Social media makes it possible for a small business owner to interact with others in all corners of the world. We have designed two lines of chew necklaces and always love getting feedback about who uses our KidCompanions Chewelry and our Tougher-than-Silicone SentioCHEWS. Through our Special Needs Book Review site, I have a new cyber
Continue Reading...Raising a Girl with Autism – Asperger’s In Pink by Julie Clark ~ Book Review
This post introduces you to one of my favorite special needs parenting books. If you are raising a girl with autism you will appreciate this book. I just wrote a review of it for our Special Needs Book Review site. It is Asperger’s in Pink ~ Pearls of Wisdom from Inside the Bubble of Raising a Child with Asperger’s by “Julie Clark.
Julie writes about her family as they learn how to care for their daughter with Asperger’s syndrome. Even though this book fills the need for a resource for families and educators of a girl with autism, it is also very beneficial for all parents of a special needs child because many aspects of the Clark’s family struggle apply to all. These parents will learn from Julie Clark’s experience as they also sift through the EAS (Educational Alphabet Soup) IEP, 504, PAT, FAPE, CSE, OT…
Continue Reading...Raising a Sensory Smart Child
Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues
Become Sensory Smart
Parents can now find lots of parenting books about raising a sensory smart child. One of these is Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues by Lindsey Biel, M.A.,OTR/L and Nancy Peske. This book has a foreword by Dr. Temple Grandin and is Winner of the NAPPA Gold Award and IParenting Media Award.
Continue Reading...Off The Page Hi-Lo eBooks: Easy-to-Read, High Interest eBooks for Teens and Young Adults
We have found the most beautiful hi-lo eBooks by a company called Off The Page. Off The Page eBooks are fun, educational, easy-to-read books tailored to teens and young adult readers. The easy-to-read, high interest eBooks are made in New Zealand by Anne Russell and Rosemary Emery and used around the world. These beautiful eBooks are for adolescents and young adults with reading difficulties especially students with Down syndrome, autism, and learning disabilities. Make reading fun with these hi-lo eBooks designed with the needs and interests of mature students who are just beginning to read.
Continue Reading...Review Autism Spectrum Disorder SIBLING SUPPORT: 15 Practical Tips by Trish Thorpe
On our Special Needs Book Review site we reviewed one of the four books Trish Thorpe has written titled Autism Spectrum Disorder SIBLING SUPPORT: 15 Practical Tips for Parents and Caregivers. For her Amazon.com book information, Trish Thorpe wrote, “There is perhaps no group in our society who is impacted more and recognized less than the siblings of disabled people. It’s time to highlight their needs. This handbook does just that. Updated annually, it provides parents and caregivers with insight and practical strategies for supporting the siblings of special-needs children.
By collaborating with a professional psychologist, the author was able to leverage the insight she learned from years of counseling about her lifelong relationship with her own Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) brother. The success of the collaboration is evident here — you’ll find a non-clinical yet spot-on understanding of special-needs sibling dynamics.
Short and to the point, the book starts by explaining the term “glass children” (i.e., the neurotypical, “see-through” child in the sibling relationship). Next you’ll find step-by-step suggestions (15 tips) for helping ASD siblings deal with day-to-day challenges such as understanding lopsided household rules, feeling loved and respected as an individual outside of their role as an ASD sibling, and comprehending the unique advantages of living in a special-needs family. This is an important resource for anyone wanting to understand and support ASD siblings.
(This handbook was updated in 2016 to include DSM-5 information.)”
See the links at the end of this post to our interview with Ms. Thorpe and to a guest post about her book on ASD sibling support.
Trish Thorpe also agreed to write the following guest post introducing her book on ASD sibling support.
Continue Reading...The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well by Paula LaRocque
Has it been a while since your last English writing course? Have you been wondering if grammar rules have changed? Wished you knew the acceptable use of jargon, fad, and cliché? Reading The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well by Paula LaRocque is a quick and easy way to review and hone your language arts skills.
Continue Reading...Benefits of Gardening for Children with Autism and Special Educational Needs
Gardening is motivational for the child and is great for the mental health of all involved. Children with special needs benefit from gardening but so do their peers, caregivers and educators
Continue Reading...A Week of Switching, Shifting, Stretching: How to Make My Thinking More Flexible by L. H. Kerstein
Released in November of 2013, this delightful picture book, A Week of Switching, Shifting, and Stretching: How to Make My Thinking More Flexible by Lauren H. Kerstein, LCSW , will help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and all children, for that matter, in becoming less rigid in their thinking.
Continue Reading...Educational Picture Book on Kindness and Friendships: FLOWER CHILDREN by Brigitte Brocato
Folks at SentioLife Solutions, Ltd. thank Brigitte Brocato for informing us about her third picture book that just came out in January 2014. FLOWER CHILDREN is an educational children’s book about the color theory, creating secondary colors from primary colors. It is also a book about kindness and friendships. Ms. Brocato’s other two lovely books for children are ABC and the other one is WALDY.
Continue Reading...Review of Toby, the Pet Therapy Dog, and His Hospital Friends by Charmaine Hammond
Have you been searching for a children’s picture book to help your child or students learn how to be kind to others? Charmaine Hammond and illustrator, Rose Anne Prevec, have teamed up to write a wonderful children’s picture book, Toby, the Pet Therapy Dog, and His Hospital Friends, about caring for others. Ms. Hammond’s book is based on the true story from the book and movie, On Toby’s Terms which is about when Charmaine and her husband adopted Toby, a five-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever.
Continue Reading...Best Gifts For Children with Special Needs by Marcela De Vivo
Knowing what to get for a child with special needs can be somewhat difficult, especially if you’re buying a gift for a child that isn’t your own. While having some knowledge of the child’s needs can be helpful, it isn’t always a necessity, and there are a variety of gifts that are ideal for children with all types of special needs.
Continue Reading...You Are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to Kids Book by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke
How to explain social thinking to kids? I just reviewed a great book to help you, You Are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to Kids written by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke, and illustrated by Kelly Knopp. This book will be enjoyed by all the young Social Detectives who might have School Smarts, Science Smarts, or Music Smarts and need just a little help with their Social Smarts to make a big difference in their daily interactions.
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