Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun!: How Families of Children With Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities [Paperback]

Lisa Jo Rudy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2010 | ISBN-10: 1849058091 | ISBN-13: 978-1849058094 | Edition: 1

Many families with a child with autism or Asperger Syndrome feel that involvement in the community is not for them. This book sets out to change that, with a rich and varied menu of suggestions for how such families can take full part in community life and support the strengths and interests of their child at the same time. Informal learning experiences can be the key to self-discovery, communication, self-confidence, and even independence for many children on the autism spectrum. Only outside the four walls of school will your child truly discover their own passions, abilities, and social peers. "Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun" is a guide to what's out there, how to find it, and how to make it work for your family. The book includes hints and tips for involving your family in the right community activities, from sport to science; information on museums, arts organizations and science institutions as venues for an enjoyable and enriching day out for the family; and, resources and ideas for helping your child build on their strengths, interests, and preferred learning styles to explore life in the community. Handouts about autism are included, as well as handouts suggesting ways in which organizations and institutions can successfully include young people with autism in their activities. This book will open the door to community inclusion, creative exploration, and social learning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As the parent of an 18 year old autistic son who has gotten out there, explored, and had fun, I can say that Lisa has done an excellent job compiling not only lists of possible activities, but the good and potential bad of each as well as tips on how to make sure the experiences are valuable ones. What I most appreciated in the "how" section is that she doesn't sugar coat anything. Far from being pessimistic about things, she is simply honest about what you are likely to experience. She also reminds us to be realistic in what we expect of our kids, and of those we interact with "out there". Autism is, after all, a spectrum, and the experiences parents will have when they "get out" will cover a wide spectrum as well. You will find that this can be hard work, but you will also see that it is worth every ounce of sweat you put into it. If you are the parent of a young - or not so young - autistic child, you should get and read this book. And give a copy to your child's teacher, their IEP case worker, the IEP team. --GoodReads

Lisa Jo gives us an in-depth and well considered approach to help us change how we think about some of the difficulties we face when it comes to 'getting out and about.' Her no nonsense approach is refreshing and I particularly warmed to the underlying philosophy - yes all autistic children need education and some need therapy, but not to the exclusion of everything else that life has to offer. --Whitterer on Autism

About the Author

Lisa Jo Rudy is a professional writer, researcher and consultant, and the mother of a 13-year-old boy with an autism spectrum disorder. She is the 'About.com Guide to Autism', part of The New York Times Company, and the National Informal Education Examiner for Examiner.com. Lisa has developed exhibits and exhibit devices, hands-on activities and interactive web games, and written dozens of publications advocating for better inclusion for individuals with autism. In 2004, she founded an inclusive summer program for children with autism in collaboration with the YMCA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (May 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1849058091
• ISBN-13: 978-1849058094
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Jo Rudy had been a professional education writer for more than twelve years when her son, Tom, was diagnosed with a form of autism. Right away, she began researching and writing about the topic. In 2006, she became the About.com Guide to Autism (www.autism.about.com) - a medically-reviewed New York Times Company website containing thousands of articles, blogs and reader-generated articles. At the same time, Lisa also became involved with building awareness of and opportunities for kids and families living with autism. Working with a local YMCA, she developed an inclusive summer camp program; working with museum professionals she wrote and presented papers for informal education professionals on "Welcoming Kids Who Learn Differently."

Lisa's new book, "Get Out, Explore and Have Fun: How Families of Children With Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities," offers parents of children on the autism spectrum a rich and varied menu of suggestions for how families can take full part in community life and support the strengths and interests of their child at the same time. Inside are not only resources and insights but also tools to share with community leaders interested in including children with autism in everything from sports to theater to Sunday school.

Lisa Jo Rudy writes for museums, publishers, universities and educational organizations including National Geographic, Space Telescope and the National Science Foundation. Her credits include over a dozen books and hundreds of articles, blogs, curricula and publications for children and adults on topics ranging from autism to zoology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very motivating wih wonderful ideas!, May 9, 2010

By 

AlexJouJou (D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun!: How Families of Children With Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities (Paperback)

(What's this?)

A little background is in order. I have a 10 yr old son with Autism. He was born with a chromosomal deletion (8p23.1) that can cause severe behavioral issues. He also has some physical challenges. In the beginning we were too busy, bluntly, keeping him alive to worry about getting out--in fact the first two years we were on quarantine keeping him in to keep germs and sickness out. Then when we were medically out of the woods more his behaviors became so challenging we (like the author of this book) had him kicked out of every preschool he attended. By age 5 he was in a lock down psych ward -- and we were being told he would need to be institutionalized for the remainder of his life. They gave him so many labels we couldn't keep them straight. We had people in and out of our lives constantly -- leaving us with no privacy, no sense of family, and little sense of hope. Enter a nurse from the ward who took me aside and told me she thought my son might be autistic (not bipolar, ADHD, depressed, or any other of the things all the Doctor's wanted to dx him with) and encouraged us to take him to the regional center for evaluation. Turns out that was correct and we finally turned the corner.

I say this because if this book can be applied to my situation, where my sons history included behaviors like severe perseveration, violence, and limited food choices (amongst many other things), it can apply to nearly anybody's situation with an autistic kid. Really.

The author starts by addressing many of the common issues/thoughts/ideas that come up when you are the parent of an autistic kid. From ignorance to fear to guilt it's covered. For me and my family most of our thought centers on behavior -- how will my son behave? What will they think of me in light of his behavior? The author not only deals with this issue but promptly states that there will be times when things don't go well. Toughen up mom. Keep trying. That's a message that is good for me to hear. It is all too easy to sit in the apartment and handle my son doing things he likes to do and take a break from the world. She does not come across as preachy either.

I very much appreciated the author's guilt free way to get this across. I don't know how other parents feel but I feel guilty. Since my son was little just getting through the day was a major challenge. As he got older and his behaviors a bit better we ventured out a little but even a trip to Target is fraught with problems - he could run (he's an escape artist) or push someone or just melt down. Taking him anywhere is just so challenging that the effort hardly seems worth it. Yet I would like to give him some of the same opportunities other kids have. Let's not even speak about the way this affects his NT (normal) sister who, like the authors daughter, is very close to her brother.

In Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun! the author provides fairly detailed information about many types of outings. Sports, museums, performing arts, social clubs, camps, and more. Each chapter provides a really well done encapsulation of the type of outing, challenges, resources, who it might be appropriate for and some real world family stories (often her own) as well as all sorts of hints and tips. She includes a couple of chapters for how to present inclusion to the groups or outing locations including sample proposals. There is also a resource section in the back.

For those of you who understand acronyms like ABA, RDI, etc she used Greenspan's floortime with her son and she also mentions Garnder's multiple intelligences and Gray's social stories. These will all be familiar things if you have done any amount of research into Autism and Aspergers.

So what's my plan? My daughter is very into drama and theatre. Since my son loves TV and movies I decided that this would be the chapter we would work on first (my son hates sports and is not very good at them and really struggles with making friends). After going through the chapter we (my daughter and I) decided we will go to a play. The author mentions you can be a participant or an observer. We'll start with observation. We're very excited and I feel better prepared for this to be successful yet grounded in a realism that not everything is going to work.

The next outing will be natural world. We live near a canyon and that should be a great place to start exploring. My son hates sand so even though we are by the ocean we seldom venture that way. I do wish the author had included more about the natural world outside of camp though. Much of the info in that chapter is camp related but we have a wide variety of options locally that are not camp's like horseback riding, ranches, pretend digs, local lake's, etc. Some of these things are not only natural world though so I'll use the other chapters to assist.

And that's the point. Whether or not we are successful we tried. I think that is the overall message in this book. Jessica Kingsley publisher is, in my opinion, the top Autism and Aspergers book company. This book is just as excellent as their others. In a world where so many of the resources on ASD kids centers on the TYPE of therapy you should do (including pro's and con's) we really needed a great book like this written at a parent's level. It's realistic, easy to read and reference, and comes at the topic from a practical bent. It is absolutely worth your time to pick up for your reference library. Do yourself a favor though and make sure it is prominently featured so you'll be encouraged to use it frequently!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars lost and found, May 19, 2010

By 

B. Caruso "The Happy Aspie" (SW Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun!: How Families of Children With Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities (Paperback)

(What's this?)

As a parent of a child with Asperger's Syndrome, I try to read whatever I can about living with Asperger's as a family and communicating with the world in which we live. I appreciate the voice of other parents with kids on the Autism Spectrum for their unique perspective and the candid moments they share which only another parent raising a child on the spectrum could possibly understand. I find the how-to and self-help books on Asperger's that are written by people who only see their little blip on the spectrum and cannot broaden their horizons to include the reader in the journey to be entirely too preachy, unrealistic, and I lose interest.

The author of "Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun" initially lost me as in the preface she speaks about her son with PDD-NOS but then, in the preface and the beginning of the book, alienates the reader by making gross generalizations and making negative "however" remarks about specific educational programs and therapies, some of which seem to be based on her one experience rather than research or even talking to parents who have tried them with their kids or the professionals that conduct the various programs. Lisa Jo Rudy is rather gung ho, in the very beginning of the book, about not coddling one's autistic child and seems to favor shoving the autistic child straight out of the nest and the results will be a beneficial learning experience no matter what. It reads, to me, as though she has not had any experience with children with autism and their families, which I know is not the case, so I'm surprised that I came away with this feeling, just in the opening pages of her book.

I think this book suffers from what I consider to be "The Secret" syndrome- think positive and everything will be positive. The reality, is that with a kid with autism, many parents find that "expect the best but prepare for the worst" is the norm, and frankly, my son with Asperger's doesn't cramp my style and we don't hold him back from experiences, but we do make an effort to modulate where needed so that he can get the most out of a specific experience. In the preface and the early chapters, the author seems to advocate for immersion and maybe her child and her experience is not with individuals with sensory challenges.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for kids (regardless of their wiring) having fun and experiencing the world, but as a parent of a child who spent the first month of preschool washing his hands compulsively because the water and the action dampened the sound and movement that was overwhelming in the new environment, I have learned that it is important for our kids to have all of the recreational and life experiences possible, but if you throw them right in and say that they will be stronger because they will learn from the negative interactions and adapt to the negative environmental cues, then you are ignoring the reality that is life with autism, asperger's, and sensory issues. If my kid could get past the sensory stuff just by being in the mix, then I probably wouldn't be reading every book and article on the subject and working with him on a daily basis so that he can tackle the world.

What this book does right, though it almost lost me before we got there, is that it offers various recreational groups suggestions on how to accommodate a child with autism, and the positives of the child with autism, while getting rid of any fears they may have about including a child who is not neurotypical in their programs. Lisa Jo Rudy's professional experience is in this particular area and here is where she shines. The lecture-y, singular perspective of the beginning of the book almost fades from memory as she shoes ways that kids may need help participating, and encourages parents to pursue inclusion and gives them the tools to advocate for their children in an area that isn't often covered with any depth in other publications (though physical disabilities are often covered, neurobiological differences are often "invisible" to the casual observer, and that makes dealing with the public, and often family and friends, and participating in the whole world a challenge, and quite exhausting). I love that she presents lists and ways to address concerns (the facility's and our own, as parents) and mentions some alternate programs that parents may not be aware of at more traditional recreational outlets (like special needs swim classes at the Y).

I will keep this book on my reference shelf, as the tips, suggestions, and parental empowerment (once you get past the beginning) are quite good jumping off points for pursuing a more active experience, in the community, for the family.

On a personal note, I have Asperger's as well, and I was only diagnosed shortly after my son was (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree apparently!). I am 34. I think I take issue with the idea of dropping a kid with AS/ASD into a mainstream program as preferential over a program where their needs are considered so they can adapt and grow, because I was the kid dropped into programs and dealing with bullies, and my own shortcomings (I'm a thorough researcher and an excellent metalsmith, but anything sports related is not my forte, and thankfully at 34 I can laugh at it, but at 4-18 the criticism from peers and adults was devastating and paralyzing. My belief in raising my son is the old adage about learning to walk before you can run. There are not breaks from things being a therapeutic experience in raising my child, as everything is a learning and therapeutic experience, but that doesn't make it exhausting and boring and dreadful for the child or for us. I also think that throwing caution to the wind and putting a child with sensory and communication and neurological differences overall in a situation where their challenges are going to eclipse any benefit, without appropriate support (which includes therapy, assistance, practice, social skills/stories, etc) can do serious damage. I do appreciate that this book then covered the aides, assistance, etc... but the beginning definitely sounded like some of the tripe we have to deal with from family members who don't bother to read the literature or even listen to our stories (ie "he needs to socialize more and he'll be fine"...Put my kid in a room of 100 kids his age and most of them will eventually communicate with another kid in some way. My kid will be taking apart the water fountain to inspect the plumbing.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book for advice from a parent who has walked the walk., May 22, 2010

By 

S. Jaskiewicz "Autism Dad" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Get Out, Explore, and Have Fun!: How Families of Children With Autism or Asperger Syndrome Can Get the Most Out of Community Activities (Paperback)

I heartily recommend Lisa Rudy's new book, "Get Out, Explore and Have Fun" - and not just because I and my son are quoted in it (and I got a complimentary copy).

Let me give you a bit of background, so that you can understand why she doesn't just "talk the talk," but has also "walked the walk" of involving a child with autism in the community and in activities.

My son was a charter camper in Camp Outlook, the inclusion model adaptation of a typical YMCA camp modified for children with Asperger's Syndrome that she created and nurtured ([...]); it was his ESY program after kindergarten, and I learned of it through a parents' support group. That camp was the first time that we heard about what my son had done well during the day, rather than the bad things he had done - it was a truly a life changing experience for him and for us. (Full disclosure: partially as a result of his involvement in Camp Outlook, I was appointed to (and still hold a seat on) the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity, and advocated for the expansion of the original camp to other branches.) In short, the advice in this book is based on real life success, not just ideas that sound good in theory.

The day I received my copy, a friend who is a case manager at a local wraparound agency (a group that provides in-home therapists to persons with autism) happened to be visiting us. When he saw the book, and its contents, he immediately saw how helpful it could be to his work (and that of the persons he supervises), and planned to order a copy immediately.

From my personal experience, I have tried to involve my son in as many experiences outside our home as possible, including Scouting, Challenger baseball and our church's religious education program (all mentioned in the book), as well as the YMCA Adventure Guides (which gave him the self confidence to speak about his activities of the prior month at each meeting when the "talking stick" came to him, with practice, of course). I have found that often the key to success has been learning how to accommodate his needs, so that he can get the desired benefit or enjoyment without potential pitfalls (and knowing what activities to avoid in the first place, such as soccer). For example, the Disney special needs pass (discussed in the book) was a critical way of making our visit to Disneyworld a success for our whole family, including our typical child. I think that this book provides a host of such ideas on ways to adapt activities to increase the chances of success for a child with autism, as well as helping parents, caregivers and service providers (like my friend) create ways to develop their own accommodations for situations not covered in the book.

In my advocacy in various contexts, such as religious education or adaptive sports, I have tried to provide a consistent message to parents of children with disabilities. Don't assume your child can't do something because of his or her autism - you may have to provide accommodations, be involved yourself as a leader to facilitate your child's participation, and plan the event intensively, but your child is capable of many great things. This book provides plenty of tools to make that effort easier.

I encourage parents to buy it not only as a checklist of possible outings, but also to reinforce their confidence in their own abilities to take their own child out into the world to have fun.