Customer Reviews

The Miller Method: Developing the Capacities of Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Arnold Miller and Kristina Chretien have written a book that is extremely useful for educating individuals with autism spectrum disorders in home and school settings. This informative and practical guide to the Miller Method presents an entirely new and dynamic perspective on advancing the body organization, social, and communicative skills of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Working on the premise that children with ASDs learn more effectively when their whole bodies are involved, The Miller Method covers major issues such as communication skills and social play, as well as day-to-day behavioral issues including tantrums, aggression and toilet training. Part of Miller's method includes guiding the child on to The Elevated Square, a device that gets the child off the floor and markedly diminishes toe-walking, hand flapping and aimless wandering. By creating a highly defined reality that requires the child's rapt attention to traverse it, the Elevated Square helps counter some of the significant challenges these children confront. Another feature of the method entails the carefully gauged disruption of everyday routines. This may include deliberately "messing up" the classroom so that the children experience putting it together and learning that they can cope with disorder and change.

As a special educator for over twenty years in the public school system, i would highly recommend this practical resource as essential reading for parents and professionals living and working with children who have autism spectrum disorders.

Working with the characteristics of autism rather than against, Dr. Miller's groundbreaking book explains how children with autism perceive their world and is chock full of easy to implement interventions addressing their challenges.

As a professor of special education at Adelphi University focusing on educating children with autism and being on the autism spectrum this book has my highest recommendation for anyone seeking to learn more about helping children with autism.