Special Education books and resources

Asperger Syndrome in the Inclusive Classroom

Advice and Strategies for Teachers

Stacey W. Betts, Dion E. Betts and Lisa N. Gerber-Eckard

"A goldmine of practical strategies that will be of benefit to teachers with or without experience. This is an extremely readable book which is packed full of practical advice, strategies and opportunities for reflection on managing young people's lives at school, with down to earth text covering such areas as curriculum, transport, discipline, unstructured time and much more. The book enables an individual and whole school approach to facilitate inclusion with an emphasis on learning."
- Elaine Colquhoun, President, NASEN

Alphabet Kids - From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome

A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals

Robbie Woliver

"This is a glimpse into our 21st century parenting reality for millions of families. Alphabet Kids offers expert advice with a dose of compassion to empower parents and professionals with information aimed at helping children with special needs reach their highest potential."
-Deirdre Imus, Founder and President of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology® at Hackensack University Medical Center and Co-Founder/Co-Director of Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer

Bible Stories in Cockney Rhyming Slang

Keith Park

'Cos they didn't
Adam and Eve it
When God said 'Oi!
Apple - leave it!
This innovative collection of Bible stories, written in cockney rhyming slang, is a fresh and fun approach to learning about the Bible. From Adam and Eve to the Resurrection, the book presents well-known stories in an original and accessible way for everybody to enjoy.

Challenge Me! (TM)

Speech and Communication Cards

Amanda Elliott
Illustrated by David Kemp

Speech and language skills are a vital part of being able to communicate with others and express one's own needs. The Challenge Me!™ Speech and Communication Cards provide fun and dynamic challenges for children aged 3-12 with any form of speech problem, whether this is a severe problem which is related to a motor disability or a general delay in speech. This set of beautifully illustrated full-colour cards with accompanying instruction booklet will be an ideal creative tool for parents and professionals working to improve a child's speaking skills.

Educating Difficult Adolescents

Effective Education for Children in Public Care or with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

David Berridge, Cherilyn Dance, Jennifer Beecham and Sarah Field

Educational achievements for children in care are significantly poorer than for the general school population. This book explores why this is and how to enable children in care to succeed in the classroom.

Fun with Messy Play

Ideas and Activities for Children with Special Needs

Tracey Beckerleg

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.

Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs

Charlotte E. Thompson M.D.

When a new baby is born into a family, grandparents are excited about having a baby to enjoy and love. If the child is born with a disability, it can be difficult to know how to react and how best to help the child and the family as a whole. This book provides guidance on how to grandparent a child with special needs and give every grandchild the love and care they deserve and parents the added support they need.

Group Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

A Focus on Social Competency and Social Skills

Albert J. Cotugno

Given the significant core deficits in social interaction and communication that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate, it is critical to understand and develop interventions which directly address these needs.

A Guide to Special Education Advocacy

What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates Need to Know

Matthew Cohen

Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to?
A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability.

Helping Children with Complex Needs Bounce Back

Resilient Therapy(TM) for Parents and Professionals

Kim Aumann and Angie Hart
Illustrated by Chloe Gerhardt

'It is terrific to see a book for parents and professionals which shares knowledge and expertise on resilience - it is the key to parents and children getting through the tough times.'
- Mary MacLeod, Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute

Bringing up a special child can leave parents feeling deskilled, disarmed, and worn down. A resilient child has the ability to cope with challenging situations, and the capacity to bounce back from trauma and gain long-term strength from these life experiences.

Resilient Therapy ™ is an innovative way of strengthening children with complex needs. This is a tried-and-tested handbook for parents to read from cover to cover, or dip in and out of as needed. Accessible and fun, Helping Children with Complex Needs Bounce Back includes exercises and worksheets, as well as breaking down the principles of the latest research, making them easy to apply to everyday situations.

This 'magic box' of ideas and remedies is perfect for parents and carers, friends and families of children with disabilities, special educational needs, and mental or physical health needs, as well as professionals working with these children.

Making the Move

A Guide for Schools and Parents on the Transfer of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) from Primary to Secondary School

K.I. Al-Ghani and Lynda Kenward
Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani

The transition from primary to secondary school is a time of great anxiety for most children. For children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) this anxiety can be overwhelming. Fear of the unknown, difficulty coping with monumental changes and the inability to imagine a favourable outcome, can all combine to make this unavoidable step in school life a time of great fear and dread. This book provides guidance for schools and parents on how to make the transfer from primary to secondary as easy as possible for children with ASDs.

Small Steps Forward

Using Games and Activities to Help Your Pre-School Child with Special Needs
2nd edition

Sarah Newman
Illustrated by Jeanie Mellersh

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

What Did You Say? What Do You Mean?

120 Illustrated Metaphor Cards, plus Booklet with Information, Ideas and Instructions

Jude Welton
Illustrated by Jane Telford

Expressions that don't literally mean what they say can be confusing for many children, but can be fun when they become familiar. Metaphors are particularly challenging for children with Asperger Syndrome (AS), because they tend to be literal thinkers. These cards can enable children with Asperger Syndrome to enjoy metaphorical language too. Using metaphors may also help children with AS to be more flexible and creative in the way they understand and use language.

Arts Therapies in Schools

Research and Practice

Edited by Vicky Karkou

As arts therapists are increasingly working in schools, there is growing interest in identifying applicable therapeutic approaches and expanding on relevant research evidence. This book outlines the potential uses of music, art, drama and dance movement therapies in educational settings, and...

Choosing a School for a Child With Special Needs

Ruth Birnbaum

If you are considering placing a child with special needs at a new school, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Should you choose a special school, or a special unit within a mainstream school? What will be the involvement of therapists? Maybe home schooling would be best? Whether the...

Fuzzy Buzzy Groups for Children with Developmental and Sensory Processing Difficulties

A Step-by-Step Resource

Fiona Brownlee and Lindsay Munro
Illustrated by Aisling Nolan

Children with sensory and cognitive difficulties can struggle to interact with their peers, be easily distracted, and have problems coping with change. Fuzzy Buzzy Groups for Children with Developmental and Sensory Processing Difficulties has been devised to address the needs of children with...

The One and Only Sam

A Story Explaining Idioms for Children with Asperger Syndrome and Other Communication Difficulties

Aileen Stalker
Illustrated by Bob Spencer

One day it was raining and Sam's mother said to his father, 'My goodness, George - it is raining cats and dogs outside.' 'That's strange,' thought Sam. When he looked up into the sky, he couldn't see any cats and dogs anywhere, no matter where he looked. All he could see were giant raindrops...

What is Friendship?

Games and Activities to Help Children to Understand Friendship

Pamela Day

What are friends and why do we need them? How do we talk to our friends and how do we listen to what they have to say? What is peer pressure and how do we deal with it?
Many children identify friendships as being a vital part of achieving emotional well-being, but some children experience...