Including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Community Recreation Programs

Download or read book Including Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Community Recreation Programs written by Melanie Renee Berry and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) suffer from significant impairment in social communication and interaction. While there are effective interventions to address many of the social, communication and behavioral challenges associated with ASD, most interventions focus primarily on the individual child and their family. A growing body of research suggests that many children with ASD benefit from supported inclusion with typical peers. Unfortunately, children with ASD lack access to one potential venue for such interaction, community recreation, leading to further isolation and lost opportunities to learn from successful social interaction with peers. This dissertation was informed by the author's experience as a director of an inclusive summer camp program and is intended as a resource for others who seek to create inclusive recreation opportunities for children with ASD. To this end, I first present a targeted literature review, then a brief practical guide for use by inclusive recreation program staff. Afterward, I will discuss my own clinical application of the guide and my efforts to disseminate this information to recreation programs and parents of children with ASD.