Best Special Education

Groundbreaking and comprehensive, Driven to Distraction has been a lifeline to the approximately eighteen million Americans who are thought to have ADHD. Wise, practical, and reassuring.” —Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., author of Endangered Minds and Different Learners “The first comprehensive book on the subject for the lay reader.” — The Boston Globe.

The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial “executive skills”--the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. As a parent of three children, one of whom has learning disabilities, and as a special education associate who works in the classroom, I highly recommend this book. "Filled with real-world examples and solutions, this easy-to-read book is the first comprehensive guide to the management of children's executive skills. Dawson and Guare explain the importance of executive skills and provide science-based strategies that empower you to start helping your child today." Dawson and Guare translate cutting-edge research into meaningful, practical, well-organized, and easy-to-implement strategies that parents can use to enhance a child's natural executive abilities. ( Library Journal 2009-01-04). "Fun to read....This book is quite interactive....Questionnaires are provided both for children (of various ages) as well as parents, so that they can both see their strengths and weaknesses....Techniques to teach executive skills are shown in a step-wise manner, and planning sheets are available throughout the text....Another strength of this book is its focus on the emotional aspect of executive functioning, and providing strategies to bolster the emotional skill set of children....Strongly recommended for any parent who wishes to help their children maximize their potential, even if they do not have identified academic or behavioral struggles."

--What dyslexia is and why some intelligent, gifted people read slowly and painfully. --How to identify dyslexia in preschoolers, schoolchildren, young adults, and adults. --How to find the best school and how to work productively with your child’s teacher. --Exercises to help children use the parts of the brain that control reading. --A 20-minute nightly home program to enhance reading. --The 150 most common problem words–a list that can give your child a head start. --Ways to raise and preserve a child’s self-esteem aqnd reveal his strengths. --Stories of successful men and women who are dyslexic. Yale neuroscientist Shaywitz demystifies the roots of dyslexia (a neurologically based reading difficulty affecting one in five children) and offers parents and educators hope that children with reading problems can be helped.

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome is the definitive handbook for anyone affected by Asperger's syndrome (AS). This book really is a must-have resource for all academic libraries, college psychology classes, parents and relatives of those with AS, clinicians and medical professionals, teachers, and of course, those of us who have AS. There is also a very useful frequently asked questions chapter and a section with useful resources for anyone wishing to find furter information on a particular aspect of AS, as well as literature and educational tools. This is a very informative read which is aimed at not only the professionals, but also the parents, teachers and family members of those people suffering from Aspergers Sundrome. Personally speaking, this was a comfort to me because I fell that I am on the spectrum somewhere and it's enough for me, now, to understand that...The language is never too technical, and has quotations from Hans Asperger (who first diagnosed the condition) as well as excerpts from Aspies themselves - which add another dimension to the book. Attwood has been studying, writing about and speaking about AS for many years, and has gained a reputation for being knowledgable, approachable, and practical in his advice and thoughts. There are lots of specialized cookbooks out there, covering the details of Thai cuisine, or how to use a slow cooker, but the classic Joy of Cooking can get you started and point out where to go next. In 1998, Australian clinical psychologist Attwood published Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, which quickly established him as an international expert on the condition. Here, he updates research in this rapidly evolving field, offering a wealth of information on childhood, college, long-term relationships, and careers. Particularly helpful are the "Key Points and Strategies" at each chapter's end and the detailed FAQs, glossary, resources, and references sections. His work skillfully brings together the current information on this fascinating condition and is an essential purchase for academic and public libraries.

--What dyslexia is and why some intelligent, gifted people read slowly and painfully. --How to identify dyslexia in preschoolers, schoolchildren, young adults, and adults. --How to find the best school and how to work productively with your child’s teacher. --Exercises to help children use the parts of the brain that control reading. --A 20-minute nightly home program to enhance reading. --The 150 most common problem words–a list that can give your child a head start. --Ways to raise and preserve a child’s self-esteem aqnd reveal his strengths. --Stories of successful men and women who are dyslexic. Yale neuroscientist Shaywitz demystifies the roots of dyslexia (a neurologically based reading difficulty affecting one in five children) and offers parents and educators hope that children with reading problems can be helped.

The Smartest Kids in the World “gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange....The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes” ( The New York Times Book Review ) . Kim, fifteen, raises $10,000 so she can move from Oklahoma to Finland; Eric, eighteen, trades his high-achieving Minnesota suburb for a booming city in South Korea; and Tom, seventeen, leaves a historic Pennsylvania village for Poland. Amanda Ripley, an American journalist, seeks to answer such questions in The Smartest Kids in the World , her fine new book about the schools that are working around the globe ….Ms. “[ The Smartest Kids in the World is] a riveting new book….Ripley’s policy recommendations are sensible and strong….The American school reform debate has been desperately in need of such no-nonsense advice, which firmly puts matters of intellect back at the center of education where they belong.” ( The Daily Beast ). “Gripping….Ripley's characters are fascinating, her writing style is accessible, and her observations are fresh….If you're interested in how to improve public schools, read Ripley's book today.” (The Huffington Post). “This book gives me hope that we can create education systems of equity and rigor—if we heed the lessons from top performing countries and focus more on preparing teachers than on punishing them."

Filled with classic and current research about all aspects of educating young children with special needs, THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD: INCLUSION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, 8th Edition, discusses key approaches and tools needed to provide an optimal setting for young exceptional children with special needs and their families. Eileen K. Allen, Professor Emerita, University of Kansas, spent 30 years as a professor of child development and early childhood education at the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Kansas at Lawrence.

Groundbreaking and comprehensive, Driven to Distraction has been a lifeline to the approximately eighteen million Americans who are thought to have ADHD. Wise, practical, and reassuring.” —Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., author of Endangered Minds and Different Learners “The first comprehensive book on the subject for the lay reader.” — The Boston Globe.

A father’s exhilarating and funny love letter to his daughter with Down syndrome whose vibrant and infectious approach to life has something to teach all of us about how we can better live our own. The day they brought her home from the hospital, her parents, Paul and Kerry, were flooded with worry and uncertainty, but also overwhelming love, which they channeled to “the job of building the better Jillian.” While their daughter had special needs, they refused to allow her to grow up needy—“Expect, Don’t Accept” became their mantra. In this charming and often heart-stirring book, Paul tells stories about Jillian making her way through the world of her backyard and neighborhood, going to school in a "normal" classroom, learning to play soccer and ride a bike.

This important new edition retains practical techniques that enable interpreters to effectively communicate their clients' intent, while its timely discussion of the interpreter's role is broadened in a cultural context. Reading Between the Signs, Third Edition, adds a terrific new chapter about Deaf heart and the tradition of Deaf interpreters, and includes the reflections of several Deaf interpreters on their experiences working with Deaf consumers, detailing ways we utilize cultural adjustments for more effective communication. Essential reading for anyone working with Deaf people or seeking a greater understanding of communication between Deaf and hearing culture.― Ai-Media.

Groundbreaking and comprehensive, Driven to Distraction has been a lifeline to the approximately eighteen million Americans who are thought to have ADHD. Wise, practical, and reassuring.” —Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., author of Endangered Minds and Different Learners “The first comprehensive book on the subject for the lay reader.” — The Boston Globe.