Role play is an ideal tool for helping people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) develop and practice communication and social skills. It is also an effective way of informing others about what it's like to have ASD, and of teaching professionals how individuals with ASD can best be supported. Foundation Role Plays for Autism contains safe and structured role plays for working with different groups, including individuals with ASD, their teachers, caregivers, parents and peers. It provides materials for custom-making role plays to suit the specific needs of participants and photocopiable forms for tracking individual participants' skills. An accompanying audio CD simulates scenarios such as taking down phone messages and following instructions from a teacher, helping individuals with ASD practice skills for coping with challenging situations before implementing them in real-life scenarios, and helping others to develop new perspectives on the challenges faced by individuals with ASD. This hands-on, practical book will enable teachers, autism trainers and consultants and other professionals to develop and practice new skills for working with individuals with ASD, and their families and peers.

Author Biography

Andrew Nelson, M.Ed. is an Education Specialist with the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University where he provides Family Focused Positive Behavior Support and training to parents, teachers, and professionals on a variety of autism-related topics. Andrew has worked with parents, teachers, and individuals on the autism spectrum in India using applied drama and role playing techniques. He is the co-founder of the International Association of Theatre for Autism (www.autismtheatre.org). His work has been noted in the Autism File and Tathaastu: So Be It magazines. Andrew also has a BFA in acting.