Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: An exceptional child, an unexceptional story: A parent's perspective on the preschool years -- Part I: Self-regulation: The key to making it through the day. The case for self-regulation ; Why do autistic children have difficulty self-regulating? -- Part II: Setting children up for success. Adjust learning experiences and the environment ; Emphasize structure and consistency: The autistic child needs to know "What are we doing?" ; Foster collaboration and emotional awareness -- Part III: Social skills. Autistic children and social skills challenges ; Teaching social thinking ; Teaching conversational skills ; Building social confidence across settings -- Part IV: Encouraging imaginative play. When playtime isn't all that fun ; Teaching play and building imagination ; Facilitating play with peers ; Maintaining play and coping with resistance -- Part V: Making sense of the senses. The eight senses ; Signs and symptoms of sensory processing challenges in children ; Dominant classes of sensory processing disorder: Profiles and strategies ; General approach to managing sensory processing disorder -- Conclusion: A new lens of understanding.