Reviewed by John McCarthy, Associate Professor, Ohio University, on 2/2/2018.
This is a wide spanning topic that could potentially lead to a lack of practical ideas in favor of extensive background material on individual … read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 read less
This is a wide spanning topic that could potentially lead to a lack of practical ideas in favor of extensive background material on individual considerations for different populations. This book does a good job of ensuring each chapter has a focused set of recommendations for the major issues related to serving individuals with complex disabilities. Further, each chapter is well referenced, with helpful figures, links and worksheets.
The book favors broader approaches that work for a wide number of children over distinguishing children with autism spectrum disorders having certain needs versus other children with other disabilities having other needs. There is a balance of information related to behavior and communication, although I would say there is a little more emphasis on behavioral approaches to intervention.
Accuracy rating: 4
The content is accurate and is not biased for or against any particular approach. I would note that Apple products are mentioned in one chapter exclusively and also in Chapter 2, but the products are not presented as the only workable technology solutions. The information on AAC contains strategies that are manageable by a variety of communication partners, however there is some more recent work relative to Just In Time Programming and Visual Scenes that would have been good additions. Although only a minor issue, a discussion of multimodal communication would also have been ideal.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
The principles are all good and many of the strategies are not tied to specific technologies or temporarily "popular" approaches. Unfortunately, with iOS updates happening more and more frequently (iOS 11 at the time of this review, but iOS 8 in the book), it’s challenging to keep up. It would have been nice if the chapter author (who is very knowledgeable about topic) avoided use of words like, "latest version” especially since a lot of the basics are still the same with some refinements.
Although Youtube videos are quite helpful, there are some links that no longer work (p. 43, p. 89, p. 95, p. 99). In the case of iOS accessibility, it’s not too big of a deal, you can easily find updated video examples based on the titles of the videos listed in the chapter.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is highly readable even with the different authors for each chapter. The Figures and Tables are helpful. Although there is an emphasis on practical solutions in the book the tone is clearly for more self-motivated learners or learners. Knowledge of children with disabilities is expected, but discussions could be read by any professional working within the educational system.
Consistency rating: 3
The text was consistent in terms of having different visual supports. I did find it distracting that at times figures and tables were embedded in each chapter, and in the case of Chapter 4 were all at the end. Some chapters provided more case examples than others and the differences in the use of case examples is probably the largest weakness I could find in the book.
Modularity rating: 5
The entire book is not overly long and each chapter is easily readable within a single setting. Each chapter has a "take away" strategy that would work very well in a course format. The iOS Accessibility chapter is more referential than single intervention strategy based, so it would work as either something to reference in the context of intervention with a specific individual in another chapter or as a chapter to be used in conjunction with specific assignments to customize an iOS system for individuals with a variety of disabilities.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The high degree of modularity, means that there is less of a single narrative woven throughout. One thing I will say is that each chapter quickly gets to applications quickly. Chapters do not spend extensive time on historical context or competing trends. The chapters are satisfying on reaching practical information quickly each time. I only felt chapter 6 deviated from the focus on immediately addressing implementation of the strategy.
Interface rating: 4
The use of external video links could mean a loss of one's place depending on how a user is reading the pdf. If it is embedded in a browser and the links open in the same tab, this could be problematic. I found it worked best when I opened videos in a new tab and this solved my issues. The book doesn't have internal hyperlinks and does not have a table of contents. The references did include doi's when available.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I did not note any grammatical errors. The technical quality of the writing is high while still being readable.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
The text is not actively biased against any group. Since there are only a few photos with children, it is difficult to criticize the photos for being of white participants. No chapter attempts to highlight considerations relative to diversity.
I will say that the strategies presented would work for a variety of cultural groups. Although not mentioned, the AAC strategies that inform the ModelER intervention have been shown to work with a variety of different communication partners. I think this is true for the other strategies as well.
Comments
I enjoyed this book as a resource. It can help to provide some practical ideas to speech-language pathologists or to special educators. I don't think it could be the sole resource I would use at the graduate level.
One thing I would look for as a supplement is more of a discussion of different professionals and how they can work together. Chapter 1 helps in this regard. At the risk of being overly expositional, I think a brief discussion of the roles and responsibilities of different team members (even as a glossary) would be a nice addition. The information is present in other places and could be supplemented for classroom use.
Reviewed by Abigail Allen, Assistant Professor, Clemson University, on 2/2/2018.
While the six chapters cover some important aspects of instruction for this population of students, I'd appreciate a more comprehensive view of … read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 2 read less
While the six chapters cover some important aspects of instruction for this population of students, I'd appreciate a more comprehensive view of developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. Some introductory information with definitions, prevalence rates, etc. would be helpful as well as some broader context on inclusion for students--when is inclusion appropriate, what are the goals, etc. There are some great tools and resources in the book about assessments and tools for self-determination, inclusion, ABA, AAC, FBA etc., but there's never an explicit connection or discussion about why these particular areas are important specifically for students with DD and ASD. I think students would benefit from having some discussion around how and why we make these decisions about students rather than just presenting the tools. I'm also left wondering why are there no chapters about academic interventions, when and how to target academic vs functional outcomes, how to approach writing IEP goals in various areas, etc. yet there is an entire chapter on iOS 8 Accessibility.
Accuracy rating: 5
The information presented is accurate, it's just not directly tied to students with developmental disabilities or autism.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The relevance/longevity is great. The authors included up to date tools and resources that can easily be updated over time.
Clarity rating: 3
The text itself is clear and does not overly rely on jargon. What's not always clear is why the chapter topics were chosen (see Comprehensiveness section of this review). I think a clearer presentation of the overall framework for the text would be helpful to the reader. For example, why is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) given its own chapter? Why is AAC important for students with DD and ASD? It's never actually explaned that, for example, students with autism have communication impairments, that a hallmark of autism is deficits in communication and social skills, therefore communication devices are often necessary. Same for the other chapters--why are these topics critical for these disability areas?
Additionally, the text reads as if each chapter was written for a separate purpose or publication and compiled together under a title about DD and ASD. The chapters present important and accurate information about each individual topic (e.g., applied behavior analysis), but there's no clear connection to why each particular element is key for students with these disabilities (e.g., WHY do students with DD or ASD need applied behavior analysis?). Chapters 2-6 could have been written for any other textbook on any other disability.
Consistency rating: 3
While the terms presented are consistent across the text, the writing styles, framework, and organization of each chapter are not consistent and do not blend. For example, the first chapter is very straightforward while the second chapter opens with a personal vignette from the author. It makes the text seem inconsistent overall.
Another issue is that the terms intellectual disabilites and autism spectrum disorder are never actually defined. Even though the purpose of this text appears to be about instructional planning for kids with DD and ASD, a brief statement with some introductory information about the disabilities (what are they, how do they manifest in people) would be helpful to provide some level of consistency across the text as a whole.
Modularity rating: 5
The book can easily be split up into smaller sections for reading assignments. The text is broken up with logical and understandable headings and subheadings.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2
Overall the topics are presented in an organized way, but, as stated previously, an introduction would be helpful before jumping into the first chapter. What are DD and ASD, prevalence rates, why these two disabilities are often grouped together, how they manifest, etc. Also, the justification for the chapter topics is not clear and the flow from one chapter topic to the next is not overtly logical (see Comprehensiveness and Clarity sections of this review). As stated in other sections of this review, presenting the reader with some overarching framework or organizational structure showing key information about these disabilities, why the included topics are important for these disabilities, and how the chapters are related would improve the text's organization.
Additionally, some of the chapters include great and helpful subheadings (Chapter Objectives, Defining Characteristics, Summary--all in Ch. 3 on ABA) but not all of the chapters follow this format. Each chapter is like its own paper on a specific topic and they were compiled together to make a textbook.
Interface rating: 5
The interface is fine. The graphics are great and there are helpful pictures and figures to add to the reader's understanding.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The grammar is adequate.
Cultural Relevance rating: 2
There are no explicit references or examples relating to diverse populations.
Comments
Each chapter itself presents quality information but the overall organization and flow of the book is very disjointed and confusing. There is no explicit definition of developmental disability or autism spectrum disorder and no justification for the inclusion of the chapter topics. (Why is there a chapter specifically on iOS 8 Accessibility? Why not just assistive technology or accessibility features of common devices?) There is no direct connection in any chapter (except Ch. 1) to DD and ASD--the chapters, while accurate and containing useful information, are not actually about DD or ASD. This book is essentially a collection of related topics that could be applied to students with DD and ASD.
Reviewed by Stephanie Kurtts, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, on 12/6/2016.
Comprehensive Individualized Curriculum and Instructional Design: Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Developmental Disabilities/Autism … read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 read less
Comprehensive Individualized Curriculum and Instructional Design: Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorders is a practical text that is grounded in theory and provides a wealth of examples of instructional and behavioral strategies to support students with complex and involved disabilities within a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. While targeting curriculum design and effective instruction for students with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, the extensive and comprehensive collection of strategies and approaches for student-centered services, effective communication, behavior management, and use of technology, including AAC, can be applied to a diverse group of students with learning and behavioral challenges. The text contains numerous examples of tools for observation of student behavior and performance, including data collection and progress monitoring. These sample data collection tools are able to be immediately applied to practical use in the classroom and with families and other professionals serving individuals with complex and involved disabilities. iOS8 accessibility, with numerous visuals depicting features and how to use the features as support for effective learning with mobile devices using this technology, is very beneficial as Apple products are used by many school systems.
Accuracy rating: 5
The content of the text is well-supported with current research from the field. There appears to be no errors and the extensive research and evidence-based practices throughout the text that are clearly referenced support this. There is no bias, although there is the chapter on accessibility of Apple products by an Apple Distinguished Educator.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
This text is highly relevant as the number of students identified with ASD continues to increase and educational professionals are constantly challenged to effectively meet the instructional and behavioral needs of these students in the classroom and in community settings. The arrangement of the text would certainly ensure that updates can be implemented easily. This is important, as factors such as changing legislation can impact service delivery options and accountability for this group of students.
Clarity rating: 4
The text is well-written and free of educational jargon. The reader needs to be familiar with the categories of disabilities addressed, ASD and developmental disabilities, as there is little actual description, definitions, or characteristics of these areas of disability. There is extensive description of the instructional strategies and behavioral interventions, along with data collection methods, that provide excellent examples of materials and resources for implementation.
Consistency rating: 4
The text is consistent in professional terms and conceptual framework addressing effective and inclusive instructional practices and behavioral instruction for students with complex and involved disabilities. Professional terms are defined with ample examples. Some chapters end with a "conclusion" and some chapters end with a "summary" although that doesn't detract from a review of the main ideas of the chapter.
Modularity rating: 5
In reference to the modularity of the text, the content can be assigned at different points in a course. While the chapters do complement one another (see Organization/Flow/Structure) any one of the six chapters could serve as an excellent resource for the topic addressed, such as guiding principles for comprehensive instruction for students with complex and involved disabilities and learning and behavioral challenges, AAC, applied behavioral analysis (ABA), functional interventions and assessment (FBA) and effective us of technology tools.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The content of text is structured clearly and logically. The chapters are written to complement one another. There is no table of contents at the beginning of the text and that does lead to the reader needing to scan through the entire text to find relevant information within the topics. With frequent use of the text, the reader would eventually be familiar enough with the content to know in which chapters certain information is presented, but a table of contents would help.
Interface rating: 4
While the text is free of any major interface issues, a few of the website links would not open. Another issue, while not too distracting or cumbersome, is that several charts are in the "landscape" page orientation, but sideways, so the reader must turn the computer to the side to read the charts or tables. Videos all appeared to work and provide specific information and examples to support skills and concepts addressed.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
There are no grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
The text is highly relevant to understanding the most effective research-based strategies and interventions to support students with ASD or with developmental disabilities thus is sensitive to the nature of the disability. Students with complex and involved disabilities will come from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and having a strong foundation in the most appropriate and effective strategies and interventions to serve these students will greatly assist with service delivery models.
Comments
This is a very practical text that provides many examples of how to implement and collect data on the use of evidence and research based strategies and intervention to support instruction and behavior management with students with complex and involved disabilities within an inclusive context.
Reviewed by Roger Ideishi, Associate Professor, Temple University, on 8/22/2016.
The textbook provides a good overview of instructional strategies for students with autism and special needs. The chapters provide nice overviews of … read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 read less
The textbook provides a good overview of instructional strategies for students with autism and special needs. The chapters provide nice overviews of each areas. The chapters on technology are particularly comprehensive with clear descriptions and examples of application. The chapters on behavioral strategies are adequate and not as clear as the technology chapters. Many links in the chapters were not accessible or were no longer available online. The section on UDL was particularly good. The video instruction and lecture was excellent. There are many good resources for the student to use to extend learning and generalize to a variety of settings.
Accuracy rating: 4
The content was accurate and straight forward. The references in some of the chapters could use updating with more current literature and evidence particularly the chapters on behavioral strategies. The technology chapters were up to date.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
As stated above, many links were not usable or unavailable. The references in some of the chapters could use updating with more current literature and evidence particularly the chapters on behavioral strategies. The technology chapters were up to date.
Clarity rating: 4
The chapters were clear and straight forward. At some points in the behavioral strategies, further descriptions and bullet summaries might be helpful to reinforce overall concepts. There were many sample blank templates which were good. Some of the templates had completed samples, others did not.
Consistency rating: 4
The text covers the current state of practice and instruction for students with autism with consistent language and models that a practitioner would be exposed to.
Modularity rating: 5
The chapter lengths were perfect so the textbook did not seem overwhelming. The various links (the ones that worked) were very helpful to elucidate concepts, provide examples, and extend learning to a variety of contexts.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
Each chapter was organized well with basic introduction of concepts, specific descriptions of major aspects of concepts, rationale and evidence for concepts /models, examples and resources. In addition to the concluding paragraphs, a summary using a bullet, outline format may help to reinforce particular areas for the reader.
Interface rating: 3
Some resource links were not usable or unavailable.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No significant areas noted.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The text was respectful of diversity language in both culture and ability.
Comments
Reviewed by Brittany Joseph, Adjunct Instructor, The University of Toledo, on 8/22/2016.
The comprehensiveness of this textbook addresses a variety of areas within the study of Autism Spectrum Disorders. While the book does not include … read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 3 read less
The comprehensiveness of this textbook addresses a variety of areas within the study of Autism Spectrum Disorders. While the book does not include an index or glossary, the chapters all relate to the title of the textbook.
Accuracy rating: 5
The content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Content in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders changes due to the increased prevalence of the disorder each year but the authors included relevant statistics and facts. If updates were made, it would be easy to implement those changes.
Clarity rating: 5
The textbook is clear and concise. It does include technical terminology related to Autism Spectrum Disorders and interventions utilized to support individuals but it is done so in a way that is understandable to professionals working in the field.
Consistency rating: 3
The consistency of the textbook could be improved in terms of the framework. For example, the textbook covers a wide range of specific topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorders in Curriculum and Instruction but it does not address all areas. The chapters on Applied Behavior Analysis and Augmentative Alternative Communication are well written but maybe too specific of topics to cover in a textbook related to Curriculum and Instruction. It would take extensive training to implement both Applied Behavior Analysis and Augmentative Alternative Communication, neither of which could be learned from simply reading this textbook.
Modularity rating: 5
The modularity of this textbook is good as I can assign smaller reading sections at different points within the course to my students. The chapters are of an appropriate length and provide a good overview of the content covered.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The topics are addressed in a logical, clear manner. The content flows well and is organized for the reader. The benefit of the textbook is the accessibility for readers to complete their reading on a variety of devices and using screen reader technology.
Interface rating: 5
The interface of the textbook is appropriate and there are no issues with navigation, distortion of images or charts. Everything within the book appears clearly and without distraction.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The textbook contains no grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It describes individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other disabilities in an appropriate way.
Comments
This book will be an appropriate textbook to assign in small chapters for my students to read in an online Understanding Autism course at The University of Toledo.
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