A practical guide to play activities. This is not just a collection of play ideas; it shows how to break down activities into manageable stages, and looks at ways to gain a child's attention and motivation and to build on small achievements. Each chapter covers a collection of ideas around a theme, including music, art, physical activities, playing outdoors, puzzles, turn-taking and using existing toys to create play sequences. There are also chapters on introducing reading and making the most of television. This updated second edition contains a chapter on how to use the computer, the internet, and the digital camera to find and make resources and activities, and suggests many suitable websites to help parents through the internet maze.

A thoroughly practical supportive guide to helping children on the autism spectrum to imrove their relating skills through play. It offers no shortcuts and makes no attempt to downplay the intense efforts required to communicate with an autistic child but it offers real hope to anyone struggling with the challenges of autism. ( )