EFL Essential for Living · Special Edition
Essential for Living A Special Edition
A little manual of science and practice for children and adults with very limited skill repertoires, written for the parents, grandparents, teachers, behavior analysts, and speech-language pathologists who care for them.
This special edition guides individualized instruction and support plans that increase essential speaking, listening, daily living, tolerating, and transitioning skills, along with expressing emotion, and a corresponding decrease in disruptive, aggressive, and self-injurious behavior, resulting in a real improvement in Quality of Life.
Data Makes The Difference
Written For You
When you learned your child was very different
If you are the parent, grandparent, or member of an extended family that includes a child or an adult with Down syndrome, Angelman, Rett, Fragile X, Prader-Willi, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, or another condition that results in a moderate-to-severe intellectual or developmental disability, this manual was written for you.
It will help you function as an advocate and as a teacher for your child, and work more effectively with a school district, clinic, insurance company, or state agency. You have a beautiful child right in front of you, and this little manual will be a lifelong guide as you put one foot in front of the other and make a life.
Parts 2 and 4 through 10 can be used effectively by parents on their own. Parts 3 and 11 through 17 will generally benefit from the guidance of a special education teacher, behavior analyst, or speech-language pathologist.
Your New Guiding Lights
Everyday Living, Quality of Life, and the Size of Your Audience
When typical developmental milestones and academic standards are no longer the right guiding lights, this manual offers new ones: skills that occur in everyday living, that improve the quality of your child's life, and that increase the number of people who can understand and respond to them.
Everyday Living
Skills your child will use every single day, at home and in the community
Quality of Life
A competent, stable, content, relaxed, and happy learner
Size of Your Audience
More people who can understand your child and respond to them
About the Book
What makes this a Special Edition
Unlike the Essential for Living: Professional Practitioner's Handbook, which is written for professionals, this special edition is written so that parents and families can read it, use it, and share it with the teachers and therapists who work alongside them.
It describes skills and teaching procedures for children and adults of all ages with severe and multiple disabilities and very limited skill repertoires, grounded in B. F. Skinner's science of behavior and decades of direct practice.
- Your new guiding lights: Everyday Living skills, Quality of Life, and increasing the Size of Your Audience, instead of chasing typical developmental milestones
- The first two skills to teach and the first issue to resolve, so your child tolerates and participates in everyday activities without problem behavior
- A simple, four-color procedure for selecting an Alternative Method of Speaking (AMS) that is effective and likely to last a lifetime
- Setting clear, consistent, and reasonable expectations for your child and for yourself, as a parent
The First and Foremost
Essential Life Skills
These are the wrap-around skills to consider and prioritize first. Acquiring them without problem behavior and without hesitation should result in a consistently competent, stable, content, relaxed, and happy learner, with a substantial improvement in Quality of Life.
Data Makes The Difference
About The Authors
Patrick McGreevy Ph.D., BCBA-D
Patrick McGreevy, Ph.D., BCBA-D, has over 55 years of experience working with children and adults with moderate-to-severe developmental disabilities in schools, hospitals, and residential environments as a teacher and a behavior analyst. A student of Ogden Lindsley and mentored for many years by Jack Michael, he is the author of 10 journal articles and "Teaching and Learning in Plain English", an introduction to Precision Teaching. He is the lead author of 'Essential for Living: A Communication, Behavior, and Functional Skills Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Practitioner's Handbook'. Dr. McGreevy is an ardent supporter of direct and standard measurement, and is a proud recipient of the Ogden R. Lindsley Lifetime Achievement Award of the Standard Celebration Society.
Troy Fry M.S., BCBA
Troy Fry, M.S., BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with 30 years of experience in the field of autism and developmental disabilities. He has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life of children and adults with moderate-to-severe disabilities and their families. He has worked in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, and residential programs, and has provided consultation and training to educators and families both nationally and internationally. As the co-author of Essential for Living, he has helped to develop a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to teaching functional, life skills to children and adults with developmental disabilities, including but not limited to autism.
Live on Zoom
Question, Answer & Problem-solving Sessions
Free live sessions with Patrick McGreevy and Troy Fry for parents, teachers, and therapists of children and adults who are learning to function as speakers and listeners, using Essential for Living and this Special Edition.
Tuesdays, 10am to 12 noon
New York time, beginning July 14
Hosted on Zoom
Or at times arranged with the EFL team
Topics covered, as suggested by participants
Each session covers any of the following, with more topics added over time.
Want to join a session or arrange a time? Reach out to the Essential for Living team and they will share the details.
Contact the EFL TeamPlease Note
eBook Usage Guidelines
The Essential for Living: A Special Edition available for purchase on this site is an electronic eBook, provided with a unique password for your use only. The password protection is implemented to secure the digital content and prevent unauthorized sharing.
By purchasing this eBook, you agree to keep your password confidential and not to distribute the eBook or the password to any other person. Unauthorized distribution could result in access revocation and legal action. Thank you for respecting the hard work of our authors and publishers.
Book Price
Essential for Living A Special Edition
A little manual of science and practice that can change what you focus on teaching, and what skills your child truly needs to have a happy and productive life. We hope it will be helpful to you, your family, and those with whom you work.
Hard Copy
Need a Hard Copy?
Want this special edition, but not sure you want it as an eBook? No problem. Visit Dr. McGreevy's and Troy Fry's website and order from their store.
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