The autism playbook for teens : imagination-based mindfulness activities to calm yourself, build independence, & connect with others / Irene McHenry, Carol Moog, Foreword by Susan Kaiser Greenland

Foreword / Susan Kaiser Greenland -- Part one: Calm your body and mind (1. Just breathe: focus and calm yourself ; 2. Soar with your butterflies: calm your anxiety ; 3. Create a pause button: get comfortable ; 4. Light the stage: choose the best focus ; 5. Groove with gravity: feel solid in your body).

Part two: Use your thoughts and feelings to build your independence (6. Your body is the actor: identify your feelings ; 7. The astonishing energy of feelings: use your feelings as power ; 8. Basic meltdown prevention: managing anger ; 9. Your mind is the stage: get flexible and switch roles ; 10. Makeover magic: improve your self-esteem).

Part three: Reach out to connect with others and direct your life (11. Play the role of a scientist: get curious ; 12. You are the director: advocate for yourself ; 13. The positive channel: build your health and happiness ; 14. Practice kindness: make friends ; 15. Design your own stage: prepare for your scenes ; 16. Live your own scripts: direct your next steps).

"Teens with autism have the potential to be excellent actors. They are natural observers-able to study, imitate, and learn social behavior. The Autism Playbook for Teens is designed to bolster these strengths with mindfulness strategies and roleplaying scripts, while also helping teens reduce anxiety, manage emotions, be more aware in the present moment, and connect with others. This book offers a unique, strengths-based approach to help teens with autism spectrum (including Asperger's Syndrome) develop social skills, strengthen communication, and thrive. The activities contained in each chapter are custom-designed to work with the unique perspectives, sensory processing, neurological strengths and challenges that teens with autism bring to their encounters with the social world. By engaging in these activities, teens will gain an authentic awareness of their surroundings, leading to better social interaction that is also rewarding, interesting, and fun. The delightful and creative activities in this book are grounded in well-documented clinical observations and current empirical studies. They also take into account the real neurological differences that exist in young people with autism, and focuses on the unique pathways needed to connect with and inspire these exceptional and fabulous teenagers. This is the only book available for teens with autism that specifically integrates mindfulness skills and imaginative scripted roleplaying activities for building authentic social experiences"-- Provided by publisher.

"Teens with autism are natural observers--able to study, imitate, and learn social behavior. The Autism Playbook for Teens is designed to empower these strengths with mindfulness strategies and scripts, while also helping teens reduce anxiety, manage emotions, be more aware in the present moment, and connect with others. This book offers a unique, strengths-based approach to help teens with autism and Asperger's develop social skills, strengthen communication, and thrive"-- Provided by publisher.