Connecting and Communicating with Your Autistic Child: A Toolkit of Activities to Encourage Emotional Regulation and Social Development

by Tessa Morton, Jane Gurnett, Glenys Jones (Foreword by)

Overview

This book teaches drama and immersive theatre-based activities for parents and professionals working with children and young people on the autism spectrum. The exercises follow the author's simple, person-centred '3C pathway' of connecting, calming and communicating, and enable parents to gain an understanding of the challenges an autistic child may face by 'walking in their shoes', while empowering children to become more self-aware and express themselves in healthy ways.

The activities included in the book are tried-and-tested, accessible and easy to implement, such as breathing exercises, mirroring movements, and treasure hunts. Using these activities, parents and professionals can gain insight into the sensory and social challenges experienced by those on the spectrum and can work to build a positive and trusting relationship, offering a secure base for children's emotional development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787755505
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	07/21/2021
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.43(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Tessa Morton has been a coach mentor and workshop leader for over 30 years. She is a trained drama teacher and BACP registered CBT counsellor specialising in supporting autistic students, their families and schools. She has run drama clubs supporting autistic students to connect and express themselves for 15 years. She founded Act for Autism with Jane and together they have created the acclaimed Connections Workshop, the 3 C pathway and the award-winning Autistic Voices project.

Jane Gurnett holds an MA in The Advanced Teaching of Shakespeare and a BPhil in Autism (Children). She is an actor, teacher of drama and workshop leader, and has written articles published in Advances in Autism (Emerald Publishing) and Good Autism Practice. She co-founded Act for Autism and develops workshops and strategies for the organisation.

Act for Autism delivers country-wide training and present nationally at conferences such as the Autism Show, the National Autistic Society's professionals conference and at universities. In 2020 they won a NAS professionals award for their community projects.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dr Glenys Jones 9

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction 15

1 Act for Autism: Who, What and Why? 17

2 Creating the Practice: Clear Time and the 3C Pathway 27

3 Connecting through Drama 31

4 Why Is Autism Hard to Understand? 37

5 Understanding Autism as a Sensory Difference and the Link to Anxiety 47

6 What Autistic Individuals Say about Their Sensory Experience - Personal Accounts 59

7 The Eight Senses and How They Impact on a Child's Experience 67

8 What Is Clear Time? 75

9 The First C: Connecting 83

10 The Second C: Calming 91

11 The Third C. Communicating 101

12 Why Is the Heartbeat So Important for the 3C Pathway and Clear Time? 113

13 The Role of Drama Exercises in Our Work 127

14 Additional 3C Pathway Exercises 149

References 163

Index 165

Editorial Reviews

This is a very positive book that is supportive and the exercises are well described and have been developed and refined in many settings. The authors also stress that the exercises can be personalised as parents 'enter into their child's world and 'lean in' to their passions.

SEN Magazine - Mary Mountstephen

This book is an excellent and informative analysis of autism in a readable, accessible and relatable way. It is both contextual with the theories of autism and personal accounts which humanise the experiences. Anxiety is the main premise and strategies are shared to offer the reader different strategies for their young ones (and adults) to explore. Highly recommended.

Paul Isaacs speaker