Description

DEVELOPING LEISURE TIME SKILLS FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS:  PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR HOME, SCHOOL & THE COMMUNITY

Author(S): Colleen Nyberg, Phyllis Coyne, Mary Lou Klagge

Award Winning Book: Creative Child Magazine, Book of the Year Award, Structured Strategies for ASD Books category

Make leisure time fun for all children and adults with autism spectrum disorders! Leisure time should be a part of the day that all look forward to enjoying, but for many it can cause anxiety and fear. This book provides comprehensive, structured strategies to introducing meaningful leisure time to ASD children and adults, which they can practice at home, school, and in the community.

This book has a wealth of ASD information, including forms and charts that will help to assess sensory needs, age-appropriate activities and assistance in determining the level of interest in specific activities, thirty seven “Activity Cards” for going to the park, playing games, and many more!

This detailed guide also covers the components of leisure development, assessing leisure patterns, skills, and preferences, activities that require minimal supervision, community activities, ongoing assessment, and more!

Chapter 1: Leisure and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Importance of Leisure Engagement
Nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Three Individuals Featured in this Book
Pattern of Leisure Engagement
Summary

Chapter 2: Components of Leisure Development
The Immediate Component
The Exposure Component
The Training Component
Interrelationship of the Components of Leisure
Development
Summary

Chapter 3: Leisure Assessment
Interviews
Direct Observation
Surveys
Recording Leisure Pattern and Skills
Summary

Chapter 4: The Immediate Component of Leisure Development
Key Elements of the Immediate Component
Meaningful Engagement During Unstructured Time
Sensory Preferences and Special Interests
Untaught Materials and Activities with Minimal
Supervision
Formative Assessment
Summary

Chapter 5: The Exposure Component of Leisure Development
Key Elements of the Exposure Component
Discovery of New Leisure Interests
Guidelines for Activity Selection
Repeated and Supported Exposure to New Activities
Formative Assessment
Summary

Chapter 6: The Training Component of Leisure Development
Key Elements of the Training Component
Leisure Activities and Related Skills Development
Guidelines for Prioritizing Activities
Systematic Training
Formative Assessment
Summary

Appendix A. Leisure Behavior & Activities Lists
Appendix B. Blank Forms for Assessment
Appendix C. Support and Training Strategies
Appendix D. Activity Cards References

Binding: Paperback
Pages: 250

AUTHOR BIO:

The authors have each worked in the field of autism for over twenty years. This experience, along with backgrounds in therapeutic recreation, special education, general education, and psychology, provide the foundation for the development of the concepts and approaches presented in Developing Meaningful Leisure Time for Children and Adults on the Autism Spectrum.

Phyllis Coyne, MS, has been an autism consultant to school districts for over twenty years. She is the coauthor of three books on autism spectrum disorders. During this time, she has trained and consulted with thousands of staff and parents in effective techniques for supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Previous to being an Autism Specialist and special education teacher, Phyllis worked in inclusive outdoor adventure recreation, coordinated a model demonstration project on recreation for adolescents with developmental disabilities, and was a Therapeutic Recreation consultant in North Carolina and Oregon. She has served on the Board of Directors of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society, the editorial board of the Journal of Leisurability, and the Leisure Committee of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps.

Colleen Nyberg has dedicated 26 years to teaching and consulting in the field of ASD and improving the understanding of autism for parents and professionals. She specialized in Early Intervention during her teaching years and branched out into trainings and presentations. Colleen consulted throughout seven counties and was hired by the State of Oregon to develop training modules and traveled around the state providing training for other consultants. Colleen worked on state committees defining and reviewing the eligibility of students with ASD. She traveled nationally and into Canada presenting to parents and professionals. She taught for years at Portland State in their Continuing Education program. Colleen provided training for caregivers in a summer program and it was this experience that she drew from for this book.

Mary Lou (Vandenburg) Klagge has been in the special education field for 35 years. She was a classroom teacher for preschool through elementary aged children with a variety of disabilities, including ASD, for 24 of those years. She taught in a summer program designed for elementary through high school aged individuals with ASD to access recreational and leisure activities throughout the community. Mary Lou has been an autism consultant for 11 years, developing and modeling effective strategies in supporting and teaching children with ASD within the school setting. She has been a presenter of new, successful and effective strategies at the local, state and national levels. Due to her extensive interactions with families, Mary Lou helped develop and lead parent and sibling support groups.