Category: Special Needs

Top 7: Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents (that we can all learn from)

From NewsDX Blog.  Click here for full post.  Author Joan Celebi originally founded SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com in her capacity as a certified life coach for parents of children with special needs. Her goal is to give you the practical strategies you need for successfully navigating life as a parent of a child with special needs and helps you create a manageable, balanced, and joyful life, for both you and your family. Visit Joan at http://www.specialneedsparentcoach.com.

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I’ve seen it time and again: the more you practice these 7 Habits, the more productive and efficient you become, the more you’re able to handle whatever comes your way, and the more things fall into place in your life.  Many of these habits are about taking excellent care of yourself, so you can continue to take excellent care of your children and family.

It’s well known that when parents lead low-stress, balanced lives, children do better socially, emotionally, and academically.  Try some of these 7 Habits, starting today – you’ll be amazed at what a huge difference they’ll make – for you, your children, and your family.

1. They make rest a priority.
Highly effective special needs parents are in bed by 10 pm or even earlier most nights, even if it means leaving something unfinished. Parents whose children have irregular sleep patterns take naps whenever possible to make up for the late nights and pre-dawn awakenings.

2. They make time for eating well.
Highly effective special needs parents don’t skip meals – and they eat delicious, nutritious food. They get the whole family involved in weekly or monthly meal planning. They also tend to stay hydrated by sipping water throughout the day.

3. They find support.
Highly effective special needs parents get help with even the smallest things, as often as they can, from anyone and anywhere they can: family, friends, neighbors, agencies, organizations, and their community.  They hire help when necessary, and find creative solutions for bartering help with family and friends.  They belong to support groups for their children’s special needs and disabilities, and they’re in close contact with other special needs families in their area.

4. They guard their time carefully.
Highly effective special needs parents know they have to be careful about how many activities they sign up for, and the activities they do choose to participate in are only those that are nearest and dearest to their hearts.  They save most of their free time for whatever truly matters to them most.

5. They schedule social time on the calendar.
Highly effective special needs parents regularly go out with friends, and also with their spouse or partner.  They take the time and effort to train sitters, relatives, or friends on how to care for their children, so their social time can be as fun and worry-free as possible.  They take advantage of respite services in their area when they need a break.  They schedule social time weeks or months in advance, and then do whatever’s necessary to make it happen.

6. They nurture their own needs and interests.
Highly effective special needs parents reserve time for exercise – walking, biking, hiking, stretching, exercise videos, even gym workouts.  Many exercise with friends.  They engage in creative pursuits and hobbies that can be fit into small moments here and there throughout the week.  And they make time for intellectual activities too, like reading or taking a class for personal growth and enrichment.

7. They intentionally practice stress-reducing techniques.
While all of the above habits are excellent for reducing stress, highly effective special needs parents take stress reduction a step further by practicing deep breathing, meditation, or anything that helps them build up their inner reserves and cultivate inner calm.  Highly effective special needs parents also reserve time each day to put aside the therapy goals and the discipline issues, and relax with their children, enjoying them just the way they are.

Aug 26, 2010 | 2 comments View Post

Amazing YA Adolescent with Cancer Novel, Ever After Ever, by Sonnenblick

I am  not exactly sure why I am on a posting jag on books about children with cancer, but I have read both of these books recently.  The Nurse with the Red Clown Nose (an eBook picture book app for iPhone/iPad/iPod) and a Young Adult novel, Ever After Ever, by Jordan Sonnenblick seem to be a yin/yang serendipitous pairing.  There are not many people I know whose lives haven’t been touched by cancer in one way, and these books give a perspective from a child with cancer’s point of view.  If you want to read my review of The Nurse with the Red Clown Nose, please click here.

Ever After Ever was one of the books that I read twice in quick succession and cried through each reading.  A book that makes me cry is not normally one that I would then re-read, so it’s a testament to Sonnenblick’s ability to make me laugh and engage in the story and thus willing to go through the emotional toll of the story not once but twice (knowing full well the kicker at the end is coming!).  It’s hard to find a book that makes you laugh and cry simultaneously but this book manages to do both.

Sonnenblick (an really excellent YA writer; this was my second of his books and now I’m a HUGE fan) says that nurse friends asked him to write on the topic of what happens after the cancer is in remission from the child’s point of view.  The support base is gone because the cancer is “cured” but the after effects from the treatments can often be devastating and permanent.  It’s an important story to tell that wasn’t told before, or maybe just not as excellently as Sonnenblick’s version.  The nurse friends definitely picked the right person for the job!

In this YA novel, two best friends are also both cancer survivors.  Jeffrey Alper and Thad Ibsen are eighth graders going through the angst of teenage adolescence as well as grappling with the after effects of their battles with cancer.  In Jeffrey’s case with a rare form of leukemia, he has a slight limp, difficulty paying attention and a tough time learning math concepts.  Thad’s mental capacity is razor sharp as is his wit, but he’s wheelchair bound.  In an effort for each  to “win the girl,” Jeffrey and Thad goad each other to rise to new challenges.  Jeff, tutored with great discipline by Thad, must pass the state standardized test in order to graduate to high school.  Thad, as challenged by Jeffrey, must get out of his wheelchair to practice walking again.

Add in a gorgeous but sensitive new student from California who is Jeffrey’s dream girl and Sonnenblick has covered all the bases of The Middle School experience.  One final twist is the question of standardize test score minimums as a graduation requirement — a political polarizing issue particularly how this should be applied to children with special needs.

I highly recommend this book but it’s particularly useful for anyone who knows a child or adult who has survived or battled cancer.  For those who have been untouched by cancer (and knock wood that they will stay this way forever!), this book is also an uplifting story about middle school social politics and how one child can make a difference during a time period (i.e. Middle School) when standing out from your peers  or standing up for something you believe in can seem terrifying and impossible.

To learn more about this book, please click on the image of the book to take a peek at the first few pages in Amazon.

p.s.  I found on Jason Sonnenblick’s site, a link to an organization called SuperSibs! which is a great site to help support siblings of children with cancer and it’s in English and Spanish.

Aug 16, 2010 | 1 comment View Post

iPhone/iPad/iPod ebook: The Nurse with the Red Clown Nose (about children with cancer)

StoryBoy sent me some codes to try out some of their ebooks and this one really moved me. The Nurse with the Red Clown Nose is an ePictureBook for iPhone/iPad/iPod and it’s a really simple but moving story about a child going through chemotherapy and her wonderful nurse who sometimes dons a red clown nose when the kids least expect it to make them laugh.

This makes a great little present for that special nurse that you might know as a neighbor, friend or relative.  Nurses are unsung heroes, particular those who work with very sick children!  Another use for this app would be to  introduce the concept cancer to a child, particularly if they might be touched by cancer through a loved one.

The story is simple but well told about the ups and downs of battling cancer but leaves the reader with hope.  The story also gives a brief glimpse into what it means to have cancer:  cancer is not contagious; the treatment for cancer makes you very tire; sometime you lose your hair; and that anyone fighting cancer is very brave.

The description on StoryBoy‘s website about this app says simply this:

“All StoryBoy sales proceeds benefit the Children’s Cancer Foundation. An uplifting story that is a wonderful way to introduce a serious illness to kids and to teach them to always keep laughing.”

And the inscription on the ebook says this:  ”This book is dedicated to all the brave kids, families and caregivers whose lives have been touched by cancer in one way or another …”

The app is $.99 at iTunes.  Click on the image of the app if you want to connect directly to it on iTunes.

Aug 16, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Quick Brain Scan Could Screen for Autism (Reuters)

(By Ben Hirschler

LONDON | Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:34pm EDT

Reuters) – A 15-minute brain scan could in future be used to test for autism, helping doctors diagnose the complex condition more cheaply and accurately.

Key Point:  The new scanning method — which picks up on structural changes in the brain’s grey matter — could be ready for general use in a couple of years. The next goal is to test it in children.

Click here for entire article.

Aug 12, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Best Books on Children’s Learning Disabilities (from Children’s Book Writer)

This is a really helpful post from The Children’s Book Writer on books that are helpful on the topic  of learning disabilities.  If you have any suggestions of other great books on this topic, please leave a comment.  I think it’s so great to learn from each other!

“One of the best and easiest ways to inform yourself about your child’s learning disability is by reading a good book on the subject. There is a ton of literature available about learning problems, so it may be a bit of daunting task to choose something to start with. Luckily, there are many informed parents and specialists out there who have already waded through this flood of information, so you don’t have to dive in on your own. The following is a list of written resources that have made it past the critical gaze of those in the know:

1. No Easy Answers: The Learning Disabled Child at Home and at School, Sally L. Smith, $23 (paperback)

This has been the book that parents of learning disabled children have turned to for more than fifteen years now. Smith is the parent of a learning disabled child, the founder and director of the Lab School, and an education professor at the American University, so she’s extremely well-qualified to write about this subject. The book covers a wide range of information, including a look at how learning disabilities are diagnosed and tips on how to make sure your child is getting the education he or she deserves. The updated version includes sections on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ADD, and ADHD.

2. All Kinds of Minds: A Young Student’s Book About Learning Abilities and Learning Disorders, Melvin D. Levine, $28.70

Even though this book is geared toward young readers, it’s a valuable resource for both parents and children to learn from together. Levine is a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School and a staunch child advocate. Here, he introduces different types of learning disabilities through stories told from the point of view of five elementary school students. Each student talks about their classroom experiences, their struggles and triumphs. This approach will help children with learning problems to see that they’re not alone and that there are strategies that can they can implement to ease their scholastic difficulties.

3. Helping Children Overcome Learning Disabilities: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents and Teachers, Jerome Rosner, $18.95

The approach of this book is different from most others on the subject. For starters, the author suggests that parents and teachers avoid using the label “learning disabled” and instead focus on the specific problems that their children or students face. Rosner is a professor of pediatric optometry at the University of Houston and has written several books on working with children who have learning issues. Readers will appreciate his accessible explanations of each type of learning difficulty, as well as his positive and practical solution-based approach.”

These books are available on Amazon.  To look at the book, just click on the image of the book.

Jul 31, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

New Coming-of-Age Novel as Appealing as Ice Cream in Summer (ages 9-12)

I  live in a city that is composed of about a dozen villages.  Most of the villages have a small town center and most of the town centers have an ice cream shop.  My village has a town center but it’s a small one and it’s not really a draw.  The town center lacks, well, a center.  It’s more of a town perpendicular than a town square.  There is an ice cream shop but it was one that we rarely visited, opting instead to drive further to the center of town with the bad parking because our ice cream store wasn’t much of anything.  Even the ice cream tasted a wee bit like freezer burn.

But then we went a few months ago not realizing that the shop had changed owners.  Everything was different.  The shop was freshly painted in bright colors.  The shop was rearranged in a more pleasing feng shui arrangement.  The store was clean … and inviting … and the most amazing thing is that they named it after their dog, Wally.  Did I mention that our new puppy is named Wally?!  (Both after the Red Sox mascot).  Their dog is black and white,  and our is a Golden Retriever.  They welcome dogs in their shop.  There’s always a bowl of water out for dogs and dog treats inside.

Wally’s Ice Cream is right next door to Tom’s Pizza (just like in this book, Rocky Road).  What a perfect combination:  pizza and ice cream.  It makes our lives easier because we can feed our kids something they love.  We can take a bunch of their friends and not worry about seating for 7.  We can even bring our dog!  The funny thing is that while they do make their own h0t fudge, the ice cream is from the same source.  Only now the ice cream is delicious! (must because they keep it at optimal temperature.  I read about this in Rocky Road).

Rocky Road, by Rose Kent, brings a similar ice cream shop story to life.  Behind every mom and pop store is a story to be told about hopes and dreams, elbow grease, and resilience.  Kent tells a engaging coming-of-age story about twelve-year-old Tess and her family (sans dad) as they struggle to revive a has-been business district in Schenectady, New York after relocating from San Antonio, Texas.  Tess’s mother suffers from bi-polar disorder which causes her high highs and crashing lows.  This is not the first business venture she has attempted.  The rest were failures resulting in financial disaster.  Tess is worried that the ice cream shop will be the same story again, though this time they will be truly down and out, as their mother has risked the last of their savings.

Will things turn out differently?  Tess’s neighbors at the Mohawk Valley Village, Independent and Assisted Living are pulling for them, and helping them every way they can.  Tess’s new friends at school,  Pete and Gabby,  not only seem to understand difficult situations but are actually adept at fixing them.  Even her brother Jordan seems to be thriving in his new school.  And Tess’s talent for design and decoration is welcomed and appreciated here.  If only it turns out to be true that ice cream warms the heart not matter the weather because Schenectady  is freezing in the winter.  Ice cream, it turns out, in the hands of Delilah Dobson, manages to pull a community together and give life endless possibilities. Rocky Road is a heartwarming, feel-good, perfect summer read, as appealing as hot weather and ice cream!  [chapter book, ages 9-12]

Cast of Characters and their Ice Cream Personalities

Tess Dobson. twelve-years-of-age.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Rocky Road.  Personality Profile for Rocky Road:  You present a balanced mixture of charm and practicality.  You are outgoing and goal-oriented, and you appreciate the finer things in life.

Delilah Dobson, her bi-polar mother.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Coffee.  Personality Profile for Coffee:  You thrive on the passion of the moment and you throw yourself into all that you do.  Friends know you as adventuresome and dramatic, but you tend to overcommit yourself.

Jordan Dobson, her deaf younger brother.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Peanut Butter.  Personality Profile for Peanut Butter: You like to be helpful and are generous with your time, so friends often come to you when they have problems. You are very patient and thoughtful, and you give your friends useful advice every time.

Pete Chutkin, Tess’s classmate at school who becomes her friend and soda jerk at her mom’s ice cream store.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  hmmm… not sure.  Ice Cream Personality:  Vanilla fits his personality.  Don’t believe the myth.  The vanilla lover’s is never boring — you’re colorful, impulsive, expressive, and a risk taker.

Gabriella Danes, “Gabby,” Tess’s first friend at her new school.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Lemon Sorbet.  A lot of people fall into this category. If you don’t like ice cream it means that you are an independent, free-spirited person who won’t let anything get in the way of your freedom.

“Chief,” Fred Morrow, their neighbor at Mohawk Valley Village, Independent and Assisted Senior Living.  Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Butter Pecan.  Personality Profile for Butter Pecan:  You are devoted, orderly, respectful, and fiscally conservative.  Odds are high that you make your bed every day and never have a messy desk.

Winnie Lincoln, their neighbor/fairygodmother/ at Mohawk Valley Village, Independent and Assisted Senior Living.  Favorite Flavor:  Mocha Fudge.  Personality Profile for Mocha Fudge:  You are a negotiator. You’ll do anything you can to avoid open conflict so you never start quarrels. You will give in when you think it’s appropriate but you can be doggedly persistent when you know that justice is on your side.

Want to know your ice cream personality?  Take this quiz.  Here’s another quiz matching your personality to an ice cream flavor.

ps I also posted on Rose Kent’s other novel, Kimchi and Calamari.

BabyAge.com

Jul 05, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Top 10: Things Autistic Children Wish You Knew (by Notbohm)

I found this great summary by Autumn Rain Creations who summarized a book by Ellen Notbohm called Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew and I just shortened her summary.  But do go to her blog if you want more details.  Or check out the book at the library.

If you are interested in purchasing the book, please click on the image of the book

or buy at the PragmaticMom Store Under Book Reviews.  Thank You!

1. First and foremost, I am a child.  I do have autism but it does not define me.  It’s just one aspect of my total character.    I am still unfolding.  Neither you nor I yet know what I may be capable of.  Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low.  And if I get a sense that you don’t think I “can do it,” my natural response will be: Why try?

2.   My sensory perceptions are disordered such that everything is amplified to me.  Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical.  It means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you but I am really just trying to defend myself.  My hearing may be hyper-acute.   My sense of smell may be highly sensitive.  Because I am visually oriented (see more on this below), this may be my first sense to become overstimulated

3.  Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to).  Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges for me.  It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions.  It’s that I can’t understand you.  When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: “*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%…” Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: “Please put your book in your desk, Billy.  It’s time to go to lunch.”  This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next.  Now it is much easier for me to comply.

4.  I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally. It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is “this will be easy for you to do.” When you say “Jamie really burned up the track,” I see a kid playing with matches. Please just tell me “Jamie ran very fast.”

Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference, metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.

5.  Please be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong.

Or, there’s a flip side to this: I may sound like a “little professor” or movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, TV, the speech of other people. It is called “echolalia.” I don’t necessarily understand the context or the terminology I’m using. I just know that it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.

6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Please show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of consistent repetition helps me learn.

A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your PDA or day-timer, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transition between activities, helps me manage my time and meet your expectations.

7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do.  Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough and that I need “fixing.”  Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however “constructive,” becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you will find them. There is more than one “right” way to do most things.

8. Please help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, it may be that I’m delighted to be included.

I do best in structured play activities that have a clear beginning and end. I don’t know how to “read” facial expressions, body language or the emotions of others, so I appreciate ongoing coaching in proper social responses. For example, if I laugh when Emily falls off the slide, it’s not that I think it’s funny. It’s that I don’t know the proper response.  Teach me to say “Are you OK?”

9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns.  Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, people, activities. A pattern may emerge.

Try to remember that all behavior is a form of communication.  It tells you, when my words cannot, how I perceive something that is happening in my environment.

Parents, keep in mind as well:  persistent behavior may have an underlying medical cause. Food allergies and sensitivities, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems can all have profound effects on behavior.

10.  Love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, “If he would just……” and “Why can’t she…..”  You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it.  I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you.  Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think.  I promise you – I am worth it.

And finally, three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me.  It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart.  Or Van Gogh.

For other books on how to Teach Compassion to Children, please check out some of my other posts:

Books that Teach Compassion to Children

Top 10:  Books that Teach Kids Compassion

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Jun 04, 2010 | 8 comments View Post

Top 10: Books That Teach Kids Compassion (ages 2-14) UPDATED

Learning about our differences can be a powerful way for children to see from another person’s point of view.  I encourage all parents to introduce some of these books or others like these to their children and use these stories as a reference when children bring up differences in school, particularly with special needs classmates.  Because how great would it be if it were OUR child who can reach out like MacKenzie in The Friendship Puzzle?!  The Friendship Puzzle and My Brother Charlie are a particularly powerful combination for anyone who has a sibling or classmate with autism and would be a great pair of books for any child starting kindergarten.

To buy any of the books listed, please click on image of book

OR   buy from PragmaticMom Store on the right column of my blog.  Thank You!!

10. Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores by James Howe

Horance, Morris and Dolores are best friends who love adventuring until one day, they have to seperated into a boys only and girls only clubhouses.  This is no fun at all, so one day Dolores takes a stand.  They form a new inclusive clubhouse for boys and girls and are joined by new friends Chloris and Boris.  A fun book that is my 5-year-old son’s favorite about inclusion.  [picture book, ages 4-8]

9. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

This Newbery Honor book was written in 1944 but it’s still so relevant today. The author’s daughter said that her mother, who grew up in West Haven, Connecticut where the story takes place was the girl (Maddie)who stood by while her friend (Peggy) led the girl bullying towards a girl who was Polish and claimed to have one hundred dresses in her closet while wearing just one shabby dress every day to school. Like the girl in the story (Wanda), this little girl moves to New York City, but the author never gets a chance to tell her how sorry she is. Instead, she writes this book. [chapter book, ages 8-12]

8. Sumi’s First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak.

Sumi doesn’t speak English and today is her very first day of school ever.  Will it go well?  It does after a rocky start thanks to a kind teacher and new friend who finds a way to play with Sumi.  Sumi practices her very first sentence in English with her new friend.  [picture book for ages 2-7]

7. Arnie and the New Kid by Nancy Carlson

Arnie teases the new kid Philip who is different because he’s in a wheelchair. But then one day while teasing Philip, Arnie has a bad fall and ends up in crutches.  Now Arnie wishes he were in a wheelchair!  From seeing things from another’s point of view, Arnie becomes friends with Philip that lasts even when the cast comes off! [picture book, ages 4-8]

6.  Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Everyone makes fun of Yoko’s lunch because it’s different.  Her teacher frets and comes up with a plan to have an International Food Day.  But stil, no one will touch Yoko’s sushi.  Finally, Timothy tries it and loves it.  Yoko and Timothy push their desks together to have a “restaurant” serving sushi and sandwiches every day!  [picture book, ages 2-7]

5. The Friendship Puzzle: Helping Kids Learn About Accepting and Including Kids with Autism by Julie L. Coe

This is a great book to teach children how to relate to their classmates with special needs.  In this picture book, MacKenzie Macabee meets Dylan, the new boy at school who seems a little different.  When he has trouble fitting in, she puts the pieces of the puzzle together of why and learns about autism, but, even more importantly, she learns how to connect with him.  Her friendship with Dylan helps to bring her classmates around and he becomes a sought after soccer player.  [picture book, ages 5-8]

4.  Introducing …  Sasha Abramowitz by Sue Halpern

I really like this book.  It reminds me of Rules by Cynthia Lord that won a Newbery Award so it’s hard to believe that this book didn’t win a Newbery!  If you child like Rules, this would be a good choice.  Sash Abramonwitz is an articate, funny, aspiring chef living on a college campus with her two college professor parents.  Only one thing is missing, her brother Danny .who has Tourette’s Syndrome and is living at a care facility.  When he moves home unexpectedly, it forces her to deal with all the issues she’s facing both about Danny and about growing up.  [chapter book, ages 9-12]

3. Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester

A rat with a lisp becomes the unlikely class hero when he inadvertently gets rid of the new class bully forever. [picture book, ages 4-8]

2. Rules by Cynthia Lord

Having a special needs younger brother is hard on twelve-year-old Catherine.  On the one hand, she protects him by giving him rules to follow so he can fit in better. On the other hand, she’s embarrassed about him.  When she meets an older boy with a physical special need, they connect but is she too embarrassed to invite him to the school dance?  Will her friends accept him?  Is she misjudging her friends?  [Chapter Book for Grades 3-5, ages 8-12]

1. My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete

Charlie and Callie are twins and they have a lot in common but also have a lot of differences.  One thing that is different about Charlie is that he is autistic and has trouble communicating with people.  But Callie has a special connection with her twin, and feels lucky to be his sister.  [picture book for ages 4-7]

Honorable Mention

Hot Issues, Cool Choices:  Facing Bullies, Peer Pressure, Popularity and Put-Downs by Sandra McLeod Humphrey

This book won Mom’s Choice Award and Young Voices Foundation Award.  It’s heartbreaking dedication is to “In the memory of Tommy, who took his life at the age of twelve years, two months, and ten days.”  Sandra McLeod Humphrey has created a fictitious elementary school with a cast of characters who face a quandary of uncomfortable and downright cruel situations.  After each short scenario, questions are posed to the reader:  ”What do you think s/he should do?  Why? How does [the character] feel?”  It’s a clever way to pull in the reader into different points of view including bully, victim, bystander, and pawn.  This is must-read material for any elementary school age student starting from grades 3 but DEFINITELY before entering middle school.  [chapter book, ages 8-14]


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May 22, 2010 | 4 comments View Post

A Workbook for Dyslexics (ages 8 and up)

I came across this and wanted to share it.  The url is:  http://boscbooks.com/a-workbook-for-dyslexics/

This is a celebration of a mass module for students who have been dyslexic. It contains 55 lessons that will progressively learn your tyro to resolve as good as spell difference regulating phonics, manners as good as mental recall cues. The lessons progressively set up up to a subsequent topic, charity exercise for reinforcement. Being formed upon a good good known Orton-Gillingham process for overcoming dyslexia, this module is effective; your tyro will be good upon their approach to celebration of a mass inside of a reduced time. Many lessons have a dictation portion, that contingency be finished as good as redone until a tyro has mastered a judgment of a lesson. Your tyro can attend to a dictations, postponement as good as replay during their own pace. These giveaway audio files have been accessible during a author’s website (URL is upon a pretension page).

Recommended for ages 8 as good as up.  $28.75.

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BabyAge

Apr 05, 2010 | 0 comments View Post

Introducing…Sasha Abramowitz: Teaches Compassion for Turret’s (ages 8-12)

I am shocked that Introducing…Sasha Abramowitz by Sue Halpern did not win any awards. It reminds me a lot of Rules by Cynthia Lord which won a Newbery Award.  Must have been a tough year that year!  If you child like Rules, s/he will love this book.

Sasha Abramowitz, the narrator of this novel for 9 to 12-year-olds, is wrestling with feelings of guilt and shame as she tries to come to terms with her older brother, who has Turret’s Syndrome and has been sent to a special school after a terrible incident involving their swimming pool.  In contrast to her brother who is a source of embarrassment preventing her from a normal family life, is her babysitter, Drew Hardy, who is a college student and star athlete at the college where both her parents teach.

Things get more complicated for Sasha when both her brother and her babysitter need to stay at her house.  It’s not until she makes a new male friend from her class play whose parents have special needs that Sasha starts to realize that for every negative there is also a positive.  And while she was only able to see the negative in her brother, a surprise at her play makes her realize that he’s the liability she thought he was.

This is such a great book on so many levels.  The plot is tightly written with memorable characters that somehow all get interwoven into the final chapter.  Sasha is also such a engaging  and realistic character that you can’t help but sympathize with her point of view but also gain insight as she does as she starts to see her brother from other people’s point of view.  I highly recommend this book for grades 4-6th.

To buy any of the books listed, please click on image of book

OR buy from PragmaticMom Store on the right column of my blog

BabyAge.com

Mar 28, 2010 | 0 comments View Post
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