Play Therapy And Asperger's Syndrome

Play Therapy and Asperger's Syndrome: Helping Children and Adolescents Grow, Connect, and Heal Through the Art of Play is for the mental health professional (psychologist, licensed counselor, licensed social worker) who utilizes play therapy and who works with children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

This book is also for the graduate student learning effective therapy approaches to use with children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. The book provides a history of Asperger's syndrome and the challenges that often arise in therapy with this population. The book examines therapist characteristics and skills necessary to effectively utilize play therapy with young people diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

Play Therapy and Asperger's Syndrome presents the main therapeutic themes of children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and play therapy techniques are provided for each theme to address the emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges. A separate chapter is devoted to issues of divorce and grief/loss and presents specific play therapy techniques to help children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome during these potentially tumultuous life events.

Each chapter presents play therapy techniques to help build family connections and help parents/caregivers connect in a deeper understanding of their child or adolescent diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Review: This book is beautifully written. Kevin Hull's expertise meets a critical need in the field for guidance in the therapy process with children diagnosed with Asperger's.

This well organized book is geared toward practitioners and will be clinically highly useful. It expresses the author's clinical wisdom and compassion throughout. I recommend it enthusiastically to all who work with or wish to understand these extremely unique and special children. -- David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, author of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Wounded Spirits and Healing Paths Play Therapy and Asperger's Syndrome is a long-awaited and comprehensive work focusing on the strategic use of play-based interventions for children with Asperger's and mild autistic disorders.

It is especially valuable given the extensive direct, hands-on experience that Dr.Hull has had with this population. I was impressed with both Dr. Hull's scholarly knowledge base and conceptualization of the issues, as well as his use of clear and meaningful clinical examples and case studies. This will be especially helpful for those in the helping professions less familiar with play-based interventions, and certainly for those new to the unique challenges of this field. -- Dan LeGoff, PhD, LP, assistant director, Y.A.L.E.

Schools Kevin Hull's seminal book will be avidly read and appreciated by psychologists and parents. His insight into the world of Asperger's syndrome is quite remarkable and his adaptations to play therapy ensure that his programs will become a primary source of inspiration for clinicians and psychotherapists.

I really enjoyed reading the case studies and absorbing the advice of an exceptional psychotherapist. -- Tony Attwood Ph.D.