Authors: Megan Ahlers, M. S., & Colleen Hannigan Zillich, M. S., CCC-SLP

In The Classroom and Communications Skills Program: Practical Strategies for Educating Young Children with Autism Spectrum and Other Developmental Disabilities in the Public School Setting, Megan Ahlers and Colleen Zillich openly share their experience in the classroom and how they developed the CCSP.

Created in response to the frustrations of young students attempting to adjust to the classroom, the Classroom and Communications Skills Program is based on the authors' shared belief that the least restrictive environment is a principle, not a place. It is an idea that teaches us to look at the continuum of service or placement options for children.

Brimming with effective ways to facilitate the learning of young children who are non-verbal/limited verbal and not table ready in a public school setting, the program emphasizes the importance of creating a fluid continuum between the child's natural environments, including home and school, to increase the chances for generalizing skills.  2008