Challenging behaviour, violent outbursts and meltdowns can put a strain on the entire family of a child on the autism spectrum. This book offers practical, long-term and effective strategies to help resolve common challenging behaviours using a low arousal approach - a non-aversive approach based on avoiding confrontation and reducing stress and anxiety. Managing Family Meltdown provides explanations for challenging behaviours, and offers a wealth of guidance on how families can manage different types of challenging behaviour, such as physical aggression and self-injury. The authors explore the difference between managing and changing behaviour; how our own behaviour can influence the situation; and show how by reducing stress and anxiety children are better able to process information becoming less likely to react in challenging ways. The pros and cons of medication and ways to look after your own health are also discussed. This hands-on, practical book is appropriate for children who are non-verbal, as well as those with higher functioning autism and will be indispensable for families, carers and anyone involved with children on the autism spectrum.

The second edition of this concise, plain-English guide fully explains all of the common areas of difficulty for more cognitively advanced individuals with autism, Asperger syndrome and PDD/NOS, and provides much-needed support, uncomplicated advice, and practical, positive solutions. Susan J. Moreno provides an accessible summary of up-to-date information on the diagnostic criteria of ASD, including the common traits and characteristics to look out for. She explores common areas of difficulty, offering a wealth of practical advice and tried-and-tested strategies for meeting the needs of each individual. Topics covered include the individual with autism at home, schooling, tips for teaching, sensory issues, and social skills and involvement in the community. The book closes with useful appendices of practical advice for parents, teachers, medical professionals, and others who care. This handy and informative guide is ideal for teachers, parents, health professionals, individuals on the autism spectrum and anyone else who would like to find out more about autism spectrum disorders.

This book takes a nonpathological approach to disability, viewing it as part of diversity rather than as deficit. The opening chapters introduce basic knowledge of teaching in disability communities, covering attitudes and behaviors that may be difficult for instructors to relate to. Next, the book delves into the three activities sections that increase in difficulty over the course of the book. The activities highlight barriers and psychosocial impediments that hamper progress in disability communities. Designed by an expert educator and clinician who is also an insider in the disability community, each of the 34 activities translate well in classroom environments or as homework, and each can be done individually or in group settings. All activities include a list of required materials, time expectation, goal setting criteria, possible outcomes, and talking and debriefing points for reflection, thereby facilitating effective planning and execution. The activities also recommend possible modifications to adjust the difficulty of the activities. This flexibility makes this a valuable resource for a wider audience of expertise and settings, ranging from introductory to sophisticated readers and users, students and non-students, in classrooms, in workshops, or in other surroundings. Lastly, the book concludes with a chapter on accessing outcomes, with six measures for evaluating knowledge and skill. Teaching Disability is a well-rounded, highly applicable tool for instructors and students in the disability community.

Fragile X syndrome is one of the main causes of child developmental delay and autism spectrum disorders. A premutated form of the same gene is also the basis for neurological disabilities in adults. This book breaks down the complex science of this genetic disorder and provides the facts and advice that every bewildered parent or professional needs to support individuals with Fragile X syndrome. This is a straightforward introduction that clearly explains the condition on both a scientific and practical level. With sections on diagnosis, symptoms and treatment, as well as discussions of various emotional and behavioural considerations, this guide covers all aspects of Fragile X syndrome, its implications, and the possibilities open to families affected by it. It demonstrates how, with the right therapies, progress can be made and emphasises how music can be used effectively to promote communication, interaction, fine motor skills and responsiveness in children with the condition. This is an essential reference tool for families of individuals with Fragile X syndrome, as well as therapists and healthcare professionals who are unfamiliar with the condition and are looking to find out more.

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.

Can you imagine not being able to recognize those you know if they wore glasses, changed their hairstyle, or perhaps put on a hat? Prosopagnosia is a severe facial recognition disorder that is thought to impact around two per cent of the population. Frequently found in children on the autism spectrum, those with the condition have difficulties distinguishing between one face and the next, meaning that they may not recognize even those who are closest to them. Nancy L. Mindick provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with an accessible explanation of the different types, causes, and characteristics of prosopagnosia. Providing an insider's perspective on the condition, she suggests ways to recognize the signs of facial recognition difficulties in children, and offers specific ideas for ensuring that they are properly supported in their learning and social development. The issues of diagnosis and disclosure are explored, and the author offers practical management strategies for helping children to cope with the condition and to navigate the many different social situations they will encounter at home, at school, and in the community. This book offers specific, practical information for parents, teachers, child psychologists, and anyone else who wishes to support the learning and development of a child with a facial recognition disorder.

Playing the dating game is often tricky: all the more so for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome. How do AS adolescents and their families cope with sexual feelings and behaviour? What help can be given if a man with AS oversteps the mark in expressing his sexuality? How do people with AS deal with intimacy and communication in sexual relationships? In this comprehensive and unique guide, Isabelle Henault delivers practical information and advice on issues ranging from puberty and sexual development, gender identity disorders, couples' therapy to guidelines for sex education programs and maintaining sexual boundaries. This book will prove indispensable to parents, teachers, counsellors and individuals with AS themselves.

Anxiety, meltdowns and emotional regulation can be hugely challenging for autistic people. This book is full of proactive strategies for understanding, accepting and respecting the processing differences in autism. It contains tools for reducing sensory, social and mental drain, and offers strategies to protect from ongoing stress and anxiety. These help minimize shutdowns and burnout, while maximizing self-esteem, autistic identity and mental health. Learn strategies for matching environmental demands to the person's processing needs, how to support vulnerabilities, and how to prevent and manage meltdowns while protecting the identify and self-esteem of the individual with autism.

Men with Asperger's Syndrome, young and old, experience difficulty with social interaction, which can be a stumbling block when it comes to getting a girlfriend. Here is a book that demystifies the enigma of 'relationships' by explaining everything in Asperger-friendly terms (some of them mathematical, naturally).Asperger Meets Girl provides hope for all hopeless wooers by offering a choice of three interrelated abstract models for understanding boy - girl relationships. And, to make life easier, these models are presented in graph form where possible. The book also gives valuable practical tips for maximising one's chances of successfully developing a relationship, such as how to start a conversation without scaring the other person off, avoiding the inclination to stare and understanding the concept of 'personal space'. Serious, and seriously funny, this book will help bring happy endings to Asperger boys and make them laugh in the process.

'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.

Includes tips and strategies for kids, teens, and adults with dyslexia
Understand what dyslexia is, assess schools and programs, and help your child succeed
Does your child mix up d's and b's? Does he or she have trouble reading? If so, the cause may be dyslexia. But don't worry -- these days, there are many ways to overcome dyslexia. This hands-on guide leads you step by step through your options -- and explains how anyone with dyslexia can achieve success in school and life.
Discover how to
* Recognize the symptoms of dyslexia
* Understand diagnostic test results
* Set up an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
* Work effectively with teachers
* Improve your child's reading skills

Do you want to help your child on the autism spectrum to verbally communicate with you and others? You've picked up the right book. The Autism Language Launcher gives you something totally new: a step-by-step guide that ignites language lift-off by using methods such as tapping into your child's innate intelligence, going with your child instead of against your child and providing techniques that work with adults on the spectrum. Written for parents, relatives, professionals, educators, or caregivers of a child or adult who is not yet verbal, making some sounds, using some words, speaking in single words, or using two-word phrases, this book uses the author's decades of experience with children and adults on the spectrum. Kate also demonstrates how to effectively address your child's echolalia, repetitious language, and repetitive questions in a way that your child will find supportive, bonding, and even joyful. Ultimately, this book shows you how to make language happen.

Meet Jamie, a young boy with ADHD and a tic disorder called Tourette Syndrome. He's not being fidgety or naughty - he really can't help it! Jamie explains how he was diagnosed and what having tics and ADHD is like for him. He also shares how he has learnt to relieve his ADHD symptoms, minimise his tics, and how friends and adults can help at home and school. This illustrated book comes in two parts - one with interactive activities and heaps of useful information about having both ADHD and tics. Jamie explains how it can be really tricky to tell whether your fidgeting comes from having ADHD, tics, or both! The second part tells the story of how Jamie's Grandfather encouraged him to learn more about his tics. Jamie and his friends who attend the after-school tic club learn about each other by sharing their experiences of ADHD and tics at home and at school. This book is ideal for children aged 7+ as well as friends, teachers and professionals working with children with ADHD and tic disorders, and a great starting point for family and classroom discussions too!

Children on the Autism Spectrum often grow up to find they are unable to cope effectively with the challenges of adult life. This book shows that, with the appropriate lifelong care from parents and carers, it is possible for those with neurodevelopmental disabilities to achieve supported independence and live fulfilling adult lives. Adults on the Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest provides a guide for parents on how to prepare their children for adulthood, and describes in detail the kinds of services people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) need in order to live independently, away from the parental home. The author explains the importance of the cognitive abilities that enable us to regulate behaviour and adapt to changing situations, known as Executive Functions, and how an individual's deficits in this area can be especially problematic in the adult world. The book provides approaches to managing Executive Function Deficits and describes an innovative therapeutic program that successfully allows adults with ASDs to live with their peers and develop meaningful adult relationships. This book provides practical and accessible guidance for parents, therapists, people with ASDs, and anyone with an interest in helping people on the Autism Spectrum lead their lives with a sense of dignity and independence.

This step-by-step manual explains how to adapt CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) approaches to OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) for autistic children and adults. It outlines why there is the need to adapt treatment for the autistic population, and includes detailed guidance on each phase of the approach. It explains assessment of OCD in autism, the links between the two conditions and difficulties in identifying aspects of OCD in autistic people. The book offers advice on dealing with difficult issues and on the next steps after treatment is complete. Accompanying worksheets and handouts are available to download.

Organisation and Everyday Life with Dyslexia and other SpLDs is the second book in the series Living Confidently with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs). This book is about the wide impacts of dyslexia/ SpLD on everyday life. All dyslexic/ SpLD people live with the possibility that their mind will function in a dyslexic/ SpLD way at any moment, regardless of strategies that they have acquired or developed. Even people with many strategies can suddenly find themselves struggling with their dyslexia/ SpLD again. This book is adressed to dyslexic/ spld readers. Organisation is promoted as a tool to minimise the effets of dyselxia /spLD. The book covers: * situations that might disrupt organisation * a systematic approach to organisation * everyday life, study peripherals and employment. It has many life stories to help readers recognise the impacts of their own dyslexia/ SpLD. Dyslexic/ SpLDs have the potential to offer skills and alternative approaches to tasks. Often, the solutions that they devise for themselves are very useful to the non-dyslexic/ SpLD people around them, which can enhance their self-confidence. When organisation suits the individual with SpLD innate intelligence and potential can be realised.

It isn't easy being eight years old and having an older brother whom other children often misunderstand. They don't realize that when he doesn't laugh at their jokes it's because he doesn't understand them. They don't know that when he doesn't speak to them or look at them it's because he doesn't know what to say or how to make eye contact. They don't realize that he behaves this way because he has something called Asperger's Syndrome. Sam knows that his brother Eric is different from him because his brain works differently. So, when the other children bully Eric, it makes Sam feel protective of him. But sometimes, when Eric behaves oddly, Sam feels embarrassed too. Sometimes, when Eric gets lots of attention, it makes Sam feel resentful - then, when he considers that Eric needs a lot of help and attention, it makes Sam feel guilty for feeling resentful. There are so many different feelings Sam experiences! Brotherly Feelings explores the emotions that siblings of children with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) commonly experience. With illustrations throughout, this book will help siblings to understand that their emotional responses - whatever they are - are natural and OK. It is the ideal book for parents and professionals to use with siblings to discuss their emotional experiences, and will also help children with AS to form an understanding of the feelings of other family members.

Drawing on the expert knowledge and research gathered by the British Dyslexia Association, this is a complete guide to parenting a child with dyslexia. Covering assessment, diagnosis, home and school support, emotional development and more, this empowering book has everything you need to help your child reach their full potential. With accessible guidance on reading, writing, spelling, organisation and study skills, this book will also help you to build self-belief in your child whilst ensuring that you care for yourself along the way. This book provides clear information on how dyslexia affects children and families at all stages of life, with insights on communicating with schools and ensuring the best support in all environments.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a debilitating neurological condition in which the brain is unable to effectively process sounds and speech. An estimated 5 - 10% of children are affected uniquely. APD can have a significant impact on all aspects of lifelong communication. This authoritative guide includes advice on how to identify, diagnose and support the condition in children, teenagers and adults. It provides everyday strategies based on 20 years of research to try at home, at school and at work. This book aims to help families, teachers and other professionals to understand and support those living with this complex invisible disability. Containing supportive case studies, the book addresses a range of prevalent issues, including relationships, self-esteem, confidence and mental health, making this a comprehensive guide for all things APD.