Unlike IQ, emotional competence can be nurtured and developed, and is a key factor in physical and mental health, social competence, academic achievement and other aspects in the personal and social development of children and young people. Promoting Emotional Education connects with the contemporary shift from an exclusively academic focus towards a more balanced and broader approach to education, with an emphasis on both academic and emotional literacy. The book suggests adopting educational practices which encourage feelings of emotional security, promote trusting and supportive relationships and reflect students' views and feelings; essential qualities for healthy personal and social development in children and young people. The contributors emphasise evidence-based practice, proposing various student-centred and emotion-focused approaches and strategies which have proven to be effective in improving the social and academic behaviour of children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. These include student voice approaches, peer-mediated support strategies, personal and social education, nurture groups and aggression replacement training amongst others. An illuminating read, this book will be of interest to school staff and professionals, psychologists, social workers, health workers, researchers and practitioners and anyone interested in developing innovative approaches to the promotion of emotional education among children and young people.
The Yijing (I Ching) or «Book of Change» is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts and has held a key place in the Daoist tradition for thousands of years. Explaining the ancient Yijing system of prediction based on the Xiang (symbolism) and Shu (numerology) knowledge of Bagua (the eight basic trigrams), which have not previously been written about outside China, this book makes the Yijing accessible to the Western world in a new and fuller way. In the space of just eight days, Master Zhongxian Wu leads the reader towards a deep understanding of the Eight Trigrams of the Yijing and how to apply this knowledge in practical ways in daily life. Master Wu explores the numerology and symbolism of Yijing and clearly explains how the reader can use the Yijing divination system for themselves. This remarkable book provides a user-friendly eight day program that will be a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in learning more about the Yijing or Chinese philosophy and culture as a whole, as well as those who wish to learn how to use the Yijing for practical purposes.
The early years are the most critical period of learning for a child with autism. Therapeutic art-making can be a useful tool to tap into their imaginations and help them to express their thoughts and feelings. Art as an Early Intervention Tool for Children with Autism includes practical advice on helping a child move beyond scribbling, organizing the child's environment for maximum comfort and relaxation, and providing physical and sensory support. This book is packed with tips and suggestions for how to provide art therapy for children with autism – covering topics such as the basic materials required, safety issues, how to set up a workspace, and ideas for managing difficult behavior. The author writes from a professional and personal perspective – Nicole Martin is a qualified art therapist specializing in working with children with autism, and she also has a brother with autism. Perfect for busy parents and as a practical reference for professionals such as psychologists, teachers, occupational therapists, sensory integration therapists and anyone working with a child on the autism spectrum.
One of the major difficulties for children with autism is in developing communication and language. The earlier this problem is addressed, the more effectively these skills can be improved. Inspired by research and clinical practice, this book addresses communication and language development of children with autism, from teaching non-verbal communication such as pointing, to moving towards spoken language. This book champions initial intervention with children at an early stage of communication, but the many practical ideas and strategies can also be usefully applied to children of school age, if they are at an early stage of communication. First Steps in Intervention With Your Child With Autism is perfect for parents looking to understand their child better and, in turn, help improve their child's development and communication. This will also be a useful reference for all professionals working to support families with a child on the autism spectrum.
This book presents a short and accessible introduction to what 'attachment' means and how to recognise attachment disorders in children.
The author explains how complex problems in childhood may stem from the parent-child relationship during a child's early formative years, and later from the child's engagement with the broader social world. It explores the mindset of difficult and traumatised children and the motivations behind their apparently antisocial and defensive tendencies.
A Short Introduction to Attachment and Attachment Disorder includes case vignettes to illustrate examples, and offers a comprehensive set of tried-and-tested practical strategies for parents, carers and practitioners in supportive roles caring for children.
Funny smells, sticky hands and squishy textures are all part of the way in which children develop sensory awareness. Fun with Messy Play is an exciting activity book that heightens the sensory perception of children with special needs through the imaginative use of everyday 'messy' materials like baked beans, condensed milk, jelly or glue. The activities in this book are fun for children and help to improve their co-ordination, communicative and cognitive abilities, as well as their self-esteem and social skills. Each exercise focuses the child on a movement or sensation that they will later be able to apply to everyday life. By allowing children to explore their senses while having fun, messy play provides a relaxing therapy that encourages sensory responsiveness without placing stressful expectations on the child. This is an easy-to-use, practical resource for parents and professionals. It includes ideas and examples from practitioners along with helpful suggestions for different types of equipment that can be used.
Featuring a wealth of familiar and easy-to-learn games, this practical handbook is designed to foster successful social strategies for children aged 5-12, and will help adults to understand and reflect constructively on children's social skills. The book covers the theory behind the games in accessible language, and includes a broad range of enjoyable activities: active and passive, verbal and non-verbal, and for different sized groups. Deborah Plummer addresses issues that might arise when supporting children with a range of communication differences, including children with learning differences, and offers a variety of cognitive and behavioural strategies to help children to reinforce the skills explored in the games. This is an ideal resource for teachers, parents, carers and all those working to improve the social skills of children.
Praise for the First Edition: 'A warm feeling of positive reassurance and guidance runs throughout the book. [It] offers practical and emotional help, not only to a child's family, but equally to health and educational workers starting out within this field. This book should have a prominent place in every toy and leisure library as well as within childcare agencies.' – Play Matters 'This very useful and readable book provides a wealth of resource ideas to support parents of young children with special needs.' – Downs Syndrome Association (UK) 'This is a very practical book, full of common sense and simple ideas. Although intended for parents this book will also be an invaluable resource for anyone working with children with special needs.' – Let's Play When young children are diagnosed with conditions such as Down Syndrome, autism or other forms of developmental delay, there is much that parents can do to help. This new edition of the award-winning Small Steps Forward includes up-to-date research and practice, providing parents and carers with the information they need and a host of ideas to encourage their child's development. The games and activities use toys and materials which most children will already have, and involve no special preparation. They are also fun to play. Sarah Newman divides skills into six areas – cognitive, linguistic, physical, sensory, social and emotional – for convenient reference. She deals with general issues, such as behaviour management, toilet-training and sleep management, which may be encountered by parents of children with any form of disability – physical, learning or sensory. She also provides an outline of child development so that parents can place their child's progress in context, and gives practical advice on coping with stress of having a child with special needs. This book is an essential guide for parents of young children with developmental disabilities and will also be invaluable to anyone who works with children with special needs.
If you want a child with Asperger’s syndrome to comply with a social or family rule, it is very important to explain the logical reason to comply. Laurie’s book provides the logic for compliance that will be invaluable for parents and teachers. I know this book will become regular bed time reading and be used many times at home and at school.'– Professor Tony Attwood 'Dr. Laurie clearly understands how children with limited flexibility and difficulty coping think and respond. She has used her clinical experience to teach us how to help these children succeed. Dr. Laurie has provided a format, similar to Social Stories (TM), for reducing stress in daily life and for minimizing conflict stemming from unwritten or everyday rules. While there is no one solution for every child, the stories can be easily adapted for each child. She encourages children to be participants in determining solutions to their problems by providing simple, not simplistic, methods that work.'-Teri Wiss, M.A., O.T.R./L., Director of Development is CHILD'S PLAY! Why do I have to go to school before the show that I am watching is over? Why do I have to wear shoes and a jacket when I go outside? Rules like these can be really frustrating – but they don't have to be! Why do I have to? looks at a set of everyday situations that provide challenges for children at home, with their friends, and at school. Laurie Leventhal-Belfer empathizes with children's wish to do things their way, explains clearly why their way does not work, and provides a list of practical suggestions for how to cope with these challenges and avoid feelings of frustration. This is the ideal book for children who have difficulty coping with the expectations of daily living, as well as for their parents and the professionals who work with them.
We use the word all the time, but what exactly is self-esteem, and how do young people develop it? Feeling Like Crap explores how a young person's self is constructed, and what might really help that self to feel more valued and confident. Through accounts of his individual and group work with young people, Nick Luxmoore demonstrates how listening to, engaging with and being respectful of young people can provide the support they need to help them repair their sense of self and offer them new possibilities and directions in life. When Grace was three, her parents split up and she went to live with her father while her sister stayed with their mother. Allie has slipped behind with her school work since falling out with her best friend, and any positive feelings about himself that Conor may have dared to develop have been beaten out of him by his father. This compassionate and thought-provoking book will be an invaluable resource for counsellors, teachers, youth workers, and anyone else working to help young people with self-esteem issues.