Developing Communication for Autism Using Rapid Prompting Method: Guide for Effective Language

Soma is truly amazing! This is a must read for anyone who has a child with non-verbal autism or anyone (Educators) who works with children with autism. Soma's technique is revolutionary and the letter board has worked with our son who has non-verbal autism. Our son is 8 years old and has been seeing Soma for 2 years now. Soma has unlocked his knowledge with the letter board and has given our son a voice! He is using the letter board with me at home and is starting to use it at school with his teachers. Her 3rd book helped me with my technique and educating my son. There are a lot of examples of how to work with different students and how to work with different behaviors. We are so grateful for Soma and cannot thank her enough for what she has done. We are amazed everyday with what our son tells us through his letter board! She has changed our lives and especially our son's life!Here is a conversation I had with my son...he responds using the letter board:Question: "How was your day at school? This is your last week of school and then the Summer Break."Answer: "Better today especially having no episodes in muscles."Question: "That's good! Do you think the new medicine is helping?"Answer: "I think time will tell."Question: "Yes. We hope it will help. Anything else?"Answer: "I have more to learn and more to wish for a healthy life."Question: "Yes, we all learn something new every day and we want to be healthy. How's the letter board at school? Your Teachers want to use it with you."Answer: "I am going to use the Letter Board next school year with my teachers."Question: "That's great! You need to use it with your teachers to show your knowledge. You can do it like you do with Ms. Soma and with me at home. Anything else?"Answer: "Went about my day as normal."Question: "That's good. How do you feel now that you are able to communicate through your Letter Board? Your letter board is your voice."Answer: "I am very happy since I learned how to use the letter board with Ms. Soma and she gave me a voice to show what a person lacks in speech does not mean stupidity."My Response: "Wow...well said..."

I have read all 3 of Soma's instructional books and they all are wonderful and worth reading. Each has a new perspective about how to understand and use RPM to help children with autism-particularly those with limited verbal ability like my son. Soma is wise, insightful and intuitive about the challenges faced by autistic individuals. She has developed an amazingly successful method -RPM- through which children who were once thought to be hopelessly uneducable have not only been educated but found a personal voice. They use this voice to communicate more than just basic needs and requests but thoughts, emotions, dreams. With this voice her students achieve a freedom from autism to express anything and show the world they are as typical inside as any of us. Her knowledge is exceptional. Her skills are truly astonishing. She is extremely generous to share her techniques with this book and the others. They are a true gift to the world, especially the autistic and their families. I, for one, am very grateful to Soma.

It has been a long time since I have been this excited about any new reading/findings related to Autism . This author has hit on something big and I`m talkin BIG. I have a 27 year old young lady that happens to be Autistic.... now I kind of thought most traditional teachings ended with age 22when the life we knew almost comes a complete stop.. We move on to the next level and hope a new method/idea comes along but alas they are fewand far between .... until this book/manual. I hope every parent, care givers and teacher gets this book and shares it with anyone that willlisten because this lady is SPOT ON AUTISIM ! GET IT and GET INSPIRED !

Soma is amazing, I observed her working with all types of severe, non-verbal autistic people in NJ and all of them communicated and learned with her on the very first session. Now she kindly took time to write these books so anyone can learn what she discovered. This book is helping myself to achieve open communication with my own son. I strongly recommend it.

This book is a great companion to go with Soma's other books. It dives into more detail about some issues touched on in her other books. It has great ideas on getting communication about important things out. A great read for anyone who really wants to understand and respect those with Autism and related disorders.

Our son is diagnosed non-verbal autistic, and we were introduced to RPM about three years ago. It has changed our son's world! For our son, he was using PECS, and this was very limiting....when he started using this method, his world opened up and he has been able to express so many things. Soma's books have ALL been eye opening for this family. I would highly recommend trying this. One therapy does not fit all children and I as a parent believe in trying different therapies to help as long as they are not harmful. This therapy has worked for us along with ABA, OT and PT. As the saying goes, 'Assume intelligence'.

Soma (and Tito!) have blessed so many with RPM and now she shares with us all of the secrets to success!I read this entire book the day I received in--couldn't put it down. All of us at Association of Excellence for Autism NYC&DC congratulate Soma on yet another amazing gift to our world!

Book quality is good.. thanks

Every parent, teacher, assistant who works with a non-verbal autistic person should study this.Many years ago I saw a video clip of Soma using the Rapid Prompting Method. Even though I considered myself to be open-minded to new ideas I did not think this approach would work for my son. She seemed to talk too quickly (I struggled to keep up with what she was saying) and seemed to be pushing the child in a way which I thought lacked warmth. I was so wrong to form these opinions! A few years ago I watched the clips again - this time through new eyes and I saw the possibilities. I have been fortunate enough to meet Soma twice now and observe her working with my son - she is an absolute genius who totally believes in the ability of every child she works with. Using Soma's methods my son, Christopher, has not only been able to show how academically intelligent he is - he can now communicate his deeper thoughts and feelings in a way which means that others believe they are HIS words . Christopher does not yet have the motor control to be able type independently, he has lots of behaviour challenges and often his body seems to resist doing what he wants it to - he can be getting up, walking away, being physically rough with me but when I ask if he wants to carry on with the communication he usually points to YES.I asked him to advise another parent whose non-verbal 8 year old son had been crying and he did not know why :- I AM THINKING HE NEEDS TO TEACH HIS SON TO POINT TO LETTERS ON STENCILS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRkZPsElrSg&list=UUMtrorkbUiDMIwvY2-W5GhQ&index=1I was recently able to help Christopher `talk' directly to a paediatrician about the seizures which he has had - answering questions by pointing to the letters on the stencil. At the end of the appointment I asked him if he would like to ask the doctor a question - he very purposefully and quickly pointed to- WILL I HAVE ANOTHER FIT. How wonderful it is that he is able to do this and how awful it must be for children who have these questions unanswered in their heads.Here's an extract from a poem written on his 14th birthday :-HELP US TO GET OUR WORDS OUT ON PAPER OR MAKE US LIVE IN SILENCE BE A PATIENT HELPER AND WATCH US GROW INTO STRONG ADULTSToday he has told me THIS IS REALLY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE MY FRIENDS WANT TO COMMUNICATEI truly believe that when more people learn to use this method we will be able to unlock a massive talent pool that will benefit society as a whole. Please everyone spread the word!Sue Finnes - Mum to Christopher aged 14, Sutton Coldfield , United Kingdom.Turning Fourteen - written 17.12 2012TURNING FOURTEEN IS LIKE GROWING TALL GROWING BIGGER ALL THE WHILE AND TAKING EVERY DAY AT A TIME INTO MY LIMELIGHT COMES THE NEXT PHASE I FEEL PLEASED I HAVE AMAZED MANY BLESS OUR EVERY THOUGHT AND WATCH US GROW HELP US TO GET OUR WORDS OUT ON PAPER OR MAKE US LIVE IN SILENCE BE A PATIENT HELPER AND WATCH US GROW INTO STRONG ADULTS

Rapid Prompting - YAY !! It works....

good book

Without Soma, there would be more silence.