1,2,3 Get Ready!
Imagine. A summer of field trips and fun with friends and family that also helps build vital skills for the school year ahead. That’s what you will find in 123 Get Ready.
Designed for children on the autism spectrum and others with communication difficulties, this action-packed program requires no unusual equipment, no special training, and costs almost nothing to run. All the materials you need to conduct this 8-week program are contained in a handsome three-ring binder, along with a wealth of ideas on how to keep a child busy, productive and moving ahead.
- 1,2,3, Get Ready! workbook includes:
- 200+ picture symbols on heavy, coated stock
- Handy storage pages
- A packet full of Velcro dots and a Sharpie pen
- Sturdy daily schedule
- Materials for eight language-building field trips
- Circle of Friends kit
- Games and ideas to help build fine and gross motor skills, strength, flexibility, and the desire to interact.
- All neatly arranged in a handsome, three-ring binder.
Author Info
Mary D. Johnson lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, Richard, their typically developing daughter, Mary Margaret, and son, Pace, who has autism. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and formerly a professional actress and commercial writer/director/producer, Mary has always had a keen interest in psychology, communication, child development, and education. Now, as the parent of these two lively children and main coordinator of Pace’s therapeutic and academic programs, Mary brings all her previous experience and creativity to bear in developing innovative ways to increase her son’s skills while attempting to keep balance in the family. 1,2,3, Get Ready! grew out of the need to prepare Pace for his transition from a “special-needs” Preschool to full inclusion in a regular Kindergarten class, while providing an experience that would be fun and fruitful for everyone else in the family, too.
Gina S. Steinsberger, M.A., SLP, helped develop the 1,2,3, Get Ready! summer program while still a graduate student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Originally from a small town in Indiana, Gina has had extensive experience as a care giver of both typically developing and challenged children. After graduation Gina worked at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Hearing and Speech in Nashville – treating children on the autism spectrum, as well as those with developmental delays – and has recently returned to Knoxville where she is now a speech language pathologist and part of a multi-disciplined team of professionals at a private therapy firm.
1,2,3, Get Ready! was originally designed for a young child with autism who was preparing to enter a typical Kindergarten classroom. It is suitable for any child between the ages of 4-9 who has a language delay or communication challenge and could certainly be used for even younger children who have no developmental delays. It is a self-contained, fun-based summer program that invites the participation of friends and other family members and can easily be run by parents or professionals.
To date, 1,2,3, Get Ready! has been distributed to over 30 states and one foreign country. It is currently being carried in four of the Pro-Ed, Inc. catalogs to professionals and parents who are working with children with autism and other communication difficulties. The workbook can also be ordered directly from the publisher, Merry Pace Press or through this website by clicking on the "Purchase" tab. Many people -- from teachers and speech therapists with dozens of pupils and clients to parents and grandparents who are deeply concerned about the welfare of one precious child -- have reported positive experiences in working with the 1,2,3, Get Ready! tool kit. Here are just a few examples of what people are saying:
BOOK REVIEW
Autism Society of America
The Advocate, second edition, 2003
Reviewed by Juliet Mellow
1,2,3, Get Ready! A Fun Summer Program to Help Prepare the Special Child for Regular School
Mary Johnson was terrified. At a May meeting, she learned that her six-year old son, Pace, who had been diagnosed with autism since age 2 1/2, was going to be placed into a “regular” kindergarten class for the fall. Mary’s initial elation was quickly followed by, in her words, “a state of utter panic.” How would Pace, described by his mother as primarily non-verbal, very withdrawn, and with extensive fine and gross motor delays, fit in with typical kids?
Out of Mary’s panic, this excellent activity book was born. In the introduction, Mary states that she focused on three goals with Pace that summer before kindergarten: (1) boost expressive speech; (2) enhance social skills; and (3) improve motor ability. To this end, she created a three-part program consisting of eight field trips, a “Circle of Friends,” and large motor activities/games. 1,2,3, Get Ready! chronicles Pace’s summer program in detail, while also providing a wealth of materials to help parents conduct the program themselves.
The materials are particularly plentiful in the first section, “Field Trips,” with a page of picture symbols for each trip (i.e. firehouse, nature center), as well as for a daily schedule, food, weather, and feelings. With the goal of creating a story after each trip, Mary included picture symbols for a good selection of verbs and prepositions, along with a story board. All pages are laminated with very clear instructions. The book also contains a storage page for each group of picture symbols (a boon for all parents), and even Velcro tabs and a permanent marker!
The second section is the most poignant, as the author describes Pace’s gradual integration into the “Circle of Friends,” a small group of typical children that met weekly at his house. She offers a list of suggested games to play with such a group, and how to facilitate social interaction.
The last section, “Physical Fun and Games,” contains activities to enhance sensory integration and that help to develop overall motor skills like catching a ball. Again, picture symbols and storage pages are included.
Families everywhere with young children like Pace can benefit from 1,2,3, Get Ready! This book is an excellent resource for parents of young children with autism, whether mainstreamed in school or not.
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It contains field trips, visual schedules and icons, a wealth of practical suggestions to prepare a child for typical school in 8 weeks. Even the marker is included! It is quite a nice kit, and it’s only $49.95 (one hour of ABA therapy in many cases). I think it could be a good kit for anyone, even if you just use it at home yourself on weekends or give it to your therapists.
Christina A., California
Parent of a child with autism
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There are numerous excellent resources for those who work with children with autism, however, few are as practical and useful as 1,2,3, Get Ready! This workbook comes in a three-inch, three-ring binder so materials can be removed for use. The pages are thick and coated. Text and pictures are attractive. I have found this to be a great resource for use with families preparing a child for inclusion in a kindergarten classroom. Imagine, a text on autism that has clear value for practical use! The author is very optimistic, which parents find helpful and refreshing. I have two copies that I loan to teachers.
Dr. William Allen,
School Psychologist
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I bought the first one off the press and have used it a lot with a wide variety of clients!
Martha McClellan,
Speech Therapist
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It could make a huge difference academically and socially for any child with sensory issues and language deficits.
Lynne DeBolt,
Occupational Therapist
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I know it will be well loved and used by many.
Mary Ann McIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP
Autism Spectrum Disorders Consultant,
NW Arkansas Area
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Reading 1,2,3, Get Ready! made me feel like, “wow, there’s hope,” because Pace sounded so much like my son. It’s been really helpful. We use the schedule board every day and take it everywhere. It shouldn’t be called 1,2,3, Get Ready! It should be called 1,2,3, Use it All the Time!.
Mary A., Minnesota
Parent of a child with autism
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It’s a wonderful book. We took it on a family vacation to Germany to help assimilate our experiences there. Now that’s a field trip!
Sue D., Tennessee
Parent of a child with autism