This fully-updated second edition of Helping Children with Dyspraxia has been revised to reflect current practice and developments, providing clear and positive answers to questions commonly asked by parents and teachers about dyspraxia. Maureen Boon draws on her considerable experience of working with children with movement disorders to identify the characteristics of dyspraxia, explaining assessment procedures and identifying what can be done to help. New reflections appear on concepts such as physical literacy and whether or not incidence of dyspraxia has increased, and in an overview of the characteristics and causes of the condition, a comprehensive update on how it is identified and assessed is provided. Terminology is reviewed, and the full range of therapeutic interventions that are available are outlined. New case studies and photographs are used to illustrate successful interventions in practice, and a helpful appendix with up-to-date details of useful publications, programmes, equipment and organisations is also included. Understanding Dyspraxia is a concise yet comprehensive handbook for parents and teachers. Its clear structure and practical, positive advice will make it an invaluable resource for anyone involved with a dyspraxic child.
Supporting Traumatized Children and Teenagers is an accessible, comprehensive book providing an overview of the impact of trauma on children and adolescents and how they can be supported following trauma. Trauma can result from a range of experiences from bullying to witnessing violence to living through war. This book explores the different reactions children may experience, and the impact trauma can have. Variables affecting the impact of trauma are explored such as different developmental stages, gender, the reactions of friends and parents, the child's personality, and their caring environment. Appropriate and effective ways of helping children after a traumatic event are outlined, and different types of therapy, such as group therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, are discussed. The book offers case examples and practical tips throughout, and includes a chapter on how someone working with a traumatized child can help and look after themselves. This book will be invaluable to a range of professionals working with traumatized children including counsellors, child and family social workers and therapists, as well as others involved with traumatized children such as foster carers and teachers.
Young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) can often find the step into adulthood and independence more difficult than their neurotypical peers, particularly where employment is concerned. The authors show, however, that with the right guidance and a positive attitude in schools, young people with ASDs can be every bit as happy and successful as those who are not on the spectrum. The book describes a programme developed over a number of years by teachers at a school for young people with ASDs, which successfully enabled autistic pupils to achieve their full potential. The authors explain in detail the challenges faced by the young people at the school, and show how, encouraged by a culture of optimism and hopefulness, the programme developed their confidence and skills, with the result that many of them are now in employment. The book also provides an in-depth exploration of a multitude of styles and techniques for building relationships. Concluding with a reflection on leadership and organisational culture, the authors demonstrate that if the approach is adopted by an entire school and not just a handful of teachers, it really can work. This inspiring and innovative book will be a must for educators at every level, psychologists, academics, and anybody else interested in a positive educational approach that will enable young people with ASDs to get the most out of life.
Going to college can be a daunting prospect for any young person, but for teenagers on the autism spectrum this is especially true. This book describes the unique needs that ASD students entering further or higher education are likely to have. The author identifies the key skill-sets they will need to develop in order to be successful in college and in life, and shows how they can be helped to develop these. She outlines the skills required for success in further and higher education in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of individuals with ASDs, and explains how those weaknesses can be ameliorated to enable success at college. Describing the unique accommodations and support that students with ASD will need, and the skills for which they will need particular help, she provides effective intervention strategies that can be implemented throughout the period leading up to college entrance. This book is essential reading for psychologists, special educators, educational therapists, high school teachers/career counselors, and other professionals supporting high school and college students on the autism spectrum. Parents of such students will also benefit from the ideas presented in this book.
School really should be the best time in a young person's life – full of discovery, enjoyment and friendship. In reality, school can be a negative experience where young people feel powerless, bored and uninterested. Count Me In! shows how, by involving young people in their own learning, they not only improve their education but also feel empowered and have fun along the way. This book provides positive and practical ways of involving young people in the inclusive classroom. At its heart is a recognition of the power of getting students involved and the value their empowerment can bring to their education. Student empowerment can mean anything from forming a partnership between teacher and student to really listening to students and allowing their voices to be heard. The book includes a whole host of practical ways to get children involved, from seeking their opinions on lessons and how they are learning to allowing them to have a say in their assessment and in school life. This practical book will be an invaluable resource to teachers in mainstream and special schools, teacher trainers, student teachers, educational researchers and anyone interested in how to get students involved in and excited by their own learning.
Art-based activities can develop resilience and self-esteem, enabling children in need to cope better with ongoing stress and loss. Arts Activities for Children and Young People in Need offers interventions and exercises drawn from practice and research, for practitioners to use as a basis for their own arts-based groups or one-to-one sessions. Holistic arts activities facilitate a spiritually sensitive approach. Mindfulness-based exercises underpin the approach, and include guided meditations in which a group imagines that they are clouds, or draw feelings and emotions while listening to music, to encourage awareness of the senses. The activities help the group to relax and become more self-aware, encourage an exploration of feelings, values and understanding and are beneficial for children not ready to embrace traditional therapies or counselling. This book is accessible and suitable for helping, health and education practitioners and students from a variety of disciplines, such as social work, psychology and counselling.
*Shortlisted for the 2011 NASEN Award 'Book to Promote Professional Development'* Certain classroom behaviours can signify an underlying learning disability. This book will help you recognise potential indicators of Asperger Syndrome, dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD/HD, physical disabilities and speech and language disorders; explores the benefits of different interventions; and offers practical strategies for improving pupils' behaviours, social skills and self-esteem. This book contains: – A simple-to-use screener for initial identification of a pupil's specific learning disability- A practical and simple structure for monitoring classroom behaviours and creating an Individual Behaviour Plan- Tried-and-tested teacher strategies for common areas of concern, such as problems staying on task, inability to work on group tasks and failure to seek help when needed- Key educational theories to help teachers understand and influence classroom behaviours, and further develop classroom management skills for addressing the behaviours of special needs pupils. This practical, accessible book is an essential tool kit for special educational needs coordinators, learning support staff and teachers in both primary and secondary schools.
Parents, teachers and other professionals often struggle to know how to deal with disruptive, abusive or aggressive behaviour. This book addresses the urgent need for a realistic, practical and effective approach to dealing with severe disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents. Adapting the principles of non-violent resistance originally advocated by Mahatma Gandhi, the book provides de-escalation techniques which empower the adult and unburden the distressed child. The authors outline the theoretical basis upon which the approach was developed, and explain how and why it can be so effective. Case studies demonstrate how the approach can be used to reach more successful places with unhappy and disruptive children of different ages. A separate section for parents provides useful advice on how to take the theoretical material and use it to deal with problematic behaviour in everyday life. As effective as it is original, this approach will empower desperate parents and despairing caregivers by equipping them with hands-on tools to contain, counter and positively direct the aggression and opposition which they face from children in distress.
As arts therapists are increasingly working in schools, there is growing interest in identifying applicable therapeutic approaches and expanding on relevant research evidence. This book outlines the potential uses of music, art, drama and dance movement therapies in educational settings, and the contribution they have to make to the emotional and social development of children and adolescents. Drawing on international evidence, the book outlines a wide range of innovative applications of arts therapies across a range of settings, including mainstream classrooms, special schools and student support units. Examples of subjects covered include solution-focused brief dramatherapy groupwork in mainstream education, art therapy for children with specific learning difficulties who have experienced trauma and music therapy in special education. Particular emphasis is placed upon collaborative work, whether it be between arts therapists from different disciplines, arts therapists and teaching staff or arts therapists and researchers. Arts Therapies in Schools will be of great interest to arts therapists, and will also be useful to others who want to know about the potential of arts therapies in the classroom, including teachers and other education professionals, health professionals, educational psychologists, school counsellors and policy makers.
Children with sensory and cognitive difficulties can struggle to interact with their peers, be easily distracted, and have problems coping with change. Fuzzy Buzzy Groups for Children with Developmental and Sensory Processing Difficulties has been devised to address the needs of children with sensory processing difficulties and development delay in specialist and inclusive settings. This easy-to-follow resource will enable professionals to engage with children in a relaxed and fun way that explores sensory experiences. It contains everything you need to run a Fuzzy Buzzy group: from advice for choosing sensory food and drink and criteria for selecting suitable children, to tips for involving parents in the group and sourcing sensory materials. The authors guide you step-by-step through how to carry out a session, and include photocopiable forms and checklists as well as a sing-along CD containing music to use with the group. This resource will help children not just to explore sensory experiences, but also to learn to share, take turns, listen, interact with their peers and improve their self-esteem. The eight-session programme is ideally suited to children aged 2-5, although this can be adapted to suit individual needs, and is perfect for early years' practitioners, teachers, teaching assistants, family respite carers and other professionals working with young children.