What You Need To Know About Motivation And Teaching Games: An In-Depth Analysis

As the parent of a child with autism, I am continually searching for a program or perspective that truly fits my child. Having tried everything from Floortime to PRT to ABA-VB, I've ultimately come to realize that my son's gains under any program are directly tied to his level of motivation. While many programs for developmentally delayed children acknowledge the importance of tapping into motivation, none seem to guide parents through the most challenging part: actually determining what motivates your child, and how motivated your child is for a particular activity or reinforcer at any given moment. Steven Ward does not shy away from this challenge. His book -- which is clearly the product of much analysis and experience working with kids with ASD -- actually lays out a framework for assessing and shaping motivation. At the same time, I equally appreciated his candor in acknowledging the challenges of finding and capitalizing on a child's motivation. Too many other resources seem to gloss over this very real difficulty, and leave parents and, I assume, teachers and therapists, at a loss for where to begin a meaningful yet practical intervention that captures the child's interests and engagement as much as possible.In addition to offering principles and guidance on motivation as a general matter, the book includes several games, along with specific instructions for teaching these games to different learners. The games appear to have been thoughtfully chosen for their value in building foundational skills in areas in which children with ASD typically have deficits, including socialization, listener discrimination and question-response repertoires. In short, I have found this book to be a great resource that adds a new dimension and extremely helpful perspective to my son's intervention program.

I loved the focus on making sure that kids with ASD are really motivated when trying to teach them, rather than just increasing prompting to get them through something. Lots of great ideas for social games.

Great book

This is good stuff. There is an authentic original work behind this book.

Great book with useful information

I started reading this book and could not put it down. Finally, a book that shows all adults wanting to help children with autism and other special needs how to get through to these kids and teach them through meaningful play activities and beyond. As a special education teacher, private applied behavior analysis therapist, M.S.Ed. counseling intern, child-centered play therapist, parent consultant, and child advocate, I cannot tell you how helpful this resource has been in all my professional and personal endeavors. The author, Steven Ward, has a fantastic writing style that makes this book easy, fun, and inspirational to read with lots of concrete suggestions that adults can use right away in every moment of their interactions with kids. I recommend it to anyone wanting to expand their ability to connect with, motivate, and teach kids through games and beyond!

Perfect