For those growing up with an intellectual disability or autism, comfortable, safe and independent travel will prove an invaluable life skill. The key to pursuing fulfilling work and leisure activities and developing as an individual, it also brings a liberating level of self-sufficiency and reassurance of equality within society. Arriving at this goal can be daunting. Dr Gallimore's straightforward five-step system will guide parents and professionals through successful training for children of any age and ability. Focusing on understanding each child's individual goals and challenges, it gives you the 'ingredients' needed to fully prepare for each journey in advance, and shows how to judge when to step back and let the child progress alone. Addressing specific fears and obstacles that make travel difficult for children with learning difficulties, it sets out all the precautions necessary to safeguard children and others as they learn to reach their chosen destinations. Clear-cut and far-reaching, this book is enriched by Dr Gallimore's extensive experience as a psychologist, mobility specialist and travel-trainer. It is a heartening resource and will be necessary reading for anyone working with a child to get them on their path to independent travel.

Born with autism, Temple and Sean now famously live successful social lives. However, their paths were quite different. Temple's logical mind controlled her social behavior. She interacted with many adults and other children, experiencing varied social situations. Logic informed her decision to obey social rules and avoid unpleasant consequences. Sean's emotions controlled his social behavior. Baffled by social rules, isolated and friendless, he made up his own, and applied them to others. When they inevitably broke his rules, he felt worthless and unloved. Both Temple and Sean ultimately came to terms with the social world and found their places in it. Whether you are a person with autism, a caregiver in the autism community, or just someone interested in an outsider view of society, their powerful stories will enthrall and enlighten you. This is the 2nd edition and the first edition of Unwritten Rules of Social Engagement was the Silver Award Winner in the 2005 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards!

"A skilled science translator, Denworth makes decibels, teslas and brain plasticity understandable to all."-Washington Post Lydia Denworth's third son, Alex, was nearly two when he was identified with significant hearing loss that was likely to get worse. Denworth knew the importance of enrichment to the developing brain but had never contemplated the opposite: deprivation. How would a child's brain grow outside the world of sound? How would he communicate? Would he learn to read and write? An acclaimed science journalist as well as a mother, Denworth made it her mission to find out, interviewing experts on language development, inventors of groundbreaking technology, Deaf leaders, and neuroscientists at the frontiers of brain plasticity research. I Can Hear You Whisper chronicles Denworth's search for answers-and her new understanding of Deaf culture and the exquisite relationship between sound, language, and learning.

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.

The ability to speak is an important part of human interaction. In this book, a glimpse into the lived realities of 37 adults and 3 children with communication disorders whose humanism is somewhat compromised by their speech, language, or voice disorders is offered in humorous and heartbreaking detail. The patient's struggle to communicate is often matched by their listeners, who are struggling to understand. Stories are presented of patients treated in medical settings for such problems as aphasia, dementia, Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other CNS diseases, apraxia, and head trauma. Other stories look at people who were treated in university clinics for such disorders as cerebral palsy and stuttering. The last few stories look at speech/voice treatment for a transgender woman, the loss of voice in a young man in a state penitentiary, and finally a humorous story of a pilot with left hemiplegia flying the author. Seasoned specialist Daniel Boone does not offer therapy suggestions for either the SLP or the patient's family or friends to try. Rather, for anyone with a communication disorder, he strongly recommends that such patients should seek the guidance and therapy of an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist (SLP). The SLP determines what to do in therapy and practice. The stories illustrate the struggles of those who cannot always make their listeners understand. They may only be able to repeat the same phrase over and over. They may not be able to articulate words clearly enough to be understood. They may give bizarre, confusing answers to everyday questions. Taken together, they also illustrate the difficulties listeners, those who wish to understand, have in trying to make heads or tails of the intended communication. Ultimately, this work provides a sensitive look at the various disorders people have, their attempts to overcome them, the treatments that might be available, and the actions listeners can take in making communication easier and more productive.

Meet Sophie - a girl with cerebral palsy (CP). Sophie invites readers to learn about CP from her perspective, helping them to understand what it is like to use a wheelchair to move around and assistive technology to communicate. She also introduces readers to some of her friends who have different forms of CP and explains that living with CP can sometimes be difficult, but there are many ways she is supported so that she can lead a full and happy life. This illustrated book is ideal for young people aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and professionals working with children with CP. It is also an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

With the help of this handy guide, you can bring tried and tested occupational therapy activities into your home and encourage your child to succeed with everyday tasks while having fun in the process. This expanded edition of the award-winning book includes new advice on toilet training, coping with changes in routine, repetitive behaviors, self-regulation and much more. The simple explanations and easy exercises will soon make daily activities enjoyable and productive.

Meet Harry - a young boy who stutters. Harry invites readers to learn about what it is like to stutter from his perspective and how it affects his daily life and makes him feel. He talks about techniques that can help reduce stuttering and describes how friends, family and others can help him to feel at ease and reduce his stutter further. This illustrated book is full of useful information and will be an ideal introduction for young people, aged 7 upwards, as well as parents, friends, teachers and speech therapists working with children who stutter. It is also an excellent starting point for group discussions at home or school.

A resource of fun games for parents or teachers to help young children learn social and motor skills

Barbara Sher, an expert occupational therapist and teacher, has written a handy resource filled with games to play with young children who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other sensory processing disorders (SPD). The games are designed to help children feel comfortable in social situations and teach other basic lessons including beginning and end, spatial relationships, hand-eye coordination, and more. Games can also be used in regular classrooms to encourage inclusion.A collection of fun, simple games that can improve the lives of children with ASD or other SPDs.Games can be played by parents or teachers and with individual children or groups.Games are designed to make children more comfortable in social situations and to develop motor and language skillsAlso included are a variety of interactive games to play in water, whether in a backyard kiddie pool, community swimming pool, or lakeAll the games are easy-to-do, utilizing common, inexpensive materials, and include several variations and modifications

Autism diagnosis can be an overwhelming time for many families. This is an accessible, easy to navigate guide for parents, answering the questions they may have before, during and after diagnosis. Written by a highly experienced author team, this book will support parents from the moment somebody mentions autism, through the diagnosis process and beyond. It provides reliable advice on every stage, with guidance on what to do during the long wait for assessment and diagnosis. Working from a pro-neurodiversity perspective it encourages parents to see beyond the diagnosis and to celebrate each child's unique personality and strengths. Combining information on medical diagnosis, educational needs and more, the book shares case studies and direct quotes from families to help parents to give their children the best start following an autism diagnosis, and help them to achieve their full potential. There is also a bonus downloadable chapter with information from the key professionals involved in the diagnostic process, so you know who you can turn to for the support and help you need.

A four-stage programme for parents and families looking to introduce a dog into their home for the therapeutic and practical benefits that can be brought to a child with autism, including development of communication skills and toilet training. Based on first-hand knowledge, the programme was created through the successful experience the author had bringing up two children at opposite ends of the autism spectrum. This guide is comprehensive and highly practical, with case examples, tips and advice throughout. It covers all aspects of responsible ownership and training of the dog as a companion dog, and it provides tips throughout the dog's entire life cycle. Accessible for families and professionals alike, this innovative programme can have a huge impact on the life of children with disabilities.

Robin Sheppard had always seemed liked a lucky guy! Proud father of two sons: Sam the eldest (the musical/wordy one) and Charlie (the artistic/sporty one). Still good friends with his first wife Georgina and partnered by the effervescent and indomitable Suzanne when his hitherto contented life took a different turn. He had bounded through 50 years of an unfettered existence. A universe largely comprising five star hotels set in manicured gardens, with fine wines and outrageous flower arrangements, separating well-heeled customers in which the `anticipation of need' was paramount. After growing up in Bath he had become an hotelier who delighted in operating some of the very best of Britain's hotels, winning hotel of the year prizes along the way, before founding with some like-minded chums, their own specialist hotel operating group. Ending up in London he presided over an empire of a dozen or so glamorous hotels which featured architecture of the grade one variety, decadent decor, period fixtures in Capability parkland surroundings, and food of the highest standard. His was an untroubled workplace. Taking time out along the way to invent the truly iconic, deep blue, skittle shaped, Ty-Nant mineral water and then a niche adult soft drinks business. He became an entrepreneur without even knowing it and a role model for many a novice hotel student along the way. Then things changed.

Over 500,000 people of all ages in the UK have disorders in the autistic spectrum. About one-third also have varying degrees of learning difficulty. All of them have impairment of social interaction, communication and imagination - to them the world appears a bewildering and sometimes frightening place. This guide explains how people with autism experience the world and why they need an organized, structured environment. Ways of improving communication, developing abilities and enlarging social interaction are described, and advice is given on coping with stresses within the family.

'Whenever I see Martino I am reminded of how little I know about life and death compared to him. How we don't know what is within us or what may lie on the other side. I hope it's as magical and beautiful as this book.' RUSSELL BRAND 'Raw, brave, heart-lifting.' STEF PENNY, author of UNDER THE POLE STAR When film producer Martino Sclavi began experiencing intense headaches, he attributed them to his frenetic lifestyle. As it turned out, he had grade 4 brain cancer and was given 18 months to live. After undergoing brain surgery - while awake - Martino found he had lost the ability to recognise words. His response was to close his eyes and begin to move his fingers across the keyboard to write this, an account of life before diagnosis and since. Martino defied all predictions, words read out to him by the monotone of a computerised voice he calls Alex. Learning to live in a new way. This book - that he has written but could not read - charts the effects of his experience: on his relationship with his young son, his marriage, his work and with himself. In the wake of his illness, everything must be reconfigured and Martino is made to question the habits, dreams and beliefs of his old life and confront the present. What he finds is strange and beautiful. Searching for the words between life and death, Sclavi shows that with determination and a subtle, persistent sense of humour, it is possible to change the story of our lives.