Julia Moore

Teachers and trainers running activities for people with learning and communication difficulties face the daunting task of balancing a wide range of needs, abilities and preferences, whilst simultaneously being asked to meet measured outcomes, record progress and create their own resources. This book presents thirty-two original, engaging and highly visual learning sessions. The activities have been specifically designed to develop learning skills, self-awareness and awareness of others, explore representation, language and early literacy, and cooperation and teamwork. Each session is comprehensively described and includes worksheets, learning aims and suggestions for differentiation and extension activities for either group work or individual learning. These activities will help to develop confidence and motivation by using highly visual resources to bridge the gap between language and cognition. They will be perfect for teachers and trainers running college classes and community education centres, day and residential care centres and training programmes. All the worksheets are included in colour on the accompanying CD.

Praise for the first edition:'An approachable and practical edition that will be welcomed by parents and carers alike. I know how hard it can be to find "How to" resources for parents. Well here is a gem.'- Children, Young People and FamiliesParents of young children newly diagnosed as on the autism spectrum are often at a loss for ideas about how best to help their child. Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum 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 an extensive 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. The ideas are useful both for toddlers and primary age children who are still struggling with play.