Sample Research Proposal on Handbook on Communication Disorders of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The following is a proposal to produce a handbook on communication disorders of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, in order for the early childhood education students and educators. The proposal contains the necessary pieces of information such as the need for the handbook, the description of the handbook, and the benefits that the readers, especially the students and educators of early childhood education, will gain from the proposed handbook. This proposal also presents the outline, the schedule and the costs of the development of the handbook.   Need For the Handbook             A number of studies have revealed that the incidents of autism spectrum disorders have risen over the past years. However, the curriculum for early childhood education of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and learning disabilities especially in the public education system has not been paid much attention. Many teachers, particularly those who have not handled students who have ASD have a hard time communicating with these children. As a result, the educators cannot convey to these children the lessons without affecting other children in the class, and in return the children may have a hard time expressing their opinions, needs and wants from the class.   Description of the Handbook The handbook will discuss the common communication disorders of children having an autism spectrum disorder. The handbook will provide the description and definition of autism spectrum disorders. It also gives discussion on the treatment of the different communication disorders. The handbook also contains recommendations and suggestions to the students, teachers and parents that will be useful in communicating with these children.   Benefits of the Handbook             The proposed handbook can be beneficial to a lot of people. It can be useful for teachers having students with autism spectrum in class. The handbook can also be a big help for students studying early childhood education, it can be used as a reference. Aside from the teachers and students, the handbook will also be helpful for parents especially when communicating with their children with ASD and in identification of the communication disorders at the early stage. It can also be used as a reference in the absence of an expert in communication disorders. Moreover, the handbook gives suggestions in communication that would beneficial not just for individuals encountering children with ASD but also the readers.       Handbook Outline             The handbook contains the definitions of communication, communication disorders and autism spectrum disorders. The signs and symptoms, the causes of the speech and language problems in autism, the treatment, and the current researches on improvement of communication among ASD individuals will also be discussed.  And finally, recommendations will be given, the tentative outline of the handbook are the following: Disclaimer- This handbook is not a replacement for the examination of the speech-language pathologist or expert in communication with individuals with ASD. The handbook is intended to be a short introduction to communication disorders of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and to help the students, teachers and parents in determining the particular communication disorder of their child and will require treatments by a speech-pathologist or a physician. Introduction Purpose Overview Communication Autism Spectrum Disorder Definition Common Causes Signs and Symptoms Communication Disorders Different Communication Disorders             Definition             Cause             Treatment             Recommendations Current Researches Conclusion   Schedule             The following is the schedule for the completion of the handbook. It will be delivered in April 20, 2007. Receive the permission to start                               March 1 the creation of handbook Research topics                                                        March 16- April 2 First Draft                                                                   April 2- April 4 Develop the graphics                                               April 4 Finish the first draft                                                   April 9 Revise the first draft                                                  April 10-19 Deliver the Handbook                                               April 20     Cost             The total cost for the development of a hundred handbooks which includes, researching, writing, editing, printing, and binding is around $5000. The following is the breakdown of the expenditures: Researching, Writing and Editing                                       $4000 Printing                                                                                       600 Binding                                                                                      400                                                                                         Total $5000 Conclusion             The pieces of information written in the handbook will be an important source of information for students of early childhood education, the public and private pre-school teachers, special education teachers and the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. This handbook will also enable these individuals to deal and communicate with children having autism spectrum disorder especially in the classroom.