Almost all parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders see improved communication as the area that would make the biggest difference to their children’s development and family lives. These two texts provide practical starting points for parents and teachers, highlighting what works best for children with a focus on spontaneous learning and communication.

The mystifying and impenetrable nature of autism has created a great deal of interest, but tends to emphasise the “deficits” of individuals. These books adopt a “capacity” perspective, building on children’s strengths and the positive influence of well-designed learning environments.

Carol Potter and Chris Whittaker report on a Rowntree-funded study that took place in five classrooms, observing 18 children aged between two and six years, and setting out the evidence for good practice. There are some compelling examples of how adults unwittingly stifle children. Reshaping the adult’s behaviour allows the child to show intentionality - “a fundamental step on the path to effective communication”.

Liz Hannah’s illustrated text is also packed with ideas for creating and adapting environments in which children are stimulated toward active and independent problem-solving, but with a wider scope: how to develop attention and concentration, imitation, sharing, waiting, and so on. Here, too, the emphasis is on the ways in which a nursery can become more enabling, not what children themselves have failed to do and therefore need to be taught.

Both books are highly recommended for parents, carers or teachers. They go straight to the day-to-day challenges, but unlike other texts in this field, there is an underlying rationale and evidence base: a welcome antidote to the “blind faith” approach of many writers.

Alec Webster