World-renowned expert on Asperger's Syndrome Dr. Tony Attwood has teamed up with Dr. Kirsten Callesen and Dr. Annette Moller Nielsen of Denmark to create a powerful yet user-friendly tool that gets straight to the core of the thoughts and emotions behind behavior. "The CAT-kit" offers an easy, hands-on way for young people to communicate with adults, and each other. Years in the making, the Cognitive Affective Training (CAT) kit is a program that consists of visual, interactive, and customizable communication elements for children and young adults. It is designed to help students become aware of how their thoughts, feelings and actions all interact and, in the process of using the various visual components, they share their insights with others. It is an easy and effective way to work with neurotypical children and young adults as well as with people with developmental disabilities. "The CAT-kit" has been proven valuable in a variety of environments: parents report that the materials are excellent resources in conflict resolution among siblings, and for clarifying differing perspectives between age groups. The uncomplicated design and situation-specific uses of the kit will simplify day-to-day conversation and allow parents to deal with displays of emotion or misconceptions that ordinarily would be difficult to manage. Teachers and counselors appreciate the "CAT-kit" for its visual and concrete design. The kit attracts students' attention and encourages them to talk about their thoughts and emotions in a non-defensive manner. Children are able to communicate their attitudes and emotions by means of the visual aids and are not inhibited by their lack of exact wordings. Therapists and other professionals consider the "CAT-kit" an easy, hands-on adaptation of the cognitive-behavioral strategies they are already familiar with. The kit allows professionals to obtain valuable information regarding the thoughts and feelings that exist behind students' behaviors, while providing a non-stressful environment where professionals can work on students' self-awareness and self-control. "The CAT-kit" elements can easily be integrated into comprehensive CBT programs. This binder includes: one 55-page manual, 10+ dry-erase visual tools, and over 90 feelings with corresponding faces and words.

About the Author

A clinical psychologist from Brisbane, Australia, Dr. Tony Attwood has over thirty years of experience with individuals with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). He has worked with several thousand individuals, from infants to octogenarians, from profoundly disabled persons to university professors. Dr. Attwood works in private practice in Brisbane, but is also adjunct professor at Griffith University, Queensland. He presents workshops and training courses for parents, professionals, and individuals with autism all over the world. In addition, he is a prolific author of scientific papers and books. His books and videos on Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning autism are recognized as the best offerings in the field. Over 300,000 of his book Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals have been sold, and it has been translated into twenty languages. A clinical psychologist and the Director of the Asperger's Resource Centre in Denmark, Dr. Kirsten Callesen has been in the autism field for over ten years. She is actively engaged in educating others about autism, Asperger's Syndrome, and the use of the CAT-kit, which has already made a tremendous impact in Scandinavia by helping parents and professionals structure conversations that focus on emotional issues. She consults to a number of schools and institutions, providing various counseling services as well. For the past four years, Kirsten has been conducting a program for parents in the City of Copenhagen called the Pioneer Groups, a six-month inclusive program where parents can learn about autism and how to care for their newly-diagnosed child through meetings, workshops, and individual family counseling. Currently she focuses on enhancing the communication skills and self-understanding of children and youth with autism. Dr. Annette Moller Nielsen is a clinical psychologist who currently runs her own private practice, AutismeMidt, She also works closely with the Centre for Autism in Copenhagen, where she is responsible for planning courses, parent counseling, and the psychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults. Since 1980, she has had a teaching position with the Municipality of Copenhagen's Educational Programme for children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Annette's teaching program focuses on how cognitive methods and the CAT-kit can be used to help children and young people with socio-cognitive difficulties.