Parent Resources: Mental Health

As a parent, a teacher and an Aspie herself, Jennifer O'Toole provides the definitive insider's view of Asperger syndrome. She shows how to help children on the spectrum by understanding how they think and by exploiting their special interests to promote learning. Her strategies work because she thinks like the children that she teaches. This exciting book is full of effective and fun ways of engaging with children with Asperger syndrome.

For Asperkids, home is both their protected lair and their launch pad into success in a neurotypical world. Jennifer O'Toole provides parents with all the help they need in planning their home environment to encourage their Asperkid superheroes to soar. The Asperkid's Launch Pad is a visually-led guide to preparing a home environment that supports the development of children with Asperger syndrome. From a bedroom light switch that the child can easily reach, to a tucked-away safe place that he or she can retreat to when feeling overwhelmed or anxious, small changes in the home can boost the child's self-confidence, independence, comfort and life skills.

A veteran clinical psychologist exposes why doctors, teachers, and parents incorrectly diagnose healthy American children with serious psychiatric conditions.   In recent years there has been an alarming rise in the number of American children and youth assigned a mental health diagnosis. Current data from the Centers for Disease Control reveal a 41 percent increase in rates of ADHD diagnoses over the past decade and a forty-fold spike in bipolar disorder diagnoses. Similarly, diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, once considered, has increased by 78 percent since 2002. Dr. Enrico Gnaulati, a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood and adolescent therapy and assessment, has witnessed firsthand the push to diagnose these disorders in youngsters. Drawing both on his own clinical experience and on cutting-edge research, with Back to Normal he has written the definitive account of why our kids are being dramatically overdiagnosed--and how parents and professionals can distinguish between true psychiatric disorders and normal childhood reactions to stressful life situations.

In the late 1980s, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and its treatment with the drug Ritalin came to national attention and became one of the most hotly debated health issues. That debate continues to rage today. But for the millions of ADHD children, adolescents and adults, it still remains painfully difficult to get clear and authoritative answers to the many questions that this confusing disorder poses. Do I have a correct diagnosis of ADHD? What kind of medication might be helpful? What else can and should I do to help myself or my child deal with this problem? Now, at last, the authors of Beyond Ritalin, acknowledged experts on ADHD, provide a complete road map and guide for coping with this disorder. Including anecdotal case histories, as well as a complete checklist of ADHD symptoms, charts, work sheets and a comprehensive list of valuable resources and support groups.

Discover a way to end constant power struggles with your defiant, oppositional, "impossible" 5- to 12-year-old, with the help of leading child psychologist Russell A. Barkley. Dr. Barkley's approach is research based, practical, and doable--and leads to lasting behavior change. Vivid, realistic stories illustrate what the techniques look like in action.

Designed for classroom teachers in inclusive settings, this book presents strategies for working with students with Asperger Syndrome. AS is a disorder in the autism spectrum, and students with AS suffer from similar, though milder, symptoms as students with autism. It is often considered a social disability, though one of its most notable differences with autism is that most students with AS do develop verbal language skills. The book provides over 50 research-based strategies for teachers, including guidance on transition planning and using technology, and tips for working with support staff.

The first accessible guide to examine Sensory Processing Disorder, The Out-of-Sync Child touched the hearts and lives of thousands of families. Carol Stock Kranowitz continues her significant work with this companion volume, which presents more than one hundred playful activities specially designed for kids with SPD. Each activity in this inspiring and practical book is SAFE--Sensory-motor, Appropriate, Fun and Easy--to help develop and organize a child's brain and body. Whether your child faces challenges with touch, balance, movement, body position, vision, hearing, smell, and taste, motor planning, or other sensory problems, this book presents lively and engaging ways to bring fun and play to everyday situations. This revised edition includes new activities, along with updated information on which activities are most appropriate for children with coexisting conditions including Asperger's and autism, and more.

A compassionate, practical approach to treating children who suffer intense temper outbursts and verbal and physical aggression.

From one of the world’s leading experts on reading and dyslexia, the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and practical book yet to help us understand, identify, and overcome the reading problems that plague American children today. For the one in every five children who has dyslexia and the millions of others who struggle to read at their own grade levels—and for their parents, teachers, and tutors—this book can make a difference. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs—many of them in her own laboratory—Dr. Shaywitz demystifies the subject of reading difficulties and explains how a child can be helped to become a good reader. She discusses early diagnosis in young children as well as the diagnosing of older children, young adults, and adults. Dr. Shaywitz explains why some bright adults can read only very slowly, and what they can do about it.

Kids with ADHD need to be loved and shown how to become successful adults. Unfortunately, their lack of attention and restlessness often get in the way. Parents of these kids try so hard to stay connected and remain patient in the face of daily frustration. However, it is an incredible challenge to remain positive and involved when your child does not respond to the kinds of strategies that work for other children. Without guidance and systematic treatment, these bright, inquisitive children are unlikely to graduate from high school, are more prone to use illegal drugs, and struggle to maintain employment as adults. Drawing from his experiences in evaluating and treating thousands of children and teens with ADHD, Vincent Monastra presents a series of ten lessons that are essential for promoting the success of kids with ADHD.

From birth onward, a child's brain develops in amazing ways. Whether you're pregnant with your first child or trying to figure out why adolescents act the way they do, parenting expert Dr. David Walsh shows you how to make the most of the latest breakthroughs in brain science and psychology in this complete, cradle-to-college guide to parenting. Backed by science and filled with stories, Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids finds the practical advice in groundbreaking scientific headlines about memory, language, emotions, nutrition, play, and more. Dr. Walsh equips you with usable information about exercise, sleep, emotional intelligence, connection--all of which work together to help kids reach their full potential.

Dr. Temple Grandin gets to the REAL issues of autism--the ones parents, teachers, and individuals on the spectrum face every day. Temple offers helpful dos and don'ts, practical strategies, and try-it-now tips, all based on her insider perspective and a great deal of research.