This book draws on contemporary theory and recent findings to provide researchers
professionals undergraduate and graduate students with essential resources allowing them to
better understand and support children youth and adults with autism and significant
communication impairments. The book consists of 11 chapters organized into 3 sections detailing
typical and atypical prelinguistic development for individuals on the autism spectrum together
with a range of assessment and intervention approaches that clinicians and educators can draw
on in practice. The book adopts a lifespan perspective recognizing that there is an important
and particularly challenging sub-group of children on the spectrum who remain minimally verbal
beyond the age of 8 years. Each chapter summarizes current research on a selected topic
identifies key challenges faced by researchers educators and clinicians and considers the
implications for research and practice. The concluding chapter considers issues of research
translation and how educators and clinicians can encourage the use of evidence-based practices
for prelinguistic and minimally verbal individuals.
