Replays: Using Play to Enhance Emotional and Behavioral Development for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Replays addresses the challenging behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders through interactive symbolic play. It shows parents and professionals how to help children access their emotions, whether the child is verbal or not, cognitively able or impaired, even-tempered or volatile. The chapters introduce and show readers how to implement Replays, and describe ways of adapting this intervention to address specific issues in different settings and circumstances. Levine and Chedd present more than just behavioral management strategies in the context of social, emotional and communication development: they have developed a technique that helps children to re-experience, play through and master the complex emotional response states that often lead to ongoing behavioral challenges. Replays is an easy and fun tool that provides numerous step-by-step examples and illustrations. It enables parents and professionals to guide children with autism spectrum disorders towards mastering, and changing, their emotional and behavioral responses.

Naomi Chedd is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Educational Consultant in private practice. Naomi and Karen Levine have worked collaboratively with children with autism and developmental disabilities for more than ten years. They have written many articles for families, therapists and educators and frequently present at conferences.

Karen Levine is the Clinical Director for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the Cambridge Center for Child and Adolescent Development of the Cambridge Health Alliance, and is an Instructor at the Harvard Medical School. Karen and Naomi Chedd have worked collaboratively with children with autism and developmental disabilities for more than ten years. They have written many articles for families, therapists and educators and frequently present at conferences.