March is nearly over, and while we're excited for April because it's Autism Awareness Month, we want to bring your attention to a conference happening on March 26th featuring clinicians Lawrence Rubin, PhD, LMHC, RPT-S and Loretta Gallo-Lopez, MA, LMHC, RDT-BCT, as they share their play-based expertise (see sidebar for more details!). If you haven't already heard of these two, you're about to! They co-edited the book Play-Based Interventions for Children & Adolescents on the Autistic Spectrum. This informative book for fellow clinicians features a compilation of articles by well-known experts in the field. We've included an excerpt of the interview, but you'll have to peruse April's edition to read the whole interview.

Interview with Larry and Loretta

How did you choose the authors for this compilation? 

We scanned the literature and our large network of colleagues who were working with this population, with an eye toward those who were doing empirically grounded, in addition of course, to clinically meaningful work. 

Who is your target audience? 
Our target audience are clinicians at every level of practice and in every facet of mental health care, as well as educators and advocates for this challenging population. 

When I read the foreword, I was intrigued by your reference to the common "therapeutic elements" in every chapter. Can you expand on that?
By common therapeutic elements, we are referring to useful therapeutic factors that are the basis of the work of each author/clinician. Such common therapeutic factors include following or building upon the child's interests, encouraging the child's initiative, becoming and remaining connected and interacting in ways that are meaningful for the child.   

The writing from the authors is such that it's accessible for non-professionals; do you recommend it for parents, teachers and other adults dealing with children on the spectrum?  
Absolutely! It is a book that lends itself to meaningful, and useful conversations by all of those involved in the care, education and treatment of this population. 

What was your biggest revelation as you wrote and compiled this handbook?
Perhaps that many clinicians and trainees out there who are not necessarily deeply experienced with this population, can learn (and be taught) to apply their play-therapy skills to working with these children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

....see the rest of the interview in next month's newsletter!