The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education

The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education is a comprehensive guide that provides a wealth of information on topics from fostering collaboration to addressing the needs of students on the spectrum with co-occurring mental health issues. This guide edited by Rita Jordan, Jacqueline M. Roberts, and Kara Hume includes well-known and highly respected authors representing various disciplines.  The handbook will be a valuable resource for both practitioners and families.  The editors are to be commended for their work in bringing all this information together.  This is an important and relevant book for anyone interested in supporting students on the spectrum.   

The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education provides a comprehensive overview of educating individuals with autism and it includes many impressive features.  The Handbook covers a range of perspectives and social-ecological influences from broad international perspectives, socio-political systems, and cross-cultural considerations to specific characteristics of individuals, both educators and those with autism.  The Handbook emphasizes the critical roles of families and includes perspectives of parents and voices of autistic individuals.  There is clear appreciation for the uniqueness of individuals with autism across the lifespan.  The Handbook emphasizes evidence-based practice that includes various domains of functioning and covers critical transitions across the lifespan.  The team of contributors is equally impressive and includes international leaders across various educational specialties.  I am confident the Handbook will be well-received by a broad audience.

This handbook comes at a critical time in the history of schooling.  Children with autism are one of the fastest growing populations in our school system, and teaching staff are under tremendous pressure to provide adequate supports.  Readers will find a broad array of topics across the schooling age span that are research informed and can provide a road map for implementing effective school practices.  Such information is critical for both the practitioners and the individuals who train them.