Review of Let's Make a Contract

Katherine O’Keefe, BA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment

Autism book review lets make a contract For parents looking for a new resource for creating positive behavior change through contracting, look no further than Drs. Jill C. Dardig and William L. Heward’s new book, Let’s Make a Contract. Two respected professionals in the field of child and family development, Dardig and Heward have crafted a comprehensive overview of contracting, including example stories of contracting, instructions on how to create one’s own contract in straightforward language, and valuable contract templates to use.

Let’s Make a Contract opens with a number of stories written to be accessible to young audiences, as it is suggested that parents read them together with their children. Some of these stories include:

- Game Suspended: A family looks to solve the problems of young Jeff’s messy bedroom and his teenage sister Lynn’s bad habit of forgetting to start dinner.
- The Number Problem: Perry looks to improve his study habits through a self-contract.
- The Pet Menace: Martina wonders if she can help her four-year-old sister with autism learn to play nicely with the family pets.
- By Myself: Connor, a fourth-grader with autism, uses a contract with his mom to get ready independently each morning.

Throughout the stories in the “Read Together” section of Let’s Make a Contract, Dardig and Heward’s engaging storytelling highlights the numerous ways in which contracting can be used to create positive behavior change, as well as common mistakes parents make when first implementing contracts with their children. These stories also provide parents and their children with models of open, direct conversation between family members, as well as showing the characters defusing conflict when contracts don’t immediately work out. With this, Dardig and Heward infuse into all of their stories an emphasis on the importance of respect for all parties involved. Contracting is framed as another iteration of the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated—something from which we could all benefit.

The second half of the book, “Make Your Own Contracts,” breaks the contracting process down into four parts and guides parents through each step: selecting the task, choosing the reward, writing the contract, and implementing the contract. Throughout this section, Dardig and Heward provide answers to frequently asked questions that parents may have about contracting, such as “Why should my child get rewarded for something they should be doing already?” and provide Tips for Success along the way. Their straightforward language never over explains any concept and provides the reader with a quick, helpful resource that can be easily referenced as they create and tweak their own contracts. Dardig and Heward also provide templates for families to create their own contracts in English as well as in several other languages on their companion website.

A section that particularly shines in the second half of Let’s Make a Contract is within the “Select a Task” chapter in which the authors walk parents through the process of selecting a task through a cooperative approach in a family meeting where everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. They provide positive examples, as well as illustrate what language to avoid to keep the contracting process positive, specific, and collaborative. What makes these examples powerful is that almost everyone will have said (or perhaps heard) one of the phrases in the “Instead of Saying” column at some point in their lives. Common family complaints such as a child being messy, talking back, or needing to “pitch-in” more areis reframed to be actionable items, rather than vague complaints that leave both parties feeling discouraged.

Also helpful are the final two chapters of the book, “Picture Contracts for Nonreaders” and “If Your Child Won’t Try Contracting.” These chapters provide creative approaches to customize the contracting process to make it accommodating for nearly any child. In the chapter regarding contracts for nonreaders, Dardig and Heward walk the reader through how to effectively communicate the “if-then” relationship through a picture contract, as well as ways to represent less concrete aspects of the contract, such as time. For the child who doesn’t want to try contracting, Dardig and Heward suggest ways to keep lines of communication open, while not pressuring the child, such as demonstrating a contract with a sibling to let them observe without participating themselves.

Beyond the text of the book, something that makes Let’s Make a Contract especially enjoyable to read is the bright, colorful illustrations throughout the book that feature people from many walks of life. This emphasis on diversity is refreshing to see and sets the stage for anyone who is reading–adult or child–to see someone who looks like them reflected in the pages of this book. Additionally, the interspersing of example contracts throughout both parts of the book allows the reader to see the multitude of ways a contract can look.

Worth highlighting is the universality of the advice provided in the book: the tools Dardig and Heward provide readers with can easily be applied to relationships beyond that of parent and child. Speak to each other without interrupting. Be positive. Be specific. Let everyone have a turn. If more of us followed the authors’ advice, we may all experience less conflict and more connection.

In the closing words of the preface to Let’s Make a Contract, Dardig and Heward state that, “Above all, we hope families will find contracting fun. And, if this book merely prompts family members to sit down and listen to each other’s concerns and desires, we will consider it a great success.” Through the storytelling, clear and straightforward examples provided, and ongoing emphasis on open and direct communication among families, Dardig and Heward have set the stage for their hope to become a reality, handing families the tools they need to improve their relationships through contracting.

Citation for this article:

O’ Keefe, K. (2022). Book Review: Let’s make a contract. Science in Autism Treatment, 19(6).

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Review of Let’s Make a Contract