“Supernanny” Teams With Acclaimed Autism Expert

This show is to air Friday, November 4 or check your local listings.

Supernanny Jo Frost teams with world-renowned autism expert Lynn Koegel, Ph.D., to tackle the parenting issues faced by a family whose three-year-old son is autistic.

The parents, Deirdre and Trae Facente don't know how to integrate their son Tristin into their daily life with their 4 year old twins, Kayla and Marlana. Tristin is non-verbal, caught up in his own world of spinning, jumping, swinging, and, often, taking off his clothes. The only time he spends with his family is sitting at the dinner table.

Lynn Koegel and Supernanny Jo work together to refine the “Supernanny” methods and teach all the Facentes about Koegel's inclusion and also communication techniques to help engage Tristin. In just a week, silent Tristin goes from zero words to speaking hundreds of times using over 20 new words. He is bursting with requests to play a favorite game, be tickled, or eat a treat.

Step-by-step, Jo and Koegel help the parents keep Tristin from his disruptive behaviors by including him in family chores and activities. These efforts culminate in the boy helping his dad set the table, a seemingly mundane task that is so miraculous for Tristin, it brings tears to Trae's eyes.

Lynn Kern Koegel, Ph.D., is one of the world’s foremost experts on the treatment of autism. She and her husband, Robert L. Koegel, Ph.D., founded the renowned Koegel Autism Center at the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She co-wrote the bestselling book on autism, Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope that can Transform a Child’s Life, and also co-authored with her husband the new book, Pivotal Response Treatments for Autism.