This book discusses the deficits in the development and presentation of play behavior and social skills that are considered central characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The book explains why play provides an important context for social interactions and how its absence can further exacerbate social deficits over time. It highlights the critical roles of social skills in development, and the social, cognitive, communication, and motor components of play. Chapters offer conceptually and empirically sound play and social skills interventions for children with ASD. Play activities using diverse materials and including interactions with peers and parents are designed to promote positive, effective social behaviors and encourage continued development. The book provides unique strategies that can be tailored to fit individual children’s strengths and deficits. Topics featured in this book include: Naturalistic Teaching Strategies (NaTS) for developing play and social skills. Teaching play and social skills with video modeling. Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) strategies that promote positive social interactions between children with ASD and their peers. Visual Activity Schedules and Scripts. Parent-implemented play and social skills intervention. Play and Social Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians, and graduate students in clinical child and school psychology, behavioral therapy/rehabilitation, social work, public health, and related psychology, education, and behavioral health fields.

Presents a series of games and activities that parents and teachers can use to develop and enhance the social skills of young children with autism spectrum disorders.

Describes in pictures the proper responses to real-life situations that youth with social communication challenges face on a daily basis.

The Verbal Behavior (VB) approach is a form of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), that is based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and works particularly well with children with minimal or no speech abilities. In this book Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera draws on her own experiences as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and also as a parent of a child with autism to explain VB and how to use it. This step-by-step guide provides an abundance of information about how to help children develop better language and speaking skills, and also explains how to teach non-vocal children to use sign language. An entire chapter focuses on ways to reduce problem behavior, and there is also useful information on teaching toileting and other important self-help skills, that would benefit any child. This book will enable parents and professionals unfamiliar with the principles of ABA and VB to get started immediately using the Verbal Behavior approach to teach children with autism and related disorders.

Social Skills Games and Activities for Kids With Autism provides complete instructions for using fun, engaging games and activities to teach social skills to children with autism spectrum disorders. The games include directions for assessing skills such as asking for toys, getting the attention of others, reading nonverbal gestures, understanding perspectives, and cooperating to solve problems. Using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, the book takes teachers through motivating, prompting, shaping, modeling, and reinforcing social skills while playing the games and helping students learn to participate in other activities such as demonstrating the social skill in role plays and the natural environment. Perfect for teachers struggling to help their students with autism learn to interact socially with their peers, these games are sure to become a much-loved part of students' daily routines.

This comprehensive and accessible guide contains everything that needs to be known in order to set up and run a Minecraft® Social Group for children with autism spectrum disorders. Minecraft®, often described as 'digital Lego', provides an ideal forum to help children with autism and related conditions to develop social and communication skills. This book offers guidance on how to use the game to support the learning of social and emotional concepts such as having a conversation, showing interest in others and understanding another person's point of view. With over 150 pages of photocopiable and downloadable session plans, visuals and handouts, this manual is essential reading for professionals working with autism who are interested in introducing Minecraft® to support social skill development in their students.

Forming healthy, solid relationships with their typical peers is a major challenge for most children with autism spectrum disorders. This comprehensive social skills curriculum has the dual purpose of helping educators develop appropriate social skills in children with pervasive developmental disorders while also fostering understanding and tolerance among typical peers and school staff. The curriculum includes built-in booster lessons, so the child receives multiple presentations of the material, thus reinforcing the lesson for better understanding and generalization.

Help remediate—and in some cases eliminate—autism and other developmental delays in young children, even in as little as 15 minutes a day with this toolkit of behavioral practices that can be taught at home. Developmental delays and signs of autism usually show up before 18 months of age, yet children are often not diagnosed until they are 4 or 5 years old. In Turn Autism Around, Dr. Mary Barbera explains why parents can't afford to worry and wait in long lines for evaluations and treatment while not knowing how to help their children. She empowers parents, caregivers, and early intervention professionals to regain hope and take back control with simple strategies to dramatically improve outcomes for their children. Dr. Barbera has created a new approach to teaching kids with developmental delays that uses the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) married with a positive, child-friendly methodology that any parent can use—whether or not their child has delays—to learn to teach communication skills, socialization strategies, as well as tackle sleep, eating, potty training, and behavior challenges in a positive, effective, and lasting way. Turn Autism Around is the first book of its kind that calls attention to an important fact: parents can make a tremendous impact on their child's development through behavioral practices taught at home, even in as little as 15 minutes a day. Her program shows these autism and developmental delays can be remediated, and in some cases, delays can be caught up altogether, if parents intervene while the child is young. This book is for parents of young children aged one-to-five years who are passionate about helping their child as well as learning how they can change the trajectory of their child's and family's life.

First published in 2003. Children's Friendship Training is a complete manualized guide for therapists treating children with peer problems. This unique, empirically validated treatment is the first to integrate parents into the therapy process to ensure generalization to school and home. Representing over twelve years of research, Children's Friendship Training presents the comprehensive social skills training program developed by these pioneering authors. Step-by-step interventions help children develop the skills to initiate mutually satisfying social interactions. These interactions can lead to higher regard within the peer group and the development of satisfying dyadic relationships that will, in turn, serve to enhance overall well being. Clinical and empirical rationales, illustrative case examples and parent handouts that educate parents and give specific guidelines for homework assignments are presented for each treatment module. Brief relevant reviews of the child development literature and selective reviews of assessment techniques and other approached to children's social skills training are presented to sufficiently acquaint therapists interested in implementing children's friendship training.

This now classic text remains a cornerstone of continuing efforts to develop inclusive peer play programs for children on the autism spectrum. The second edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect major new developments in the field of autism. Notable additions include an updated description of the Integrated Play Groups (IPG) model and related research; an examination of the nature of autism and of play from past to present, with major updates on incidence, diagnosis, and characteristics; and a comprehensive review of play interventions. Presenting vivid descriptions of three children with autism over a 10-year period (from age 5 to age 16), Play and Imagination in Children with Autism: Traces the development of the children as they overcome obstacles to enter into the play culture of their peers.Focuses on two critical years during which the children participated in a peer play group.Documents the emergence of remarkable transformations in the children’s social relations with peers and symbolic activity.Includes vignettes, dialogue, and samples of writing and drawing to bring the children’s stories to life.Lays out the implications for new directions in research and practice. Pamela J. Wolfberg is Associate Professor of special education and Director of the autism spectrum graduate program (Project Mosaic) at San Francisco State University. “Play and Imagination in Children with Autism has been the cornerstone of my professional and personal life for nearly a decade. This updated edition retains the original accessible style, explaining so clearly the pivotal role that peer play holds in the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum, while providing readers with cutting-edge developments in theory, research, and practice in the field.” —Heather McCracken, Founder/Executive Director, Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society “Dr. Wolfberg continues to break new ground with the second edition of her book. What a pleasure for any child to get involved in one of her integrated play groups, and what a relief for parents to know that their child is both learning and having fun! This is a wonderful resource for professionals interested in creating engaging and effective social skills groups for children on the autism spectrum.” —Connie Kasari, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies “Children with autism benefit in so many ways from social play experiences, despite the significant challenges in symbolic development. Dr. Pamela Wolfberg, a leading expert in this crucial aspect of children's development, once again guides us in a highly engaging manner in supporting social and play development for children with ASD.” —Barry M. Prizant, Director, Childhood Communication Services, Brown University “This book is a ‘must’ for anyone who wants to bring about genuine social reciprocity and imagination in children with autistic spectrum disorders. Pamela Wolfberg takes us on a journey through previously uncharted territory, documenting in rich qualitative detail how to scaffold entry into the culture of peer play.” —Adriana L. Schuler, San Francisco State University “Dr. Wolfberg has done a fine and sensitive job in characterizing the pivotal role that play skills hold in the social and linguistic world of the child with autism. Her development of Integrated Peer Play Groups, and the delineation of the autistic child as the ‘Novice Player’ and the typical child as the ‘Expert Player,’ is a very valuable heuristic tool to all who work with children with autism.” —Bryna Siegel, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco