real-life situations in everyday school life;
  • Written by experienced and recognised psychologists working with children;
  • In a clear and straightforward language, the guides help teachers, educators and parents to explore the subject and learn how to manage different situations easily and effectively;
  • No translation costs: the books are ready for publication, resulting in significant cost savings and a faster time-to-market.
  • The translation has been handled directly by a professional translator and reviewed by our competent editors, ensuring maximum accuracy and full consistency with the style of the series.

Autism - Primary school

Marco Pontis The book presents the most effective strategies for managing children with autism in the 6-11 year old age group, in primary school, offering clear, concise and concrete indications on what to do and what not to do in difficult classroom situations. Find out more!

BOOK CONTENTS

The book is structured with 15 chapters, divided into 3 macro-areas:
  1. Social interaction The child…
  • Avoids eye-contact
  • Struggles with relationships
  • Doesn’t share activities and interests
  • Prefers to be alone
  • Has difficulty putting themselves ‘in others’ shoes’
  1. Communication The child…
  • Has communication difficulties
  • Breaks the rules of conversation
  • Doesn’t understand humour or irony
  • Repeats words and phrases
  1. Behaviour, interests, activities The child…
  • Doesn’t play ‘pretend’
  • Has special, narrow or absorbing interests
  • Follows repetitive and rigid rituals
  • Struggles to cope with change
  • Makes stereotyped movements
  • Can’t part with certain objects
Leaf through some pages of volume which have been translated into English to facilitate your evaluation of the product.

THE AUTHOR

Marco Pontis Teacher of Pedagogy and special didactics for intellectual disabilities and generalized developmental disorders as well as Pedagogy and special didactics for multi-professional collaboration at the University of Bolzano.  For over fifteen year he has been working with and for people with autism spectrum disorders and other complex disabilities, constantly collaborating with family associations in the training of parents, school workers, socio-health care workers and supervising evidence-based educational interventions.

Adhd - Primary school

Donatella Arcangeli The volume supports primary school teachers who may not know much about ADHD or how to manage the most frequent situations occurring in the classroom with children aged 6 to 11. It draws a clear distinction between behaviours and attitudes to encourage, and those to avoid. Find out more!

BOOK CONTENTS

The book is divided into 15 chapters, grouped into 3 macro-sections: Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, and Inattention:
  1. Hyperactivity The child…
  • Gets up and wanders around the classroom
  • Lies down under the desk
  • Plays with the material on the desk
  • Chats and is disruptive in class
  • Is chaotic and noisy in play
  1. Impulsivity The child…
  • Doesn’t take turns
  • Interrupts and is intrusive
  • Always makes the same mistakes
  • Doesn’t avoid danger
  • Can’t be patient
  1. Inattention The child…
  • Doesn’t write down homework
  • Doesn’t complete schoolwork
  • Is easily distracted
  • Struggles to get organised
  • Loses and forgets things
Leaf through some pages of volume which have been translated into English to facilitate your evaluation of the product.

THE AUTHOR

Donatella Arcangeli is a doctor, and a child/adolescent neuropsychiatrist. In her clinic and training practice for health workers, social workers and teachers she dedicates herself to mental health in childhood, with particular attention to children with ADHD. For years she has been dealing with Teacher Training for school staff throughout the territory of the autonomous province of Bolzano, providing teachers with working tools for the management of students with special educational needs or disabilities.

 

Discover all the existing volumes of the What to do and what to avoid series available for translation. What to do and what to avoid