Staying in the Game : Providing Social Opportunities for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disabilities

"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. Chapter 1 presents the principles upon which "Staying in the Game" is based and describes a model to guide efforts to enable successful generalization. Chapters 2 and 3 look at the process of identifying and assessing social opportunities and ensuring success. Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 each addresses one type of intervention: group-based work (Chapter 4), interventions by staff and parents (Chapter 5), using peer mentors (Chapter 6), and adapting extracurricular activities (Chapter 7). Chapter 8 concludes with an overview of how to provide social opportunities. 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.