Soma has dedicated her life to teaching her revolutionary Rapid Prompting Method to hundreds of autistic children and adults throughout the world. Somas work proves what many parents have suspected: that students with autism are capable of learning at academic levels previously thought unattainable. The power of an academic education improves the lives of all people, and the Rapid Prompting Method is the key to providing the gift of education and communication to students with autism. This groundbreaking book describes Somas innovative technique, and for the first time in print, offers parents and educators a step-by-step guide to implementing this life-changing teaching methodology.

This book is a step-by-step guide towards developing communication using RPM. Communication is an essential part of life and individuals with autism should not be left behind despite that their stimulations and motor skills may not respond in the same way as "typical "individuals. Success comes with practice and utilizing the steps of communication in this book will help teachers, students and parents. Using Soma's methods my son, Christopher, has not only been able to show how academically intelligent he is but he can now communicate his deeper thoughts and feelings in a way which means that others believe they are HIS words. -Sue Finnes-Mum to Christopher aged 14, Sutton Coldfield, United Kingdom. Our son Lenny was nearly 40 when he met Soma. He has a great deal of trouble initiating language. For the first time, he was able to ask a question and also reveal to us how much he understood about his own life as well as the world around him. -Isabel and Larry Schwartz

Autism can isolate a person due to their sensory challenges. This book was written to help the autistic person adapt better to the environment using the sensory learning channels- vision, auditory and tactile which are the doors to the sensory world. The kinesthetic channel is the output of how our sensory channels assess the environment. Through RPM we know there is a difference between the cognitive learning and the sensory learning. Cognitively one may know what pain is but his hypo tactile sensitivity may not let one recognize a cavity in a tooth. The exercises in this book have been tried with different students before writing. Our goal is to better the lives of Autistic people using RPM. We know that our autistic children have many sensory challenges. As parents most importantly we want to know what we can DO to help. This book is packed with 'HOW TO's' - practical exercises which can be done for 5-10 mins a day at home. I feel that this book can help people even if they do not have a prior knowledge of Soma RPM. I loved that I was reading it and thinking about my son, I had so many "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" moments - for me the sign of a great resource book that will be read and re-read many times. --Sue Finnes, Parent As an occupational therapist I have found sensory based learning to be an integral part of my practice. This is especially important for persons who present with difficulties with sensory processing including challenges taking in, interpreting and responding to sensory inputs from their environments. In order to maximize learning and motor skill development, it is beneficial to teach by incorporating the student's stronger sensory channels while continuing to facilitate development of weaker channels. It is also important to utilize these channels to help students maintain a regulated state in order to promote active engagement in a multitude of tasks and experiences across environments. Teaching via Rapid Prompting Method provides the sensory supports needed to help maximize each students ability to learn, both academic content and functional skills. Utilizing this sensory rich method of teaching has helped many of my students develop the skills they need to lead more meaningful lives. --Amy Brennan, M.S., OTR/L, BCP

Curriculum Guide For Autism Using Rapid Prompting Method is for all ages to help individuals with autism and similar disorders. It is aimed towards providing a guideline for teachers who are pursuing their goals to educate their students. With guidance from Soma and her detailed lesson plans, we have been able to teach our son and ensure that he is receiving an appropriate education. Now our child truely soars! April Garsson, Parent The teacher works with the childs sensory system not against it. The art of modifying the delivery to the student was given to us in Somas first book Understanding Autism through Rapid Prompting Method . Now Soma has given us the curriculum guide which is certain to make teaching more efficient and adaptable to all learners on the spectrum. Terri Schuldt, Occupational Therapist Everyone is stunned when they view the videos of our 19 year old sons sessions with Soma as he answers questions covering subjects such as math, science, history and other topics. The benefits of RPM should be known worldwide. Sara Rugeley, Parent

Ten autistic self-advocates share their experiences with alternative forms of communication such as rapid prompting method (RPM) and facilitated communication (FC), both highly controversial. Their narratives document the complexities that autistic individuals navigate--in both educational and community settings--when choosing to use approaches that utilize letter boards and keyboards. While the controversies remain--RPM requires further scientific study, and FC is subject to criticism about confirmation bias--these individuals share powerful stories in the context of aiming for disability rights. The book concludes with a chapter about best practices for educators, particularly for schools and colleges that have students who use these communication methods.

“One of the most remarkable books I’ve ever read. It’s truly moving, eye-opening, incredibly vivid.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The Wall Street Journal • Bloomberg Business • Bookish FINALIST FOR THE BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE FIRST BOOK AWARD • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could get inside the head of their autistic loved one at last have a way to break through to the curious, subtle, and complex life within. Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly construct words, sentences, and thoughts that he is unable to speak out loud, Naoki answers even the most delicate questions that people want to know. Questions such as: “Why do people with autism talk so loudly and weirdly?” “Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?” “Why don’t you make eye contact when you’re talking?” and “What’s the reason you jump?” (Naoki’s answer: “When I’m jumping, it’s as if my feelings are going upward to the sky.”) With disarming honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique point of view on not only autism but life itself. His insights—into the mystery of words, the wonders of laughter, and the elusiveness of memory—are so startling, so strange, and so powerful that you will never look at the world the same way again. In his introduction, bestselling novelist David Mitchell writes that Naoki’s words allowed him to feel, for the first time, as if his own autistic child was explaining what was happening in his mind. “It is no exaggeration to say that The Reason I Jump allowed me to round a corner in our relationship.” This translation was a labor of love by David and his wife, KA Yoshida, so they’d be able to share that feeling with friends, the wider autism community, and beyond. Naoki’s book, in its beauty, truthfulness, and simplicity, is a gift to be shared. Praise for The Reason I Jump “This is an intimate book, one that brings readers right into an autistic mind.”—Chicago Tribune (Editor’s Choice) “Amazing times a million.”—Whoopi Goldberg, People “The Reason I Jump is a Rosetta stone. . . . This book takes about ninety minutes to read, and it will stretch your vision of what it is to be human.”—Andrew Solomon, The Times (U.K.) “Extraordinary, moving, and jeweled with epiphanies.”—The Boston Globe “Small but profound . . . [Higashida’s] startling, moving insights offer a rare look inside the autistic mind.”—Parade

She looked into my eyes and blinked hers slowly and deliberately, like a stroke victim, to show me that although she couldn't speak, she understood what I was saying to her. I stroked her hair softly. 'I know you're in there, honey,' I told her. 'We'll get you out.'" Despite the horror of seeing fifteen-month-old Elizabeth slip away into autism, her mother knew that her bright little girl was still in there. When Elizabeth eventually learned to communicate, first by using a letterboard and later by typing, the poetry she wrote became proof of a glorious, life-affirming victory for this young girl and her family. I Am in Here is the spiritual journey of a mother and daughter who refuse to give up hope, who celebrate their victories, and who keep trying to move forward despite the obstacles. Although she cannot speak, Elizabeth writes poetry that shines a light on the inner world of autism and the world around us. That poetry and her mother's stirring storytelling combine in this inspirational book to proclaim that there is always a reason to take the next step forward--with hope.