Tommy Laroo Always Gets Told What to Do!

Tommy Laroo is a smart, precocious, non-verbal autistic boy who is always getting bossed around, smothered with questions or loaded up with tasks, and demands. Accompany Tommy through his day to see what it's like to have constant demands placed on you without a voice of your own to express how you feel, what you think or what your prefer. As it turns out Tommy does have something he'd like to share with you. Will you listen?

Tommy's character was inspired by author Aaron DeLand's eighteen year career working with roughly one thousand different children on the autism spectrum. Something he saw as a common experience for many of these children was that they were being "over requested" "over tasked" and at times flat out interrogated. Not from a place of malice, but out of a yearning for more connection, learning and growth. Regardless of intent, this experience turns a lot of children off to interaction. This book aims to shed light on this phenomenon, and also offer insight into how to help children learn and develop without using so many demands. The first half of the book is the story of Tommy Laroo, the second half is filled with tips and techniques for parents and professionals on how to help children with various challenges be more socially connected and interactive.

Aaron started working with children on the autism spectrum in 1999 and knew immediately that this was his calling. Over the past fifteen years, he has traveled extensively working with hundreds of families from all over the world, logging thousands of hours playing with children and teaching their parents. Aaron currently lives in Portland, OR with his wife Kim, son Waylon, daughter Olivia and mischievous mutt Grover. He and his wife run a private practice providing developmental play and speech therapy. Learn more at www.playconnectgrow.org