Sharing the experience of bringing up a child with nonverbal learning disability (NLD), this warm and accessible book offers advice on subjects ranging across diagnosis and therapy, children's interaction with each other, suitable activities for a child with NLD and how to discuss NLD with children. An essential guide, this book will reassure, advise and inform parents and professionals who work with children with NLD.

From the moment she first held her new-born son in her arms, Anne Crosby knew something was wrong with him. Although the staff at the London hospital dismissed her response as cruel and unmaternal, her instincts were correct: Matthew had Down syndrome. Struggling with feelings of shock and grief, Crosby determined that she would do whatever she could to help Matthew lead as full a life as possible. This is the moving, candid, insightful, and often surprising account of the life Matthew made with the help of his mother and other caring people. With her painter's eye for the colourful detail and a Dickensian ear for the voices of her characters, Crosby describes Matthew's family and friends, doctors and teachers - a large cast that includes Alice Strong, his Cockney caregiver, the famous child psychologist D W Winnicott, and Princess Anne, a benefactor of MacIntyre, Matthew's boarding school. Crosby evokes the forbidding atmosphere of Normansfield, the residential institution founded by the man who gave his name to Down syndrome; the spacious beauty of Mentmore, the country estate where she often took Matthew for outings; and the touching camaraderie of the hospital ward in which Matthew died of heart failure at twenty-four. In this remarkable memoir, Crosby also explores Matthew's inner life, revealing his playful mimicry and unexpected humour, his outbursts of affection and occasional fits of temper, his gallantry toward his first love, and his disappointment over the loss of his first job. Anne Crosby's portrait of her son gives us an abiding image of Matthew that deepens our understanding of what it means to be human.

Eugene T. Kingsley led an extraordinary life: he was once described as "one of the most dangerous men in Canada." In 1890, Kingsley was working as a railway brakeman in Montana when an accident left him a double amputee, and politically radicalized. Ravi Malhotra and Benjamin Isitt trace Kingsley's political journey from soapbox speaker in San Francisco to prominence in the Socialist Party of Canada. They examine Kingsley's endeavours for justice against the Northern Pacific Railway, and how his life intersected with immigration law and free-speech rights. Able to Lead highlights Kingsley's profound legacy for the twenty-first-century political left.

Written by a teenager with dyspraxia, this is a humorous and inspiring practical guide for young adults with dyspraxia and those around them trying to get to grips with the physical, social and psychological chaos caused by developmental co-ordination disorders (DCDs). In her own conversational style, Victoria Biggs explains the primary effects of dyspraxia - disorganization, clumsiness and poor short-term memory - as well as other difficulties that dyspraxic teenagers encounter, such as bullying and low self-esteem. Peppered with personal stories from other teens, this award-winning book offers down-to-earth advice on a wide range of adolescent issues, from puberty, health and hygiene to family life and making friends. The new edition includes an update from the author on her university and work experiences and how dyspraxia affects her now as an adult. Her positive approach and profound empathy with others in her situation make this book a must-read.

How do we give a voice to those who so often remain unheard? Will You Read This, Please? is a frank and impactful collection of twelve stories as told to our best British writers, based on the lived experience of people who have faced mental illness in the UK.

Edited by Joanna Cannon, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, Three Things About Elsie and A Tidy Ending, the stories told here are powerful, resonant and heart-breaking.

This is a ground-breaking and unforgettable collection, shining a light on the stigma and isolation of living with mental illness, while also showing the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

Challenging kids don't behave badly on purpose -- they are simply struggling to "catch up" in key areas of psychological and cognitive development. If your child or teen's emotional or behavioral difficulties are getting in the way of success at home, at school, or in social situations, this is the book for you. Dr. Michael Bloomquist has spent decades helping parents to understand acting-out kids and support their healthy development. In these pages, he presents tried-and-true ways you can build your 5- to 17-year-old's skills to: *Follow rules and behave honestly. *Curb angry outbursts. *Make and maintain friendships. *Express feelings productively. *Stay on task at school. *Resolve conflicts with siblings. *Manage stress. Loads of checklists, worksheets, and troubleshooting tips help you select and implement the strategies that meet your child's specific needs. You'll also build your own skills for parenting effectively when the going gets tough. Systematic, compassionate, and practical, the book is grounded in state-of-the-art research. The road to positive changes for your child and family starts here. Mental health professionals, see also the related title The Practitioner Guide to Skills Training for Struggling Kids.

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.

In this new book Simon Baron-Cohen summarizes the current understanding of autism and Asperger Syndrome. He explains the process of diagnosis, as well as the options for education and intervention for those with these conditions. Taking a lifespan approach, Professor Baron-Cohen considersa how the conditions affect very young children through to adulthood. He also outlines his new Empathizing-Systemizing (ES) theory, which aims to explain all of the psychological features of autistic-spectrum conditions. This book is designed firstly for people with these conditions and their families. It will be useful to clinicians, teachers, and other professionals involved in the care and support of people on the autistic spectrum. The book will also provide an invaluable introduction to the topic for students in the social and biological sciences.

This practical resource is designed to help professionals, parents and carers as they support children with vision impairments to develop independence in everyday tasks. Using the Early Years Foundation Stage framework as a basis, it provides a wealth of strategies and activities to develop key skills, including dressing, maintaining personal hygiene, eating and drinking and road safety. This is an invaluable tool that can be dipped in and out of to help make learning fun, boosting the child's confi dence and helping create a positive 'can- do' attitude when faced with new challenges. This book: Addresses the main problem areas for babies and young visually impaired children and their families, by providing simple explanations of skills and offering strategies and techniques to support progression onto the next stage. Is written in a fully accessible style, with photocopiable pages and additional downloadable resources. Provides a variety of documentation to chart the child's development and show progress over time. Research shows strong indicators that early intervention can reduce or eliminate developmental delays in children with a vision impairment. The supporting strategies in this book help busy professionals and carers to make every opportunity a learning opportunity, allowing children with a vision impairment to become confi dent and independent individuals.

How could a girl born with a genetic defect - who later suffered brain damage leaving her blind, epileptic and physically handicapped, and who lived only eight years - change the world? Wordjazz for Stevie is a letter written to Stevie by her father after she had died to try to explain to her (and the world) the meaning of her life. This is a book that everyone should read. It could change your life too.

A Richard and Judy Book club selection. In the summer of 1990, Cathy's brother Matty was knocked down by a car on the way home from a night out. It was two weeks before his GCSE results, which turned out to be the best in his school. Sitting by his unconscious body in hospital, holding his hand and watching his heartbeat on the monitors, Cathy and her parents willed him to survive. They did not know then that there are many and various fates worse than death. This is the story of what happened to Cathy and her brother, and the unimaginable decision that she and her parents had to make eight years after the night that changed everything. It's a story for anyone who has ever watched someone suffer or lost someone they loved or lived through a painful time that left them forever changed. Told with boundless warmth and affection, The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a heartbreaking yet uplifting testament to a family's survival and the price we pay for love.

When young people have questions about a brother or sister with autism or Asperger's Syndrome, clear answers can be hard to find. Written by Eve Band, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, this book gives voice to ten-year-old Emily's story: her questions about her brother, her search for answers about autism, and her exploration of her feelings as a sibling of a young man with autism. Told in her voice, Emily's story is as uplifting as it is filled with valuable information for parents and siblings, or any individual whose life is touched by a person with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

Guides parents' journey toward understanding their child and solve problems related to behavior. Each child with autism is unique. Yet, children CAN learn, and with the 119 rules and tools presented here in their Parenting Toolbox, parents will now be able to help their child be successful. Using checklists, forms, and other practical tools, parents will eventually develop their child's personal MAP - Master Action Plan.

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 practical resource is brimming with exciting ideas and guidance for motivating children with autism and other communication difficulties. The clear, user-friendly format enables quick access to over 300 practical, fun-filled games and activities for developing your child's communication skills. The book suggests creative ways to use everyday toys and objects. For example, if your child likes to pop bubbles, perhaps he would also enjoy counting bubbles, catching bubbles on a wand, stomping them with his feet or even playing bubble volleyball The innovative ideas in this book have been developed over 40 years of clinical and educational experience, and are designed to be fun for both the adult and the child. All resources mentioned in this book are readily available and can be used to advance communication skills at all levels, from reaching out for an item, to extending verbal communication. Motivate to Communicate is perfect for supporting parents, care-givers and professionals in motivating and developing the communication skills of children on the autism spectrum.

Winner of the Autism Society of America's Literary Achievement Award, this heartwarming book was one of the first autobiographies to provide unique insight into the world of autism. Tom McKean grew up in a confusion of misdiagnosis, spending years in an institution and finally journeying into adulthood, seeking answers. He finally comes to a "working truce" with the neurotypical world and discovers he has various talents in fields such as computers and technical design, in addition to his passion for writing. His challenges, discoveries, and successes will move you as his poetry, songs, and humor delight you.

Written by and for teens and young adults with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD), as well as for their parents, teachers, therapists, and others who care about them, and backed by the latest neuropsychological research, NLD from the Inside Out offers hundreds of useful tips on: - Organization and planning, including study skills - How to successfully navigate the transition from dependent child to independent adult - Creating more harmonious family and peer relationships - Changing disabling attitudes. The book will help teens and young adults to avoid the angst and pitfalls often associated with NLD. More than that, it offers real stories from now-thriving young adults who grew up with NLD - proof that a full and rewarding life lies ahead for those who are now struggling.

This resource provides practical strategies for helping teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome to navigate social skills, friendships and relationships at home and in the community. The author offers advice and useful strategies for tackling day-to-day problems such as visits to the dentist or the doctor, searching for a job, sorting out personal finances, going on vacation, and dealing with public transport, as well as more intimate topics such as dating and acquiring and maintaining friendships. The chapters are structured around real-life scenarios and the challenges they present, followed by step-by-step solutions and suggestions. A final section provides a set of practical self-help tools, which encourage the reader to note down answers to the questions posed and record personal reflections. This accessible guide will be essential reading for teenagers and adults with Asperger Syndrome and their families, teachers, therapists, counsellors, carers, social and health work professionals.

Open, honest and upbeat, this book gives personal insight into both the ups and downs of an Asperger relationship. Seeking to challenge the bad press that people with Asperger Syndrome (AS) get as partners, Sarah and Keith tell their story of how they are making it work - and also how they got it wrong - with disarming frankness and humour. When Sarah and Keith met in 2003 neither knew much about Asperger Syndrome. Sarah thought Keith was `weird' and couldn't work out why; and Keith thought Sarah was obsessed with diagnosing him with something-or-other. Difficulties ensued that brought the relationship to an end. Slowly, however, they each built up their knowledge of AS and in the meantime developed a mutual understanding, mutual acceptance and a desire to be together again. This personal account is supplemented with professional knowledge and anecdotes gained from Sarah's work with adults with AS - a career which started as a result of her experiences with Keith. She swears that she didn't take her work home with her! It is inspiring reading for couples in Asperger relationships as well as for counselling professionals.