Parents and teachers should know about two great books on behaviors solutions by Beth Aune, OTR/L, Beth Burt and Peter Gennaro. The first published was Behavior Solutions for the Inclusive Classroom: A Handy Reference Guide that Explains Behaviors Associated with Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, and other Special Needs. However as all who work in the school system know that challenging or different behaviors do not only happen in the classroom but in all areas of the school, the authors wrote a second book, a great companion for their first one, More Behavior Solutions In and Beyond the Inclusive Classroom.
In a few hours a classroom teacher, homeschooling parents, special needs caregiver, day care workers, early intervention teacher, and babysitting grandparents can go from cover to cover on one book. They will learn what causes different behaviors, what a child might be trying to communicate, and the solutions that could make the situation better for all concerned.
Two Books on Behavior Solutions
Written by Director of Special Education Peter Gennaro, occupational therapist Beth Aune, and special needs mom and advocate Beth Burt the books are written in a language all can understand. It is not technical, not filled with acronyms, not professional jargon. Readers will learn great on-the-spot, effective, low-cost solutions to make better the life of a child, his classmates, his parents, and his teachers.
The detailed Table of Contents and efficient eleven pages of Index makes it a breeze to find solutions to your problems; therefore, after the initial
reading keep these books handy for future reference.
For our Author Interview Series on our Special Needs Book Review site we have two awesome interviews with two of the authors of these fine books. One is with Beth Aune, paediatric occupational therapist, owner of Desert OT for Kids, here and the other is with Beth Burt, special needs mom and autism advocate here.
Beth Burt was my Coffee Klatch Tweetchat guest Monday, March 12th, 2012. Our topic was:
Transition issues getting ready NOW for college and employment…what needs to be done
Here is part of the interview with Beth Burt:
Lorna: What still must change to make the lives of children with different needs and their families better?
<< Beth Burt: That is not an easy answer. With my work with the Autism Society in the Inland Empire (my local chapter), we are asking ourselves that same question. We cover an area larger than the size of West Virginia with about 6,000 individuals with ASD. There are so many needs out there right now and the economy is just adding to the stress. We have so many families just trying to keep a roof over their head, food on the table and gas in their tank so they can get to work. They aren’t in place where they can check to see if their child is receiving appropriate services. They are just trying to survive. There are so many issues out there that need to be improved – areas that still are not offering therapy that is evidenced based, lack of social skills, employment options, appropriate accommodations in colleges and universities, training by mental health professionals who are starting to deal with the growing need of teens with ASD and a co-morbid mental health diagnosis.>>
Lorna: Your book has solutions for inclusive classrooms, what do you think is one of the biggest challenges for teachers with students with special needs in the regular/mainstream classrooms? How does your book help them solve them?
<<Beth Burt: I think one of the biggest challenges for general ed teachers is trying to decipher behaviour issues that come up in the class. Many aren’t sure how far to push, why they may be occurring, and more importantly what do about them. Teachers have more students in their classes, fewer resources to teach with, increased pressure to ensure the class scores on state standardized testing, and an increased number of students with special needs. Teachers don’t have a lot of time, and a lot of districts aren’t able to provide training on behavior. Our book was designed so a teacher could identify problem, turn to the page quickly to get a brief overview on why the behavior may be occurring and immediately get a few suggestions that are low-cost and easy to implement.
One little example of this is for kids who chew on their shirt. I had one teacher that had a child that was chewing on his shirt. He had a big wet spot and holes in his shirt most days and it was driving the teacher nuts. One of our solutions was to have the child chew straws that had been cut in half. You can buy a pack of straws for 99 cents. She put them on her desk, and redirected him to get a straw when he started to chew. He was happy because he got to chew and do his work which made him more productive. The teacher was happy because he was walking around with a wet shirt all day. A win for everyone that cost 99 cents.>>
Lorna: In closing, what are your two best tips for parents raising children with special needs?
<< Beth Burt: This one is easy:
- Pick your battles – not just with your kids but with the school districts, doctors – everyone! We have a limited amount of energy, time, and sanity. Make sure what you are fighting for is a high priority.
- Trust your instincts. If your gut is telling you that the placement, therapy, teacher, is not a good fit – it probably isn’t.>>
Buy Behavior Solutions for the Inclusive Classroom from Future Horizons and get 15% off PLUS free delivery in continental USA! Add the coupon code KIDCOMPANIONS when you checkout of the store for discounts! Buy Now
Buy More Behavior Solutions IN and BEYOND the Inclusive Classroom by Beth Aune OTR/L, Beth Burt and Peter Gennarofrom Future Horizons and get 15% off PLUS free delivery in continental USA! Add the coupon code KIDCOMPANIONS when you checkout of the store for discounts! Buy Now
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