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Books by Dr. Albert J. Cotugno, Ph.D.


A Guide to Counseling Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Victoria, British Columbia: Freisen Press, 2016.

Description of book

This book addresses therapeutic issues specific to individuals on the Autism Spectrum. It describes the Social Competence Enhancement Program (SCEP) approach and how it applies to individual therapeutic work with individuals with ASD. It is intended to provide therapists with the tools to help individuals with ASD achieve a higher quality of life though a therapeutic process that addresses and reduces one’s experience of internal distress and by understanding its sources, taking control, and making appropriate and adaptive changes.

Table of contents

Chapter 1Introduction and a Brief History of Diagnostic Issues
Chapter 2Issues of Psychotherapeutic Process
Chapter 3Getting Started in the Psychotherapeutic Process with Individuals with ASD
Chapter 4Assessment and Evaluation for Individual Psychotherapy: Forming an Understanding of the Individual with ASD
Chapter 5Core Areas of Development and Related Core Variables in the Social Competence Enhancement Program (SCEP) Approach
Chapter 6Some Recommended Intervention Techniques by Core Variables
Chapter 7Goal Setting: Overall Psychotherapy Goals, Therapist Goals, and Client Goals
Chapter 8Early Stages in the Psychotherapeutic Process with Individuals with ASD
Chapter 9Managing Stress and Anxiety in the Psychotherapeutic Process
Chapter 10Middle Stages in the Psychotherapeutic Process with Individuals with ASD
Chapter 11Therapy Supporting Activities (TSA) and Exercises
Chapter 12Termination: Winding Down and Dealing with Termination Issues
Chapter 13Parents, Resources, Etc.

Making Sense of Social Situations:
How to Run a Group-Based Intervention Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, with Cheryl Gregg-Desautels.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2011.

Description of book

Dr. Cotugno's follow-up to his first book, addresses in detail the significant deficiencies in social-interpersonal interactions and social communication that exist for children with autism spectrun disorders. He explores and describes the core areas and related deficits of autism spectrum disorders and introduces a practical program to assess and remediate these social competence issues.

This program, called the Social Competence Enhancement Program (SCEP), is a peer-based, group focused, therapeutic program that includes guidelines for the implementation of a full range of tasks and activities for practitioners to use at each stage of group development.

Table of contents

Part I - Autism Spectrum Disorders

Chapter 1A Brief History
Chapter 2Socialization, Social Competence, and Social Skills

Part II - Understanding Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Chapter 3The Core Areas of Development and Related Deficits of ASD
Chapter 4Self-Regulation: A Core Variable
Chapter 5Emotion Competence: A Core Variable
Chapter 6Stress and Anxiety Control and Management: A Core Variable
Chapter 7Attention and Joint Attention: Core Variables
Chapter 8Flexibility, Change, and Transition: A Core Variable
Chapter 9Perspective Taking: A Core Variable
Chapter 10Relatedness: A Core Variable

Part III - The Use of Group Interventions in the Treatment of Individuals with ASD: The Social Competence Enhancement Program (SCEP)

Chapter 11Basic Principles in the Development of Social Competence and in Social Skill Building
Chapter 12Joining Emotion Competence and Social Competence
Chapter 13A Group-Based Therapeutic Model of Intervention for Children with ASD
Chapter 14Assessment in the SCEP Model: Forming an Understanding of Individuals with ASD
Chapter 15Introduction to a Stage Model of Group Development for Individuals with ASD
Chapter 16Stages of Group Development

Part IV- Social Competence Enhancement Program (SCEP) Tasks and Activities with Cheryl Gregg-Desautels

Chapter 17Specific Tasks and Activities Related to Stages of Group Development
Chapter 18Specific Tasks and Activities Related to Core Areas of Development and Related Deficits in ASD
Chapter 19Child and Group Leader Roles Within SCEP Groups

Group Interventions with Autism Spectrum Disorders:
A Focus on Social Competency and Social Skills.
London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009.

Description of book

Dr. Cotugno's book, Group Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) addresses the importance of understanding and managing social impairment in ASD children. He explains and emphasizes the theoretical and pragmatic considerations that underlie the social-interpersonal problems in ASD and in this book integrates concepts and theories of group therapy with skill-based instructional approaches as they exist within a stage-based, cognitive-developmental model.

Table of contents

Preface

Part I - Autism Spectrum Disorders

Chapter 1Introduction
Chapter 2Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)
Chapter 3Historical Background for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Chapter 4Additional and Alternative Definitions for ASD
Chapter 5Social Development and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Part II - Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Chapter 6Key factors in Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Chapter 7Stress and Anxiety
Chapter 8Attention
Chapter 9Flexibility and Ability to Change and Transition
Chapter 10Managing and Regulating Affective and Emotional Response
Chapter 11Combining Social Competence and Social Skill Building

Part III - Group Interventions with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Chapter 12Forming an Understanding of the ASD Individual
Chapter 13A Model for Group Interventions with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Children
Chapter 14Introduction to a Stage Model of Group Development for ASD Individuals
Chapter 15Stages of Group Development
Chapter 16Roles that individual Children May take Within the Group
Chapter 17Roles that the Therapist May take Within the Group
© 2016 Albert Cotugno, Ph.D.