Code 9007

Staying in the Game: Providing Social Opportunities for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disabilities
by James W. Loomis, Ph.D.

$19.95

2008
ISBN 9781934575291

Staying in the Game picks up where many social skills training programs leave off - with generalization. The book addresses this void by presenting a range of interventions aimed at promoting generalization of social skills by showing how to establish social situations that can be opportunities for generalization. The focus of Staying in the Game goes beyond just placing students in the mainstream, to include taking advantage of inclusion by facilitating the use of typical students to address generalization of social skills - one of the most profound challenges for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.

EXCERPT (.PDF format)

Book Reviews.

"Dr. James Loomis is the rare clinician whose insight into the experiences of his child patients is accompanied by an uncompromising and relentless commitment to making treatments work. Thankfully, Jim has now committed his body of work to a wonderfully systematic, accessible, and highly practical book. Staying in the Game will soon become a survival manual for parents and professionals working to help children with autism spectrum disorders achieve social competence and meaningful relationships."

- Ami Klin, Ph.D., director, Autism Program, and Harris Associate Professor of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center

"With Staying in the Game, families and professionals who support a child with ASD have critical information that describes how to promote generalization of social skills to everyday experience. Loomis has created a timely, user friendly resource that can be incorporated into the daily routine with ease and confidence. Staying in the Game is a much-needed complement to the social skills training literature."

- Judith Coucouvanis, M.A., APRN, psychiatric nurse practitioner, autism consultant, speaker, and author of Super Skills; A Social Skills Group Program ... and The Potty Journey: Guide to Toilet Training Children with Special Needs, Including Autism and Related Disorders

"Staying in the Game is the book we have been waiting for; a must-read for all parents of children and teens with ASD, school personnel and community professionals. Dr. Loomis teaches us step-by-step what we need to know to work more successfully on those difficult-to-teach social skills. This is a wonderful resource!"

- Lois Rosenwald, parent of adult with Asperger Syndrome and executive director, The Connecticut Autism Spectrum Resource Center, Inc.

"Generalizing social skills to broader social settings is a stumbling block that often prevents children on the autism spectrum from becoming part of the social world. This practical and easy-to-use resource will allow both parents and professionals to implement strategies for children to practice social skills in a variety of settings. Setting up support levels and removing them as the student masters skills and situations is central to Dr. Loomis's approach, facilitating the child's social independence. This book is a must-read and demonstrates the next step in conquering the social frontier."

- Rachael Bareket, MSC, author of Playing It Right - Social Skills Activities for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Including Asperger Syndrome and Autism

"Staying in the Game hits a home run in addressing the challenges of promoting generalization of social skills for students with autism and other related disabilities. From providing guidance on how adults can offer different levels of support (often preventing bullying and teasing), to identifying the ten factors that determine the difficulty of social activities, to showing practical details and examples of how to successfully bring in peer support, this book is a much-needed resource for both professionals and families."

- Rebekah Heinrichs, MSN, Ms. Ed., educational specialist, and author of Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying