Jolly Kids Picture Talk & Conversation Book

 

                                                        

Hi friends, today the product I am reviewing is a book but is equally a fun therapy game, social emotional learning resource and helpful in developing language & conversation skills as well as story telling! Intrigued? Read on..

This book has 40 chapters, each one comes with many attractive pictures that portray the everyday life in its many facets thereby helping your kiddo, learn new vocabulary, understand different scenarios and gain comprehension skills. Some of the scenarios covered in the chapters of this book are - family, bedtime, getting dressed, birthday party, annual function, restaurant, zoo, shopping, etc. Let's take a look:

Your kiddo will learn the vocabulary associated with the various scenarios, build sentences and stories and you can include some social emotional learning by asking questions about how a character is feeling, the reason, how would he/she feel in their place; develop problem solving skills and much much more.

You can purchase this from Amazon India

Autism In Heels

 

                                                     

Autism In Heels - The untold story of a female life on the Spectrum is a best selling and multiple award winner book written by Jennifer cook O'Toole. She is the author of another best seller - Asperkids and a renowned international speaker and Autism advocate.

Jennifer got her diagnosis after all her three children and husband received their diagnosis. An immense desire to help her children navigate the life, led her to author the book - Asperkids. In this book, she shares many personal experiences from her life and in the process throws the spotlight on how Autism manifests similar yet different in ladies on the spectrum. Girls may not line up cars but may play with dolls in a regimented manner and devoid of imaginative play. Jennifer, rightly points out that girls, in general, are more emotionally mature than boys of the same age; are great at imitating peers and adults and good at masking from a young age - these are in fact the leading causes of why fewer girls are receiving their Autism diagnosis and the support they need. 

I found the chapters on empathy, synesthesia and executive functioning skills very insightful. The way she seamlessly blends deep personal stories and research is very interesting. Jennifer has a very high IQ and she repeatedly shares how in spite of being so smart, she is stupid in certain aspects of life because of her difficulties with cognitive empathy. At times, my heart broke reading about the repeated bullying, the struggle to socially fit in, faux pas in friendships, dating and other relationships. I truly admire her undying spirit and courage.

This is the fourth and final book review and my way to celebrate Autistic Pride as a month long event to learn from the real experts. Let's all work together to make the world a better place, that is more understanding and accepting of Autistic individuals.

You can purchase this book from Amazon India

Connecting With The Autism Spectrum

 

                                                

The Autistic pride day falls on June 18th, Neurodiversity pride day on 16th June, but let's celebrate the entire month learning more about Autism and Neurodiversity from the Real Experts. Every week in this month, I will review an immensely appreciated book written by Autistics. Let's kickstart the journey with this book. Connecting With The Autism Spectrum - How to talk, how to listen and why you shouldn't call it High-Functioning book is written by Casey 'Remrov' Vormer, an artist and well-known Autistic advocate.

This book has six chapters that cover the entire life stages - Understanding the Autism Spectrum; Neurodiversity, ableism and society; Communication breakdown; Autism at school; Autism at work & Autism in social relationships. My favourite aspect was how the author shares in the first chapter itself that labeling as high/low functioning is not accurate way and since Autism is a spectrum, the abilities and difficulties the individuals face are also varied and there is no viable way to predict how well anyone on the spectrum can fare in the different aspects of life. 

I also liked reading about Ableism and how unknowingly even good-natured people can make grave mistakes when addressing the various challenges faced by Autistics. The next four chapters discuss in depth the various crucial challenges that are faced by Autistics in communication, at school, at work and social relationships. But the most important part is that the author goes to great lengths to explain why the challenges arise by listing them as common conflicts under each chapter. For instance in the fourth chapter, the author explains why it is difficult for the Autistic child to explain the thought process behind their answer, difficulty understanding the tone of voice, understanding abstract language, following complex instructions, etc. and several tips and suggestions to help them through these difficulties. This section is followed by the 'Strengths on the Spectrum' that talks about the various strengths of the Autistics like memory, curiosity, hard work, respect, etc. This gives a positive message that though they are facing several difficulties, there are ways to help and accommodate them and there are many positive aspects they bring to the table too that can help them shine. That is the best approach any parent/caregiver/therapist/teacher of an Autistic individual can imbibe!

I hope you found this review helpful. You can purchase this book on Amazon India

Autism World - The Secrets Of My Spectrum

 

                                                                

The secrets of my Spectrum - An open door into the world of Autism is written by Callum Knight and is the third book featured in our month long celebration of Autistic Pride.

Callum was diagnosed when he was 13 and wrote this book in his sixteenth year and offers a refreshing take on Autism from a teenager's perspective. He writes in bite sized chapters on different aspects of life like communication, travel, socialization, focus, anxiety, stimming, meltdowns/shutdowns, education, overthinking, etc. and ends each chapter with what helped him in dealing with that. 

In the communication chapter and many other places, he talks about how stressful it is for him to engage in small talk and how sometimes he feels incapable of talking and shuts down. Two incidents from the book that I would like to share with you all highlight this aspect of Autism. One incident is when he is answering a call from Open university and talked eloquently about his interests though he was very anxious. In the second incident, when talking to someone in the bank, he freezes when asked about his date of birth. Though he can speak well, he shares attributes of unreliable speakers; defined as ones who have eloquent speech but when stressed or overwhelmed, they can't communicate via speech. If your child matches this description, read this book as the author shares many tips and suggestions about what he found helpful and how people around him can support him.

Callum, thank you for sharing such valuable insights. God Bless You dear and may all your dreams come true.

You can purchase this book on Amazon India

Untypical : How The World Is Not Built For Autistic People And What We Should All Do About It

We are in the second week of our month long celebration of Autistic Pride and today I am going to review the book written by Pete Wharmby tilted Untypical : How the world is not built for Autistic people and what we should all do about it. The author was diagnosed with Autism in his early thirties and is an eminent blogger, YouTuber and followed by many on Twitter. 

The book is filled with many wonderful insights both from the author's personal experiences and from his interactions with many other Autistics. There are many 'Aha' moments where the author points out the double empathy and lack of understanding of the neurotypicals. One example is when he talks about how the special interests of Autistics are frowned upon as they're different from the norm but special interests of neurotypical are actively encouraged. If someone is passionate about a sport, say cricket, they will spend endless hours watching all the formats of cricket and listen patiently to the opinions of experts and debate passionately with other enthusiasts! 

The author introduced me to many new concepts. A few of them that helped me understand my son better are  PDA ( Pathological Demand Avoidance), Autistic inertia & Monotropism. He also shares many insights about Autistic burnout, masking and its lethal effects, alexithymia, relentless stress and anxiety, lack of employment opportunities, health problems and many more. Throughout the book, he offers nuggets of wisdom and tips about how we can make the world a better place for the Autistics and many of them are just a change in our attitude and approach and providing accommodations. 

I always stress the importance of meeting your Autistic child/young adult mid-way instead of expecting them to attune to the world of neurotypicals. If you're someone who is interested in taking this path and are looking for guidance, listen to the real experts - the Autistic advocates and read books like these that provide sign posts that can guide us best.

You can purchase this book on Amazon India

 

Communicating Better With People On The Autism Spectrum

     

                                                

When communicating with someone on the Autism spectrum, we often wonder - is there a better way to communicate that is more respectful, inclusive and understanding. Over the years, we learn to be better communicators and allies, but what if there was a way to learn to bridge this gap sooner rather than later and have someone on the Spectrum guide us. The book, Communicating better with people on the Autism Spectrum written by Paddy-Joe Moran fills that gap and provides us with 35 things that can guide us in the process. Though this book is meant for professionals, I recommend this book for young parents and family members. Creating a positive and inclusive environment at home will help your child flourish and boost his/her self confidence. 

Some of these 35 communication guidelines are use of functioning labels and how they do more harm than good;  addressing them directly rather than speaking over them; importance of backing your gestures with words; and throughout the various topics, the author repeatedly emphasizes that when in doubt, ask the autistic person their preference and proceed accordingly. 

My personal favourite was the topic of using appropriate language when conveying the Autism diagnosis to parents. I totally agree with the author's thought process that Autism diagnosis is neither an entirely negative nor totally positive news, it's rather a beautiful mix of both that most good things in life are! If the focus is only on the negative aspects, the morale of the parents will be severely affected and that will not help the family. Starting off your Autism journey on a neutral note in a nourishing and nurturing home is the biggest gift any parent can give their child!

I hope you found the review helpful, you can purchase the book on Amazon India

Good Book - Navigating Autism

 

                                            

Navigating Autism : 9 Mindsets For Helping Kids On The Spectrum is co-authored by Temple Grandin and Debra Moore. This book shares the collective wisdom of one of most famous autistics in the world - Temple Grandin and a psychologist with over three decades of experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum - Debra Moore. The end result of such a unique collaboration is the nine mindsets that can help not just parents, but also therapists and caregivers. 

The nine mindsets are :

1. Every child is more than Autism

2. Whole child evaluations are vital

3. Take these steps before beginning any intervention

4. Know these medical conditions associated with Autism

5. Know these psychiatric conditions associated with Autism

6. Prepare kids for real world

7. Focus on strengths, not deficits

8. Work in the growth zone and

9. Envisioning a successful adulthood

                 Generally, when I review a book, I talk about my favourite chapter. Here, I am not going to do that as each chapter is essential in the growth curve to becoming a better parent or a therapist. After the Autism diagnosis, not just our children, but we as parents, also need to become more mature and adaptive and resilient. In the earlier stages of your journey, the first five chapter will help and guide you. I wish, I had the opportunity to read a book like this in the initial years! In the later years of your journey, the second half of the book will guide you as the authors share their wisdom and real world experience to introduce you to many new concepts, their importance and how best to adapt to your kiddo. Each mindset is listed as a separate chapter.

            You can purchase this book on Amazon India

Good Book - Fidget To Focus

 

                                     

Fidget To Focus - Sensory Strategies to outwit your boredom is written by Roland Ratz, a child and adult psychologist and Sarah Wright, a renowned coach and ADD speaker. Before you jump to the point that ADD/ADHD doesn't fall under Autism Spectrum, read on... as it is  common among children with Autism. ADD is a neurobiological disorder that affects our capacity to attend to tasks ( inattention), inhibit behavior ( impulsivity) and regulate activity level ( hyperactivity). In common terms, this results in trouble staying focused on a task, poor planning and timing skills, disorganized, act without thinking, interrupt conversations, trouble sitting still, among others.

The books starts off with  historical definitions of ADD and how they have evolved over time, sensory systems introduction and also elaborates how fidgeting to stay focused has been a part of our lives for centuries. One  example that stands out is the use of prayer beads when meditating or chanting mantras to help our mind from getting distracted. The next few chapters drive home the way many adults have learned to fidget effectively, some of the sensory strategies employed are interesting and innovative. These strategies are grouped under some well known categories like movement, sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, as well as a couple of new ones like time strategies and companion strategies. 

The seventh chapter - Strategies for Living with  ADD, lists ideas that can help the individual at difficult times and transitions such as falling asleep, waking up, at home, school, office, etc. The appendix, along with listing good books, websites, magazines, etc., features the Fidget strategies workbook; my favorite part of the book. The workbook encourages us to identify the activity and the primary sensory mechanism used, for example reading uses eyes. So you need a fidget that uses other sensory system, for example listening to music, scented candle, etc. that can help us fidget respectfully and keep our mind focused on the task at hand. The workbook offers many such strategies.

You can purchase the book on Amazon India

Helping You To Identify And Understand Autism Masking

 

                                                     

Helping you to identify and understand Autism masking - The truth behind the mask is an excellent book written by Emma Kendall. The author is an Autistic who is also a qualified therapist;, her child  is autistic and has several family members who are on the spectrum. This book uses lived experience to shed the light on a very important but often overlooked aspect - Autism masking. What better way to celebrate Autism awareness month than by spreading the word about this essential aspect!

So what is Autism masking and how do we identify it? Masking can be seen in a variety of behaviours such as imitating the popular kid/friend to blend in school, dressing up like peers and copying their body language, expressions, hobbies and interests - all done to avoid standing out in a crowd. Other examples are rehearsing a social script, constantly forcing themselves to maintain eye contact  and act interested in a social situation/conversation even when they are overwhelmed! Avoiding stims to fit in , hiding your true self and projecting a social personality!  A classic example is that of an Autistic child who is well behaved in school and has a  meltdown as soon as he reaches home; he/she has spent so much energy masking that they can no longer control. All these are examples are some of the ways speaking Autistic individuals mask.  The sad part is that many of these are actively taught/encouraged in Autistic children!!!             

Just imagine yourself doing all of the above ; everyday of your life without a break! Wouldn't you be frustrated and overwhelmed.  Many Autistic individuals face burn out and a disconnect from their persona because of masking for a long time. This can lead to mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders,  and many more serious health issues! 

I can understand that as parents we are encouraging these behaviours to help our children, but isn't their happiness and mental health more important? Think about it!! Read this book as this will guide you to identify the ways your child may be masking and offer ways to support them. This book is must-read for every parent and therapist! 

You can purchase the book on Amazon India

Thriving With Autism

Thriving with Autism - 90 activities to encourage your child's communication, engagement and play book is written by Katie Cook, a board certified ABA therapist. I know that ABA evokes pretty strong emotions, either for or against it. I am not here to justify or deny it but just want to say that if you are a parent/therapist who uses ABA for their child and are looking for ways to expand the activities at home; or if you are a parent in the early stages of your journey and want to  try ABA but don't know how to approach it - then this book is a good fit for you. This is the first ABA book I have read that incorporates the elements of Play Therapy and is child-centric!  

        The best part about the book is that there are separate chapters for key areas that our kids need additional help and the activities are grouped by age, i.e., developmental age of your child. The skills covered in this book are:

1. Communication skills - making requests to meet his/her needs, describing skills, etc.

2. Engagement Skills - joint attention and understanding perspective of others, etc.

3. Play Skills - parallel play, pretend play, cooperative play, etc.

4. Social Skills - improving eye contact by using face painting activity and  how to be a good active listener, etc.

5. Motor Skills - both fine motor and gross motor skills games are included.

6. Sensory Integration activities

7.  Self- Regulation Skills - includes activities that promote calming strategies and  role-playing practical solutions to everyday frustrating problems; using social stories, etc.

8. Academic Skills - mathematics, reading, writing, paying attention to teacher ,etc.

9. Self-help Skills - toilet training, brushing teeth, getting dressed as well as telling time, using money, etc.

Well, as you saw from the list of chapters, it is a very comprehensive book, as each chapter has nine activities that are suitable for children of different developmental ages. 

I hope you found this book review helpful. As always, do reach out using the contact form on the blog. You can purchase the book on Amazon India

 

The Hidden Curriculum

 

                                 

The Hidden Curriculum - For understanding unstated rules in social situations for adolescents and young adults book is written by Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa Trautman, Michelle Garcia Winner and Rhonda Schelevan. The combined experience of these immensely popular and well known authors is over 150 years, this should say something about how valuable the content of the book is!

The elusive hidden curriculum encompasses the set of rules that is presumed to be known to everybody. They are not explicitly taught but break one rule and you stand out! These rules impact your social life and daily interactions and are vital component of social skills. Unfortunately, this hidden curriculum is very difficult  to grasp for children and as well as young adults on the spectrum. This book lays out a road map for how to teach the hidden curriculum.

The first few chapters introduce the concept of hidden curriculum and how it impacts us throughout life, be it school, office, social interactions, etc. The chapter - Teaching the hidden curriculum is the heart of the book as it introduces us to various strategies that can be helpful in learning hidden curriculum. The strategies included here are:

1. Safe person - who helps them decode the hidden rules

2. SOCCSS stands for situations-options-consequences-choices-strategies-simulation

3. SOLVE stands for seek-observe-listen-vocalize-educate

4. Social narratives

5. Cartooning - comic strip conversations

6. Power card strategy

7. Social Autopsies

8. Incredible 5 point scale

9. Video Modeling

The chapter - Hidden curriculum items, lists the hidden rules in certain situations like Airplane ride, birthday party, life skills, social situations, figurative speech and idioms, etc. This list will give you a fair idea to make a tailor made list for the specific situation your young one may be facing and the strategies discussed in the earlier chapter will enable you teach them effectively. 

I hope you find this book review useful. Please don't hesitate to reach out, I am just an email away! You can purchase this book on Amazon India

Solving Executive Function Challenges

 

                                     

Solving Executive Function Challenges - Simple ways to get kids with Autism Unstuck and on Target book is written by Lauren Kenworthy and Laura Anthony, who have a combined experience of nearly four decades helping kids on the Autism spectrum overcome their challenges, especially, executive function challenges. This is one book I have been waiting to read for a while and I have to say, it not only lives up to my expectations but exceeds them by a mile! 

This book focuses on three specific and very essential aspects for our children. First one is learning to become a more flexible, independent and successful problem solver. Second one is developing tools to self-regulate and self-advocate in a more effective way and the third one is learning to use a framework for solving difficult situations. 

The first chapter introduces us to Executive Function as a set of brain-based abilities that help people control their behaviour and includes several aspects such as Initiation, Inhibition, Flexibility, Working memory, Organization, Planning and Self-monitoring. The second chapter introduces us to the - Unstuck and On Target program that helps children learn :

1. Flexibility or how to handle unexpected events or unexpected demands more easily

2. Goal setting or how to see the 'big picture', make long term goals and avoid distractions and

3. making and checking plans or how to organize the steps necessary to accomplish a goal or task.

The authors emphasize the use of four teaching methods to accomplish these goals - Memorize and repeatedly use scripts and key words ( an excellent collection of key words is provided for a myriad of everyday situations) ; Teach by doing; Make it fun and use visual supports.  These topics are explained in great detail in separate chapters.

The sixth chapter - Troubleshooting, covers solutions for eight common problems commonly faced by parents and teachers and offers some amazing solutions. Some of them are keeping it positive by keeping the praise to command/reprimand ratio 4:1, four times praise for every command/reprimand. I think we could all use a dose of positive thinking in our lives. Parents, take a deep breath and think of all the good work you have accomplished so far! Others problems covered are avoiding overload, breaking it down to simpler steps, taking care of ourselves, differentiating between what a child can't do vs won't do and having coping strategies ready; among others.

The appendix has some really good examples of Mission possible worksheets that help you to teach your young one to set a goal, have alternate plans A,B,C,D; Checking out which plan was used and whether it helped him/her accomplish the goal and how it went.

I hope you found this book review helpful, please use the contact form on the blog to reach out. You can purchase this book on Amazon India

Teaching Thinking Skills With Picture Books

 

                                  

            Teaching Thinking skills with picture books is written by Nancy Polette, a well published author and speaker. I found this book interesting because when we want to teach the all important thinking skills to our children, we are often clueless and have no idea what all aspects need to be covered. This books lists over 30 skills that are essential for developing thinking and problem solving skills and the icing on the cake is the use of pictures for our visual learners.

               Each skill is listed as a separate chapter with a brief introduction. Quality picture books are introduced as Book talks and this will help you find something similar to further practice the skill. This is followed by one or more thinking skills activities. 

                   The skills included in this book are :

Analogy

Analysis

Associative thinking

Attribute listing

Brainstrom

Classification

Comparing

Comprehension

Decision making

Deductive thinking

Elaboration

Evaluation

Flexibility

Fluency

Forecasting

Generalizing

Hypothesizing

Imagination

Inferring

Interpret

Judging

Knowledge

Language development

Originality

Patterning

Phonemic awareness

Planning

Predicting

Problem solving

Questioning - higher order

Research for beginners

Reversible thinking

Sequencing and 

Vocabulary

         A very comprehensive list isn't it? I don't know about you, but it definitely includes a few skills I never thought of. Time to sharpen the thinking skills! You can purchase the book on Amazon India

Developing College Skills In Students With Autism And Asperger's Syndrome

                                                      

 

Developing college skills in students with Autism and Asperger's syndrome is written by Dr. Sarita Freedman, a psychologist with over three decades of experience and founder of the ' College on the spectrum' that has helped many youngsters on the Autism spectrum. This book distills her years of experience and helps parents, teachers and therapists with tools and ideas to prepare their child/student to navigate their college life with all its hurdles.

 

Contrary to popular belief, this book is not about teaching the academic skills needed for college course, but instead focuses on the social skills, organization skills, self care skills and many more that will help him/her succeed not just in college, but in life. The author calls them - Skill sets. The best thing about this book is that for every skill set, she offers ways to teach them not just to adolescents, but to younger children as well so that they inculcate these skills from an earlier age.

 

The various skill sets covered in this book are :

• Self-awareness skills sets

• Environmental skill sets

• Self-advocacy skill sets

• Organizational skill sets

• Asking for help skill sets

• Self-care skill sets and

• Social skill sets

 

The appendix provides a very useful table that lists how teaching each of these specific skill set will help him/her in their daily life, personal life, academic issues and executive functions. For example, teaching organizational skills sets will help them - keep track of medical records, insurance information, bank records in personal life; make an appointment as well as plan and reach it on time, manage study and leisure time in daily life and several executive function tasks like using a task planner, organize course material into manageable chunks, planning and completing home work and other projects on time, learn the art of multi-tasking and learn to handle change in schedule/program , etc,.

 

A thorough and immensely book, useful for preparing your young one to a stress free college life and a more balanced and fulfilling life. The sooner you start, the more the probability that it becomes a part of their thinking process and second nature.

 

You can purchase the book on Amazon India

The Autism Job Club

 

                                         

The Autism Job Club written by Michael Bernick and Richard Holden is a book I have been waiting to read for a long time. Finally, got my hands on it and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Looking for ways to find meaningful and satisfying employment for our children on the Autism spectrum is something every parent will relate to, particularly if the child is in his/her teens. This book will open your eyes to a path that has helped many and make the journey a little bit easier.

The book starts off by introducing us to the concept of the Autism Job Club, wherein, parents, job coaches and well wishers get together and discuss and find ways to help the Autistic adults find ways to secure a meaningful career. They introduce us to a few members of the job club who work as a handyman, supermarket clerk, transcription part time jobs, etc. and talks about how difficult it is to find a permanent solution to this problem. The authors suggest that family members have to take the initiative and find ways to include them. For example, they share a success story, where a father who works in big chain superstore, finds the way to convince the employers to train and provide employment opportunity to Autistic adults in the warehouse. This hugely successful attempt prompted them to expand it to other stores too.

The authors also stress the importance of different types of employment - part time, apprentice or full time project based. They feel that getting the opportunity to learn essential job skills while working as an apprentice is valuable even if the pay is very little or none.

There are wonderful chapters about getting in to job search in the internet age, using social media and job networks. I particularly liked the chapter on the Autism job coach, who help Autistic adults in contacting potential employers, application process, training for interviews, and most importantly, finding the skill set of the individual and honing it to meet the job requirements! Job coaches are the need of the hour.

There are separate chapters on the growing internet economy employment and practical economy jobs. Though the stats are mostly not applicable to Indians, the techniques and ideas discussed in this book are universal and can easily be adapted to suit our economy.

I hope you find this book helpful. You can purchase it on Amazon India 

STAMP Treatment Manual - Exploring Feelings

STAMP Treatment Manual - Exploring feelings for young children with High-Functioning Autism or Asperger’s Disorder book is written by Tony Attwood, Angela Scarpa and Anthony Wells.  Tony Attwood is a clinical psychologist with over three decades of experience and is a prominent personality in the Autism world. Angela Scarpa and Anthony Wells are well known and respected psychologists who have years of experience working with children with Autism.

STAMP stands for Stress And Anger Management Program and is considered an extension of Dr. Tony Attwood’s Cognitive behavioural program. This is a structured treatment that provides children with coping strategies that help in decreasing negative feelings and foster the development of positive feelings. This book provides an in depth understanding of the essential components of STAMP - 

Affective education - teaching children about feelings, both positive and negative emotions as well as vocabulary to express their feelings.

 

Cognitive restructuring - teaching the children that their thoughts can affect how they feel and act. Enabling children to realize that they can sometimes change their thoughts to feel better.

The emotional toolbox - strategies to help children ways to handle their anger and anxiety. 

             The book discusses the nine sessions in STAMP treatment and is as follows :

Session 1 - Exploring positive feelings ( like happiness)

Session 2 - Exploring positive feelings ( like relaxation) as well as anger and anxiety. Emotional toolbox is also introduced here.

Session 3 - Exploring Anger & Anxiety and Physical & relaxation tools

Session 4 - Social Tools

Session 5 - Thinking Tools

Session 6 - Special Interest tools

Session 7 - Appropriate and inappropriate tools

Session 8 - Review of the emotional toolbox

Session 9  - focuses on reviews, assessments and reward for completing the sessions.

                 Each session uses positive, encouraging tone, songs, games  to help the young child ( developmentally in the age of 5 to 7 years) master this essential skill. Though this manual is meant for group sessions, you can easily adapt it and individualize it to suit your child. 

This book review is for all those parents who got in touch with me after reading the review of the book  - Think Good, Feel Good. They wanted a suggestion to try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for younger children. I hope you find this book review useful. Teaching our young children these very essential skills will provide a strong foundation for a more balanced life for your child as he/she grows up.

You can buy this book from Amazon India

Stay Cool & In control with Keep-Calm Guru

Stay cool and in control with the Keep-Calm Guru : wise ways for children to regulate their emotions and senses book is written by Lauren Bruckner, an award winning occupational therapist. Recently a parent got in touch with me requesting for a book review that would help her teenage aspie son to learn self regulation. This is for her and other such parents who are looking for an easy to read book, that their kid can follow to learn the crucial self regulation skills.

Part 1 is for the kids and starts off by introducing the Keep calm guru, Aurora. The importance of mind-body connection is discussed and in the words of the author : how crucial it is to 'feel most grounded to our own bodies, to our thoughts and to where we are in the moment'.

The chapter - The big four, introduces us to : Just Right, Slow and Tired, Fast and Wiggly and Fast and Emotional states. It explains how we feel when we experience these states/feelings. The next chapter deals with specific steps to get to the 'Just Right Feeling'.

The chapter - Anywhere Body Breaks, talk about activities that can be done anywhere using your own body and help activate the parasympathetic nervous system that helps  us reach the Just Right state. These include deep breathing, Proprioceptive and vestibular movements, crossing midline, etc. Coupling these with positive self talk is the key to achieving self regulation and is discussed in depth in the remaining chapters of this book.

         If your kiddo is at a stage where he/she can read and follow simple exercises and is ready to practice mindfulness to achieve self-regulation, then this book is perfect for you. You can purchase it on 

Amazon India