Autism is in the public spotlight now more than ever as new research and information appears almost daily. Although in many ways this is a positive development it also presents challenges to families and practitioners who want to keep up with the latest developments and are left to sift through new information by themselves to see what is credible and relevant for them.Each of us needs a personal research assistant who can determine which information we need to pay attention to and let us know how it might affect our daily work and the children we are living with or serve. Since we each don’t have our own research assistants on staff, I am delighted to recommend this wonderful book by Fred Volkmar and Lisa Wiesner. Both of these talented professional leaders have combined their scientific skills and understanding of the field with great practical experience and ideas about how research can be translated into clinical practice. The result is a book that provides the best and most comprehensive information about recent scientific developments and a splendid practical guide for how they are being implemented and what we are learning in the process. The issues are presented in all of their complexity but translated into language that is clear, direct, and easy to follow. The format also lends itself to understanding the complex issues and their implications through excellent charts, question and answer sections, and chapters that vary from describing diagnostic issues to stating very specifically how to expand and evaluate the services one is receiving. The comprehensive references and lists of additional resources also add greatly to the overall package. As a professional dedicated to understanding scientific advances and helping families and teachers to utilize them most effectively, I am very pleased to have an ally like this book available. I am very grateful to the authors for providing a very credible, practical, and relevant addition to our field to help the many advocates and family practitioners to better understand the exciting new developments and how they can be implemented in our day to day work. Those taking the time to read through this superb volume will find it time well spent that pays back dividends in many different ways. —FOREWORD by Gary B. Mesibov, Ph.D., Professor and Director of TEACCH, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs. Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offers practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments. This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy. With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid. Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countries Offers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environments Self-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learning Comprehensive yet nontechnical

This guide contains 6 Core and 12 World-Class processes each of which is described in chapters that provide a logical view of the element itself and why it is important to the organization, along with a flexible process model that can be adapted to most businesses and how the process works in practice—plus proven and practical models and Tips for Success from high-performing organizations on implementing the process. The technical content takes a mid-level view to be useful to a broader group of readers and is complemented by other relevant chapters, including: •A Brief History of IT Service Management •Understanding ITIL, COBIT, and ISO •The Consumerization of IT •Making Sense of Cloud and On-Premise •Enterprise Service Management •A Culture of Excellence •An Approach to Leverage Technology •The Exploration of Service Automation The Practical Guide to World-Class IT Service Management also examines the future of IT service management and where this exciting journey is likely to lead.

Designing experiences for humans requires balancing many needs, including business, behavior, technology, and aesthetics. The Practical Guide to Experience Design focuses on the entire process of design, from research and discovery to actual production and choreography of an experience. Design and strategy consultant Shannon E. Thomas leads the reader through the process in four phases: discovering, defining, refining, and building. Each chapter covers a single methodology, providing insight via detailed descriptions, step-by-step guidance, and high-fidelity examples. The book can either be read front to back or by following along with one of the sample designs. With an emphasis on empowering the reader to find the most appropriate method based on context and desired outcome, goal-oriented descriptions help readers understand the big picture of how design processes work together and inform each other. Whether you're well versed in the field of experience design or just getting started, this book will support you in your practice as you make decisions, influence stakeholders, and bring experiences to life.

Teaches book repair and cleaning techniques, and discusses chemical treatments and archive preservation.

Presents the mythical world of dragons, describing their anatomy, language, rules of combat, life span, society, and the characteristics of the different types of dragons.

The advantages of primary pupils developing and adopting a growth mindset (a phrase first coined by Carol Dweck) have been widely discussed in education establishments and many teachers are aware of its benefits. A practical implementation of growth mindset theories is to understand which learning behaviours are the most effective; resilience, self-motivation and determination are key learning behaviours that, when developed well in a child, will support a lifetime of learning. Primary children who are independent learners and who want to improve their own learning will naturally make better progress. But independent learning has to be modelled, encouraged and resources need to be put in place to promote it. Nikki Willis presents a tried-and-tested framework that is easily transferable on how to develop growth mindset in the primary classroom, while ensuring that independent learners are developed with healthy learning attitudes. Growth Mindset: A Practical Guide is an invaluable guide filled with effective suggestions on how to create a growth mindset culture over time which will enhance the work already being done in primary schools. In doing so, a growth mindset culture will mean that primary learners will be eager to learn and want to achieve for themselves.