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Get out, Explore, and Have Fun!

Get out, Explore, and Have Fun!

How Families of Children with Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most out of Community Activities

Lisa Jo Rudy

Paperback: £16.99 / $21.95

2010, 234mm x 156mm / 9.25in x 6in, 256pp
ISBN: 978-1-84905-809-4, BIC 2: YXK JNSG

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Many families with a child with autism or Asperger Syndrome feel that involvement in the community is not for them. This book sets out to change that, with a rich and varied menu of suggestions for how such families can take full part in community life and support the strengths and interests of their child at the same time. Informal learning experiences can be the key to self-discovery, communication, self-confidence, and even independence for many children on the autism spectrum. Only outside the four walls of school will your child truly discover their own passions, abilities, and social peers.

Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun is a guide to what's out there, how to find it, and how to make it work for your family. The book includes hints and tips for involving your family in the right community activities, from sport to science; information on museums, arts organizations and science institutions as venues for an enjoyable and enriching day out for the family; and resources and ideas for helping your child build on their strengths, interests, and preferred learning styles to explore life in the community. Handouts about autism are included, as well as handouts suggesting ways in which organisations and institutions can successfully include young people with autism in their activities.

This book will open the door to community inclusion, creative exploration, and social learning.

Blog posts

Eileen Riley-Hall Explores How to Get the Most Out of Summer for Kids with Special Needs

20 July 2012

JKP author Eileen Riley-Hall (Parenting Girls on the Autism Spectrum: Overcoming the Challenges and Celebrating the Gifts) has written a helpful article for the Special-ism website about how to structure summer free time for kids with special needs, specifically making use of summer camps. Here is a brief summary of the pointers she offers: My first...

Autism and Animals: Community Opportunities for your Child

13 December 2010

"Whatever your child’s level of verbal ability or behavior, don’t pass by the possibilities provided by animals. Non-verbal children are as capable as anyone of establishing a positive relationship with an animal. Your child may well surprise you with her compassion, connection and willingness to build a relationship with a non-human friend."

Interest or a Perseveration? When an Autistic Child’s Special Interest Sabotages Community Inclusion

16 November 2010

"As a parent, you are the best judge of whether a “passionate interest” is an interest or a perseveration. If it’s an interest, it’s a spring board for community inclusion. If it’s a perseveration, it’s not a springboard at all, but rather an anchor. As with all anchors, it has a useful place – but no boat can move forward with its anchor firmly stuck in the mud."

Inclusion or Specially-Designed Community Programs? How to Choose.

14 October 2010

By Lisa Jo Rudy, author of Get out, Explore, and Have Fun! How Families of Children with Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most out of Community Activities So you’re ready to get out and have fun with your child with autism – but you’re having understandable qualms. Perhaps you’re worried that your child...

Lisa Jo Rudy On Beyond Therapy: How to Get Started in the Community with Your Child on the Autism Spectrum

21 September 2010

"Kids with autism spectrum disorders get an awful lot of therapy...[all] in support of a single goal. In the long run, we hope, kids with autism will grow up to be adults who enjoy their lives and achieve to their fullest potential. In an ideal world, we hope they’ll learn to navigate interpersonal relationships, build friendships or even romances, work in a job of their choosing, and operate as independently as a typically developing child. The truth is, though, that neither school nor a therapist’s office is an ideal setting for meeting new people, exercising new skills, finding shared interests, or just having fun in the world..."