ABSTRACT
AutPlay social skills groups help children and adolescents with ASD improve on their social skills deficits in a fun and engaging way. This chapter details the 10-session model of AutPlay social skills groups. Directive play therapy activities are introduced and practiced during these group sessions that provide both education and enjoyment for the group participants. Parent-led sessions are also discussed which allow for parents to be co-change agents in the development of their children’s social and emotional skills. The pragmatics of these social skills groups are carefully detailed which allow the reader to fully understand then develop a plan for conducting these groups on their own. A plan for helping the parents understand the dynamics of these groups is also described. The reader will ultimately be introduced to a 10-session group session model which can be directly implemented for future group development.
