Teaching kids with autism to play games is tricky.
And in 2008, I met a behavior analyst who changed my whole view on how to teach games.
So today I wanna talk about Steve Ward and his book on this important topic.
Hi, I'm doctor Mary Barbera from Mary barbera.com.
Each week I provide parents and professionals with some of my ideas about turning autism
around.
So if you haven't subscribed to my youtube channel, I'd love it if you do that.
Now, a few months ago, I also started a weekly turn autism around podcast and one guest is
Steve Ward.
He's featured in episode number 22.
So to check out that particular podcast, it would be marybarbara.com forward slash 22.
So years ago, I uh, met Steve Ward at a book signing.
I was signing my book, the verbal behavior approach and he was signing his new book,
what you need to know about motivation and teaching games.
So I wrote a written blog, but now since I've interviewed Steve for my podcast, we talked
about other things about the book that I wanted to hop back on here and do a video blog about
Steve’s book and Steve's work because it really did change the way I teach games.
And I've recommended this book more times than I can count.
So the book includes a, an analysis of of how games help language and all that is in
the beginning.
And then there are 12 games, 12 specific games such as go fish and Simon says and memory
with data sheets, blank data sheets, ways you could adapt the game based on a functioning
level and language and just all kinds of things that I never thought of as a behavior analyst.
And um, so when I returned home from reading the book and meeting Steve Right away, and
I talk about this in my written blog, all right away, I wanted to implement these strategies
and I told his therapy team that I wanted to teach him, go fish and get, go fish game
better because he was already playing go fish.
But when I really sat down and used mine, used the data sheets and Steve's book, I was
able to see and the behavioral analyst that was working directly with Lucas, was able
to see that we really didn't have him playing go fish very well at all.
That it was very prompt dependent and it wasn't really uh, looking good.
So we did use Steve's techniques to improve that game as well as other games.
I was able to count errors and prompts and we were able to then make some changes to
the game that we didn't think of prior to reading the book and meeting Steve.
So the other thing that came up in addition to these kind of card games and board games,
those sorts of games, he also outlined some games such as hotter colder and red light,
green light, and he adapts them like red light, green light becomes stop and go, which are
really functional.
So like the stop and go game, which is basically red light, green light, and then hotter, colder
game.
Like a typical game that you play hotter, colder is more Yes and no.
Um, so we really talked on the podcast about how those sorts of games, which are also outlined
in this book are excellent for teaching language and decision making and problem solving.
Steve also told me, which I wasn’t aware of that he came out with a second, um, advanced
version with, it's called 21 more games.
I think he said, I haven't checked out that book, but I'm sure that's awesome as well.
And he has other books too.
Um, Steve is in, been in the Aba field for over two decades and is really quite an accomplished
professional who really knows his stuff.
So highly recommend this book by Steve Ward.
Uh, what you need to know about motivation and teaching games and as well as looking
at his other books through his website, whole child consulting.com.
So hope you like this.
Check out the podcast interview as well.
Episode number 22.
And um, I'm sure you will love the book as much as I did wherever you're watching this.
Love it If you'd leave me a comment, give me a thumbs up and share this video with others
who might benefit.
And for more information, uh, you can attend a free online workshop at Mary barbera.com
forward slash workshop.
And I hope to see you right here next week.