Product Description

One of the most important yet difficult skills for children with autism to learn is effective social interaction. Reaching Out, Joining In introduces social skills programs to parents of preschool- and kindergarten-aged children diagnosed with one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), including Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and PDD: Not Otherwise Specified.

Reaching Out, Joining In is based on the authors' decades of clinical experience using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a proven educational method, to teach social skills at home and school. This book focuses on four broad topics: Play skills; The language of social skills; Understanding another person's perspective; Functioning in an inclusive classroom.

Reaching Out, Joining In helps parents work with their child's strengths to improve social skills. Following the suggestions and exercises in this book, parents can teach children to: pretend-play, use toys appropriately, know when to use conventional responses like "excuse me," tell jokes, recognize that others' feelings and thoughts are different from their own, and initiate social interaction with peers.

Included are tips for using games, modeling, rewards, role play, videos, activity schedules, and social stories to teach social skills and make the learning experience fun for parents and children. A case study of one family's efforts and successes provides a real-life example that's informative and reassuring. Appendices listing resources such as books, games, and activities give parents additional material to explore.

Parents, teachers, and therapists will find Reaching Out, Joining In an excellent primer to help children with autism become better adjusted socially at home and school. Use this book in conjunction with other Woodbine House titles such as Right from the Start to understand how to use ABA and Activity Schedules for Children with Autism as a teaching tool.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122144 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 225 pages

About the Author
Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., is Research Assistant Professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She is Director of the Rutgers Autism Program and Division Director for the Research and Training Division at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. Sandra L. Harris, Ph.D., is Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers. Drs. Weiss and Harris are co-authors of Right from the Start (Woodbine House, 1998).

Customer Reviews

Well written, just not what I was looking for.
My son is on the higher end of the spectrum with at least some rudimentary play skills. This book didn't hold my attention, because I couldn't get through the first few chapters. Having some functional use of toys, I grew tired of explanations of how to get my son how to push a car or roll a ball. GREAT if your kid is at a lower point on the spectrum and needs that level of instruction. There may be areas of interest for higher functioning individuals... I just didn't get there!

Systematic approach to help with social skill building
Two expert behavior analysts have produced a very fine work that should be a fixture on every behavioral programmer's shelf. Written in a style that will be easily understood by professional and layperson alike, Weiss and Harris systematically lay out considerations and plans for helping students diagnosed with autistic-spectrum disorders to develop social skills and move towards mainstream activities. The task can seem daunting. Where do you begin to help students to develop social skills? Begin with this book.