Special Kids

In the real world, people on the autism spectrum need the same kinds of day-to-day skills everyone else needs to be functional! It's true. No matter how high-functioning children with autism or Asperger's may be or may become, they function better as adults if they've had the chance to learn basic skills, from being on time to good personal hygiene. But many reach adulthood without those skills. Enter Jennifer McIlwee Myers, aspie at large.

Just because a child is gifted doesn't mean they don't have other types of neurodivergence, like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more. Conversely, even children with one of these diagnoses can be cognitively gifted. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children provides you with a road map to understand the complex make-up of your "gifted-plus," or twice-exceptional, child or teen.

Do you find yourself constantly asking your child to "pick up the pace"? Does he or she seem to take longer than others to get stuff done - whether completing homework, responding when spoken to, or getting dressed and ready in the morning? Drs. Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby have worked with thousands of kids and teens who struggle with an area of cognitive functioning called "processing speed" and who are often mislabeled as lazy or unmotivated.

Empowering strategies for anyone who works with children and teens on the spectrum. Internationally best-selling writer and autist Temple Grandin joins psychologist Debra Moore in presenting nine strengths-based mindsets necessary to successfully work with young people on the autism spectrum. Examples and stories bring the approaches to life, and detailed suggestions help listeners put them to practical use.

Learn about children who are blind, their challenges and adaptations, and their similarities with others.

Some people need to wear leg braces. What does that mean? Listeners learn how leg braces can help and what daily life is like for someone who wears them.

Normal. Who is to say what this word means? For Magda Newman, it was a goal. She wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments his friends took for granted. But Nathaniel’s severe Treacher Collins syndrome - a craniofacial condition - meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly? But Nathaniel looks at “normal” from a completely different perspective.

Reconnected Kids is a groundbreaking guide to help parents resolve their child's behavioral problems—without medication, strife, or drama. This empowering method shows parents how to first identify their own role in their child's behavior, and then how to guide the child to focus on goals, practice lifelong good habits, and stay motivated.

Dr. Robert Melillo's Brain Balance program has helped thousands of families across the country, offering a drug-free, scientifically based method for addressing a wide range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorders and ADHD. In The Disconnected Kids Nutrition Plan, he presents the nutritional side of the Brain Balance Program, featuring guidelines, tips, and kid-friendly recipes based on the latest scientific research on how food affects the brain.

Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Parenting Bright Kids Who Struggle in School guides parents through the challenging and often unfamiliar landscape of raising kids who have been labeled with learning differences, including dyslexia, ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, and more. Drawing from her own experience as a parent of a child with learning differences - who is now a highly successful adult - the author outlines clear lessons from a quarter century of advocating for kids who learn differently.

Learn about autism and the people who have it.

Do you know a child who struggles to get started with things or who resists trying something new? Maybe they argue or have trouble joining other kids in conversation and play. Do you hear yourself prompting your child again and again? Do you feel frustrated or stuck, and long for a better way - a more positive way - to engage your child while guiding them toward independence? This book was written for parents, caregivers, professionals, and more - to guide you on how to move away from prompting and prodding kids - and toward authentic connections and competent roles.

Do you wish your kid was more focused at school and generally throughout the day? A more in-depth preparation from parents and teachers can guide kids through their emotions and help improve their self-awareness - leading to a long-lasting impact on the child’s life. By integrating these simple and straightforward techniques into your and your kid’s daily life, you’ll find uplifted family energy, less stressed teachers, and the lives of your children enhanced in ways otherwise unattainable!

Empower your family to thrive, even when ADHD feels overwhelming. Parenting Kids With ADHD provides practical, research-backed strategies to transform your family life with clarity and empathy.

Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his certification test, though, it seems like that dream will never come true - until a family adopts him. They want him to be a companion for their 10-year-old son, Gus, who has autism. But Gus acts so differently than anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn’t even want Chester in the room. Chester’s not sure how to help Gus since this isn’t exactly the job he trained for - but he’s determined to figure it out. Because after all, Gus is now his person.

Winter break is over, and it’s another five months until summer vacation. A.J. and his friends aren’t looking forward to school starting back up, but they’re even less excited when Dr. Carbles, president of the Board of Education, cancels ALL school holidays. No Presidents' Day, no Memorial Day, and forget about any snow days! Morale is down, but Mrs. Roopy, the librarian, has a trick up her sleeve. Instead of celebrating traditional holidays, the school will celebrate real holidays that no one has ever heard of!

Charity may have mad math skills and a near-perfect memory, but with a mouth that can’t speak and a body that jumps, rocks, and howls unpredictably, most people incorrectly assume she cannot learn. Charity’s brain works differently from most people’s because of her autism, but she’s still funny, determined, and kind. So why do people treat her like a disease or ignore her like she’s invisible?

Being afraid of the dark is a very common fear among children. Even adults jump at shadows. Ever watched a horror movie and tried to get a glass of water in dim light? From bugs to darkness to strange phenomena, children are afraid of the unknown. They have no reference point to explain these new stimuli, and they turn to the most basic instinct of human nature: fight or flight.

A dramatic and remarkable narrative of an extraordinary teacher's determination, from the author of the Sunday Times bestsellers The Tiger's Child and One Child. Torey Hayden faced six emotionally troubled kids no other teacher could handle - three recent arrivals from battle-torn Northern Ireland, badly traumatized by the horrors of war; an eleven-year-old boy, who only knew life inside an institution; an excitable girl, aggressive and sexually precocious at the age of eight; and seven-year-old Leslie, perhaps the most hopeless of all, unresponsive and unable to speak.