Taking a look at the most common sensory issues kids face, Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders offers a compilation of unique, proven strategies that parents can implement to help their children move beyond their sensory needs. This updated second edition: Shows parents how to characterize their child's sensory issues into one of several profiles. Helps parents find the best adaptations and changes to their child's everyday routines. Provides a week-by-week series of activities and checklists. Helps improve children's performance on tasks like homework, transitions between activities, and interactions with friends. Is written by parents and occupational therapists. Whether it's having to remove tags from clothing or using special dimmed lighting when they study, kids with sensory disorders or special sensory needs often need adaptations in their everyday lives in order to find success in school and beyond.

Because of the unique needs of children with ASD, it is important to pay special attention to the details of their experience in the medical environment. Designed to help make the medical experience easier for all involved, this book presents information on ASD, the varying developmental levels, interventions, and assessments that medical staff, parents, educators, and key service providers can use to more effectively interact with and support children with ASD while in the medical setting. The information and techniques presented in "Prescription for Success" can be used by doctors, nurses, medical technicians, residents, interns, and even administrative staff to support children with ASD and their families in what can otherwise be trying circumstances. There is a CD at the back of the book that includes forms and worksheets that can be printed and duplicated.

'GORGEOUS, VIVIDLY ALIVE' NEW YORK TIMES 'BOLD, HONEST AND SUPERBLY WELL-WRITTEN' ANDRE ACIMAN, AUTHOR OF CALL ME BY YOUR NAME 'GRACEFUL AND SOUL-BARING' MELANIE REID, THE TIMES 'WHAT A GIFT . . . HAS THE RIGOR AND PRECISION OF JOAN DIDION AND MAGGIE NELSON AND A FORTHRIGHT HUMOR AND NAKED TRUTH ALL OF ITS OWN.' SARAH RUHL, AUTHOR OF SMILE I am in a bar in Brooklyn listening to two men, my friends, discuss whether or not my life was worth living. So begins Chloe Cooper Jones's bold account of moving through the world in a body that looks different than most. Born with a rare congenital condition called sacral agenesis, she must contend not only with her own physical pain, but the emotional discomfort of others. It is only when she unexpectedly becomes a mother that she confronts the demand to live life fully, propelling her on a journey across the globe, reclaiming the spaces she'd been denied, and denied herself. From Roman sculptures to a Beyonce concert, from a tennis tournament to the Cambodian Killing Fields, Jones interrogates the myths of beauty with spiky intelligence, aesthetic philosophy, love and humor, inviting us to find a new way of seeing.

Suspect there's something "different" about your child? This book will help you navigate those early stages of your child's life when a diagnosis is nowhere in sight. Not knowing how to help your child can leave you totally frustrated, or frightened into inaction by a vision of what may lie ahead. Written by a mother who understands (At first, she tried with all her might to avoid her son's diagnosis!), this book humorously and gently prods parents into action, beginning with the chapters "Was That the Exit to Normal?" and "Rules of the Road," and then getting to the nitty gritty in" Labels - You Gotta Love 'Em" and "To School or Not to School."

Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk are authors who know how to take their own advice. Winner of Learning Magazine's Teachers' Choice Award, the first edition of 1001 Great Ideas has been a treasured resource in the autism community since 2004. Now, in this expanded edition, Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author and editor of Autism Asperger's Digest magazine) present parents and educators with over 1800 ideas-try-it-now tips, eye-opening advice, and grassroots strategies. More than 600 fresh ideas join tried and true tactics from the original edition, while many ideas pick up where the first edition left off, offering modifications for older kids, honing in on Asperger's challenges, and enhancing already-effective ways to help your child or student achieve success at home, in school, and in the community. It helps you quickly find solutions, explanations, and strategies that speak to the variety of developmental levels, learning styles, and abilities inherent in children with autism or Asperger's.

This debut autobiographical novel by a compassionate and deeply perceptive writer is raw, funny and moving. It is the story of Colleen, the little girl who has to wear boots to support her weak ankles, seen through her eyes and told in her own words. She is the third-born child of parents who share a chaotic and co-dependent relationship. Accompanied by her siblings, this is the child's journey, set against the background of Cape Town with all its mystery and beauty. The period is the 1940s, a time of innocence, social graces, the Queen's visit, and sports heroes like Vic Toweel and Bobby Locke. It is a time of religious fervour, baptisms, conversions and Sunday School picnics. Apartheid is seen through the eyes of innocent children, bemused and confused by the flawed and unjust system. The pages are crowded by a host of odd characters, lovable, eccentric, alcoholic and troubled. There's Aunty Bubble who teaches the children to jitterbug and Uncle Nicholas who speaks the Queen's English and plays a trumpet in the Royal Navy band. There is Smuts the Xhosa watchman who befriends the children and shares his brazier with them at night, and Edna the maid who tries to keep them neat and clean and fills their stomachs with angels' food. There's Aunty Beryl who carries a Chihuahua around in her handbag, and the midwife, and the home-undertaker named Two-Coffee-One-Milk. The book has universal appeal. There is a human thread recognisable to anyone who has ever been in a co-dependent relationship, or been abused, or grown up poor, or had an alcoholic father ... The text is rich in imagery and vivid detail. Sharp, insightful, nostalgic and magical, both harrowing and joyful, rich in unintentional humour, it will resonate with many. It has the charm of Angela's Ashes. You will laugh with this child, you will cry with her and you will take every breath with her. It is the author's hope that her story might help others dilute the poison of their pain. The sequel will be available in the near future.

The purpose of special needs planning is to create the best possible life for an adult with a disability. This book provides comprehensive guidance on creating a life plan to transition a special needs child to independence or to ensure they are well cared for in the future. Beginning with a vision of a meaningful life for the child, Hal Wright explains how to form a practical plan to reach these goals, how to mentor personal empowerment and task skills, and how to create circles of support to sustain a life plan. He next looks at employment and residential options, and government programs available in the United States. Finally he talks the reader through important financial and legal considerations, including how to fund and manage a special needs trust. This book will be essential reading for all parents or guardians of a child with a cognitive, mental or physical impairment. It will also be of interest to attorneys, financial planners, insurance agents, trust officers and other professionals looking to better serve the special needs community.

When he was a kid, Quentin Kenihan loved Superman. Ironic, really. Quentin didn't need kryptonite to reveal his weakness - born with a rare bone disorder, osteogenesis imperfecta, his bones broke all on their own. When Quentin was seven, Mike Willesee made a documentary about him. Australians fell in love with his wit, and never-say-die attitude. Over the years he grew up before our eyes. But there was a dark side to his life. The true story was never told ... until now. A story of abandonment, drug addiction, dark days and thoughts of suicide. Battling through it all, Quentin's resilience is inspiring. Quentin is now determined to live life the best he can. Just turned 41, he is a filmmaker, stand-up comedian, radio host, actor and film critic; he's hung out with Angelina, accidentally ripped Jennifer Lopez's dress, talked sex with Jean-Claude Van Damme, appeared in MAD MAX and interviewed Julia Gillard, all the while showing that living in a wheelchair doesn't mean staying still. This is an unforgettable, brutally honest, at times heartbreaking memoir. Quentin Kenihan is living proof that superheroes don't need capes, just the right attitude! 'Quentin is a hero of mine. Probably the toughest man I have ever met. Read this book and reconsider how hard you think your life is. It is a liberating experience to face life through his eyes.' - RUSSELL CROWE

Autistic girls can be frequently misunderstood, underestimated and therefore anxious in a school environment. This practical book offers an innovative life skills curriculum for autistic girls aged 11 to 15, based on the author's successful workshops and training, which show how to support girls' wellbeing and boost their self-esteem. Including an adapted PSHE curriculum, this is a straightforward guide to educating autistic children on the issues that matter most to them. It covers all essential areas of wellbeing, including communication, identity, self-regulation and triggers, safety, and physical and mental health, and offers the reader strategies to help the autistic girls in their lives enhance and develop these.

This welcome guide explains how to treat tics and Tourette's syndrome using natural and alternative therapies, from nutritional therapy, behavioral and counseling therapies, EEG biofeedback, and homeopathy to bodywork, energy medicine, and Chinese medicine. Author Sheila Rogers discusses categories of tics including spasmodic facial movements, eye blinking, mild sounds, and humming. She persuasively counters the medical establishment's standard claim that such disorders are "mysterious" and based in genetics. The dramatic spike in cases, she argues, belies this explanation. "Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette's "takes a closer look at the environmental factors and underlying physical imbalances that trigger these conditions' symptoms. In this second edition to "Tics and Tourette's: Breakthrough Discoveries in NaturalTreatments," Rogers offers a detailed natural treatment plan. No more will patients have to rely on traditional, drug-based treatments that often carry multiple side effects. In eight sections, the book offers advice from medical experts, the latest reports in medical research, a checklist of common tic triggers, inspirational stories from families who have successfully conquered tics and Tourette's, and practical worksheets for readers to use in their treatment and research. Each of the 23 chapters includes a place for notes and "Takeaway Tips" summarizing key points.

Haben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she discovered courage as she faced off against a bull she couldn't see, and found in herself an abiding strength as she absorbed her parents' harrowing experiences during Eritrea's thirty-year war with Ethiopia. Their refugee story inspired her to embark on a quest for knowledge, traveling the world in search of the secret to belonging. She explored numerous fascinating places, including Mali, where she helped build a school under the scorching Saharan sun. Her many adventures over the years range from the hair-raising to the hilarious. Haben defines disability as an opportunity for innovation. She learned non-visual techniques for everything from dancing salsa to handling an electric saw. She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created an exciting new way to connect with people. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities. HABEN takes readers through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating memoir is a testament to one woman's determination to find the keys to connection.

All Because of Henry picks up the lead from the international bestseller, A Friend Like Henry, which traced the childhood journey of Dale, the Gardner family and, of course, their amazing golden retriever Henry, who has finally helped Dale to communicate with the world. Now, we meet Dale again, aged seventeen, to find out where his story goes next. He is no longer the victim of severe classical autism, but a young man facing a challenging and uncertain future. Autism changes, but it never goes away. Dale is ready for the world, but is the world ready for him and for his peers? We also catch up with the rest of the family and find out how the challenges that they've faced have affected their lives. His sister, Amy, has a quite different diagnosis of high-functioning autism and has brought different problems. And against the backdrop of the adversity and prejudice they've suffered, Nuala's marriage is crumbling. But there's now a new four-legged friend in the family to help them through it all. Henry's legacy is a continuing and generous one. In the steps of that wonderful dog, their tale takes unexpected twists. Nuala finds a new life and career, which, to her surprise, is often beyond these shores. Their story did not end with Henry; it began, and it continues, in wit, warmth, heartbreak, and ultimately, in triumph.

In January 1988, aged twelve, Martin Pistorius fell inexplicably sick. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound, being cared for at centres for severely disabled children. What no-one knew is that while Martin's body remained unresponsive, his mind slowly woke up, yet he could tell no-one, a prisoner inside his own body. During this time, he suffered abuse of a kind that is barely imaginable, yet still he kept the spirit of hope alive. It wasn't until he was twenty-three that a gentle therapist realised he was alert to everything and, along with his parents, assisted his road to recovery. Since then, against all odds, he has fallen in love, married, and now runs a thriving web design business. Martin's extraordinary story is a deeply moving account of the power of love.

The highly anticipated fourth book from best-selling author Michael A. Boylan, Reach For Me, The Story of My Son Connor, is the inspirational true story of how his life changed abruptly upon receiving the news of his son's diagnosis of William's Syndrome, leading to the collapse of his marriage and family, the loss of his home, his business and life as he knew it, and the healing principles which are woven into a step-by-step process designed to help caregivers address and more effectively deal with all that comes at them over a lifetime of caregiving. Reach For Me is a powerful story of honesty, hope, determination, letting go and finding a deeper resiliency that all will be well, and that all caregivers have a unique need to be embraced and respected by the communities around them. Reach For Me, The Story of My Son Connor is also being compared to the international bestseller The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren because of its ability to generate discussion amongst caregivers wishing to address real-world challenges through the step-by-step process with other caregivers and their families.

Different Like Me introduces children aged 8-12 years to famous, inspirational figures from the world of science, art, maths, literature, philosophy and comedy. Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields, but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in - just like Quinn. Fully illustrated in colour and written in child-friendly language, this book will be a wonderful resource for children, particularly children with autism, their parents, teachers, carers and siblings.