Child-Mental-Health Books

Luke Jackson, the thirteen-year-old author of this book, says he wrote it because "so many books are written about us, but none are written directly to adolescents with Asperger Syndrome. I thought I would write one in the hope that we could all learn together." And he does an amazing job of appealing to his peers in a colloquial manner. Jackson's style is almost precocious at times, but effective. He tackles many topics, includinging sensory perception, physiology, and sleep, listing some helpful tips. For example, Jackson suggests to look at people's mouths when they're talking, which is close enough to making eye contact.The section on physiology discussed, among other things, the GF/CF diet.

Next Jackson writes about language difficulties, dealing with slang and idioms, and suggests to parents that they write out steps to complete a task and give clear and specific instructions. The next chapters cover school problems and bullying, with some tips for dealing with bullies, stressing that it's important to tell someone. Jackson then mentions Taekwondo for self-defense, as well as the many other benefits it provides. The following three chapters deal with friendships, dating, and morals and principles. The "morals and principles" chapter also is beneficial in that it stresses not to let people entice you to do something that is wrong, that you don't need friends like that.

The end of the book has a nice positive note about AS people being amazing in their own ways, even if not savants (after a discussion about the movie Rainman). It is certainly amazing for a thirteen-year-old to write such an organized, insightful book. I found it to be very helpful, including the appendices on idioms (with definitions of being "on cloud nine" and "don't cry over spilled milk") and references for further information (books, websites, and organizations). All in all, a worthwhile book for parents and kids alike.

I read it, my Dad read it in 2 days. Very practical, humorous.When my son, with Asperger's, gets a little older, I will give this book to him. I want to meet Luke Jackson. What a great personality!

This book is a keeper. Luke speaks from experience and shares his experience and suggestions for kids with aspergers, parents, friends and physicians on how a an AS kid can handle real-life situations by sharing what has worked for him. This book is an easy read and would be good for teens and adults to read whether they have AS themselves or are related to or know someone who does.

This was a great resource for us as parents of an Asperger son to get an idea of how the adolescent with Asperger thinks and relates to others. It will eventually be a great book to let our son read. The adolescent author of this book feels very strongly that all Asperger children should be told what they have (by name) so that they won't feel like something is wrong with them, but will come to understand that they are the way they are because of Aspergers.

This book is intended for a person with Asperger's however, it can also be used by a child being bullied.

This book was very helpful in dealing with a narcissistic in-law family. I suppose I would have gotten more out of the book if it had been my family of origin. Lots of good information, at times a bit too technical for this lay-person, but overall an interesting and helpful read.

I also recommend "The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissistics" for those dealing with a malignant narcissistic in the family.

My mother is still narcissistic in virtually every relationship she has. I now recognize what it is about our relationship that leaves me empty. I no longer provide her narcissistic supply and I have established some clear boundaries with her. I can't change my childhood but I am aware of how it can affect me in my daily interactions and, armed with that knowledge, I have been able to be a better mother to my son.
I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who has to deal with a narcissistic family member; it doesn't necessarily have to be your parents. It could be a sibling, too.

This book was quite an eye opener for my husband and I. We actually read it together and was able to identify many of the issues addressed. We feel armed with the knowledge of what we are dealing with (as knowing is 1/2 the battle), but we are still uncertain as to how exactly to deal with the narcissitic parent/family system in certain situations. We plan to continue reading about this topic, discussing how best to be in control of our own actions/feelings, and moving foward past the narcissitic upbringing. This book was definitely the place to start.

The book was very imformative if you feel you come from the type of family written about

I have read this book recently and am amazed at how much it is helping me become a better person. The stories are amazing, the analysis is genius. I can't but help recommend this book for people who are interested in learning about themselves and how to improve themselves.

This is the best book on ADHD that I have read! Sometimes the scenarios were so right on that I felt like the author must live in our house. I feel like I have a much better understanding of my daughter since reading the book. I put into practice some of the tips right away and noticed results immediately. Before reading this, I was still questioning my daughter's diagnosis but not anymore. This book may have saved my daughter's self-esteem as I now feel confident with how to help her get through her hard times.

My daughter's pediatrician recommended this book. It is a look into my daughter's present struggle with an explanation of "why" & how to help. It gives insight into her future struggles & how to prepare & possibly even avoid some situations. It explains the DIFFERENT way ADHD affects girls than boys! Highly recommended!

I would highly recommend this book to parents and guardians of girls with ADHD. I saw many of my daughter's behaviors and symptoms very clearly at each stage of her life - how I wish I had had this book when she was younger! We were fortunate to have a pre-school teacher who was experienced enough to point out to us the "red flags" she was observing with our daughter's behavior in the classroom and how she related to other children, and she was professional enough not to diagnose her, but referred us to neurologist who made the diagnosis, so we caught her ADHD early, which made a huge difference. This is an eye-opening book, and will help prepare you for what may be coming as your child progresses through school and life stages. It has given me the information that I needed to understand how I can help my daughter succeed and grow and how to relate to her effectively now and in the future. Now I know why she's so tired when she comes home from school and this book makes it so obvious! The real-life examples are riveting and heart-breaking and will make any good parent want to do anything they can to help their daughter avoid those pitfalls that these women experienced throughout their lives. Bravo to the authors for recognizing that research done on boys with ADHD can only provide a piece of the puzzle - we all know that boys and girls are different and as a result, present ADHD symptoms and behaviors in different ways, as you will see when you read this book. Don't hesitate to buy this book - you will be glad you did and your daughter will be too!

would have helped me understand my daughter, and myself, better. This book presents the research in a way any parent can understand. It also let me know what to expect for the future. Most of the books I've read ignore the differences between ADD in boys and girls-- not this one. This book should be handed to parents of ADD girls as soon as the diagnosis is made, if not sooner.

After being frustrated and watching my daughter start to fail I was finally able to convince teachers that she had a problem with add, just because your daughter is not bouncing off the walls doesn't meant there isn't a problem. This book help me to explain many painful experiences so that the staff was able to finally step in and help. My daughter is now in excelled classes, not on meds and yes we still have our interesting days but we are able to handle them better. Our social worker used this book to give an inservice during the summer. Teachers are often taught to identify boys who cause problems as add candidates. Girls who are day dreamers or chatty cathys are overlooked, and often highly intelligent children mimic add qualities, and are just 'hardwired' differenly, they can be seen as challenging authority and problems, too often used as tutors to their classmates, when they get home is when they have a melt down, but being people pleasers somehow hold it together all day at school and save it for mom. Get the book! It saved our family.

This is an excellent, straight-forward, sensitive book that deals with a topic that is difficult. It is written so that it can be easily understood and is incredibly helpful to victims as well as therapists who treat them. The author validates the victim's world and encourages the victim to get help and talks about the many males who have survived and are healing.

A thoughtful book re sexual abuse of people who are trying to get past the victim ideology. The writer has had much experience in treating these people and his suggestions are helpful.

As a spouse of a survivor, I read this book which also offered advice to partners and spouses. This book gave way too many examples and other info for the first 4 chapters. Most of us already have an idea of what sexual abuse against boys can entail, there were just way too many stories of survivors that were disturbing and difficult to read. It did however give important insight and ways to get help and help yourself but it came along with a lot of unneeded information. If you have the time and patience it is a good tool towards recovery.

I gave this wonderful book to my husband who is in recovery from childhood sexual abuse by his father. He cried and read , cried and read from start to finish. The book is empowering, healing and filled with truth that heals. I recommend it as an essential read for those in recovery and for those who love them. Kate

If you or a loved one have been the victim of childhood sexual abuse then this book is an excellent resourcee. It deals primarily with Male Survivors and provides great insight into how coping mechanisms have become a way of life. It allows survivors to carefully examine their feelings and relationship choices in a positive and affirming manner, and begin to make changes to a healty lifestyle. If you have decided to read this book, well done!!! You have taken the first steps to reclaiming your life!

Mental Illness is something that every single person has to deal it, be it directly or indirectly. It scares me to see just how many people suffer from mental illness and I often wonder - do we have more mental illness in this generation? Or is it because it went undiagnosed in previous generations? No matter, we are now, as a society, dealing with this disease and all its various forms.

What amazes me is the stigma that STILL seems to be attached today. Why is that? Is certainly a question that author Kate McLaughlin has asked and, no doubt, keeps asking herself.

Kate McLaughlin certainly knows first hand the joys and pains of living with this disease. Two of her children suffer from mental illness and this has had to redefine the life that this family lives and it has also had to redefine what being a woman and a mother means to Kate.

What follows is a heartbreaking and heartwarming memoir of what it is like to live in the midst of mental illness - to live with people that you love who are suffering, sometimes on a daily basis with this disease. The feelings of helplessness that it evokes and at the same time, the feelings of hope and love that it also touches.

You have to be brave to live with this disease and this story shows us just how courageous this family really is.

I loved this story of stark reality against a sea of love. It made me cry on quite a few occasions (I hate it when that happens) and I am in awe of these people.

Thank you Kate for sharing such an intimate story of courage and love

I highly, highly recommend "Mommy I'm Still in Here." Until I read this book, I had a very poor understanding of what it means to have bipolar disorder. My daughter was diagnosed in her late 20s with bipolar disorder, and after reading this book, we have been able to mend the wounds to our relationship. We were once very close but our relationship was nearly destroyed by her mental illness. It was all because I did not understand what was happening to her, and she was unable to tell me. She has a B.A. in Psychology. If she couldn't explain it to me, I am certain there are many families who are experiencing even worse problems than we did. Part of it is denial, part of it is ignorance. If your child has been diagnosed with bipolar, buy this book and read it. If you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, buy this book and read it, then give it to your family and friends to read.

I came upon this book after a friend told me she loved it. I didn't think it would be relevant to my life as I have no bipolar children. Was I wrong. I started reading it on Friday morning and finished it Saturday afternoon. I was captured by this family's struggles and could even see bits of my own family challenges as we raise our teens. The writing was so down to earth and brutally honest. She really didn't try to paint any of them as saints, just people trying to cope with the curves that sometimes get thrown at us even after we've done everything right. I could see how any parent who is facing challenges of any kind with their kids would be able to relate to this family. Kate's strength and perseverance through such adversity was admirable.

I am a parent of a son who is almost 12, diagnosed a few years back with bipolar and ADHD. I am continually looking for books to help me along this journey. This is a must read book for any parent of a bipolar child. It is written by a mother - and it is very candid. It makes you realize as a parent that you are not alone in this struggle. It has given me renewed hope as we have to face the future. I highly recommend this book. After I finished reading it, my husband is now reading it and I have been telling everyone about it.

I had the pleasure of discovering Kate McLaughlin's, Mommy I'm Still In Here, a memoir of a mother's efforts to hold her family together during the crisis of having two of her three children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Then I had the good fortune to interview her.

The book was moving and frightening, but ultimately hopeful and eminently practical. There is no adult demographic that I can think of that wouldn't benefit from this easy and fascinating read. If you never need the information on bipolar disorder for the management of your own circumstances, you can only come away enlightened, more compassionate, weighed with important questions and, most importantly, buoyed with hope.

Ms. McLaughlin's eldest daughter, Chloe, suffers from the most difficult to treat cascade of symptoms, and her brother, Michael, wrestles with substance abuse issues in his low times, and yet, with their strength of family and perseverance, they've achieved satisfaction and competence in their lives. Ms. McLaughlin is a shining example of someone able to map the big picture and offers a way to develop perspective. She soars high.

All I can do is recommend Mommy I'm Still In Here.

To hear the audio of the interview, go to PsychJourney dot com.

I find myself going back to this book again and again. It's almost amazing to me that so many kids could be so alike in their fears and actions, but this book offers practical ways of getting out of the storm. It also is just so refreshing to have the voice of calm of the book, and be reminded life isn't always like this. It's a very thorough book covering all concerns for parents of bipolar kids. There are no easy answers, but it sure is nice to have this book to reference.

Bipolar Kids is a wonderful book bringing the world of Dr. Greenberg's children to us. It gives the reader real insight on the thoughts and feelings of her children. Dr. Greenberg shares her expertise so eloquently and is obviously a master at her craft.

A marvelous book. Written in a clear and concise manner, one that everyone can easily understand. Reassures worried parents that their children can be helped. Can turn your life around.

This is a great book for introducing students not only to bipolar disorder, but also to a compassionate, caring, and up-to-date clinical approach for treating it. Dr. Greenberg writes with enormous warmth about her patients, and her empathy is inspiring for all educational and mental health professionals.This would be a perfect book for a general psychology course as well as teacher education courses. Everyone who works with children should read this book.

This book is an excellent resource for any parent of a child with bipolar disorder, as there are so few resources out there. It is comprehensive, easy to understand, up-to-date, and very informative, approaching topics relevant to parents struggles with issues applying to their bipolar child. An especially important chapter is the one on medications, and the fact that he goes over each one specifically. Another major problem that parents face is "Is it bipolar disorder or something else?" Too many children have been misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder (manic) when it is just ADHD, and this book addresses that, as well as other disorders of misdiagnosis. The main thing is that this book shows parents how to traverse the peaks and valleys of their child's wild bipolar mood swings, with practical advice and illustrative examples that any parent can follow. I especially like the part at the end called "Real Life, Real Answers." I highly recommend this book as a resource.

This book was a blessing to me when I found out my son was diagnosed with Autism. It helped out so much with basic information and were to actually get help. The book also answered questions I did not even think about asking.
I recommend this book to anyone who has an Autistic child/friend/love one to better help in undertanding what Autism is and how you can help.

This publication is well written using simple language which has made it easy to understand.

The publication has a variety of strategies which can be implemented to help reduce the stress that is often associated with working with people who have autism.

Good read for anyone who is interested in autism

The Dummies folks have once again put together a great general resource. It provides a good baseline for understanding autism. Another book I found very helpful--and more specific as to curing this disorder--is He's Not Autistic But...: How We Pulled Our Son From the Mouth of the Abyss.

They should give you this book when you get your diagnosis. Seriously! It was the first book I bought on Autism. It's a great place to dive in to Autism. It covers everything from Meds, IEPs, Schooling, Adult programs, everything you NEED to know on the subject. I would recommend it to anyone!

In my opinion this is a very useful book for parents, but not as complete and exhaustive as a teacher (as myself) would need. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars and not 5. Easy to read, and complete as far as parents are concerned.

This is a sweet loving story about how despite her little brother's disability an older sister sees nothing "wrong" with the way he is.

Poignant yet simple book for teaching siblings about Down Syndrome. My students loved it!

We'll Paint the Octopus Red is a book about a little girl named Emma, who is going to become a big sister soon. Through the first half of the book Emma and her dad talk about all of the things, she is going to be able to do with her new little brother. She wants to kick the ball, go on safari in Africa, and paint the octopus. Then when her little brother is born, her dad tells her that he has Down Syndrome. She then thinks of all the things she wanted to do, and tells her dad she guesses he will not be able to do those things after all. Then her dad and her go through each thing and decide that if they are patient and take time with her new brother, he will be able to do all of those things in life. Therefore, Emma decides that Downs will not be that big of a deal, and goes to see her little brother at the hospital, and tells him that she will teach him to paint the octopus red when he is older. The end of the book also has questions and answers for children about Down Syndrome.

A little girl eagerly anticipates the birth of her little sister and she pictures all the things they will do together. When her sister is born with Downs Syndrome, she must realize that they won't be able to do all of those things, but there are still fun things they can do together and be loving siblings.

This is a very positive book that is excellent for a child with a special need-learning to love your sibling no matter what and finding things to do with her has to be one of the hardest parts for any big sister, and this book lovingly shows how to do that. Excellent for read aloud and early readers, up through about 3rd grade.

I bought this book while pregnant because I'm sure that someday my daughter will have questions about her big brother who has Down syndrome. I'm hoping that this book will help both of them understand why when the day comes that she is able to do things that he hasn't learned yet. Being only 23 months apart, I felt the need to be prepared as soon as possible.

This is a beautiful book that very sweetly explains that delays don't mean that someone will never be able. I like the fact that this book doesn't dwell on the negatives of a Down syndrome diagnosis, but also includes the idea that Mom & Dad may be sad. I hope that my daughter someday cherishes the book and why I bought it for her.

I picked this book up out of curiosity. I was not prepared for what I read. I wish I had never opened the book. If you get the least bit emotional hearing or reading about child abuse then don't read this book because the details of what this poor child endured - the torture, mental, physical, sexual abuse - are in the book. I fear these images will stay in my head for years to come. (I think Ms. Spencer did an excellent job in the way she presented the story to us regardless of its details). Like a previous reviewer, I too could not put it down because I had to see and believe that Jenny would overcome her horrors and be saved. Unfortunately the book ended before her therapy did so eventhough Jenny made great strides, in the end the readers don't really know if she improved or regressed.

I found this book on my dusty bookshelf and saw I must've started it a long time ago so I decided to try again. Just into the first few pages I realized why i might have put it down. But I continued to read and was instantly brought to tears of the horrific tortures this poor girl went through and the amazing capabilities she had to be able to cope. I was comletely baffled by how this child was able to endure and survive such torment and abuse from her mother, the cult, and numerous men. Though it made me sick, I just couldn't put it down. I had to reach the end to see the amazing outcome of this now grown woman. It was difficult to read but rewarding in the end knowing what those therapists were able to unveil.

Most books leave the reader with a longing for more extensive knowledge of the healing process. Not this one. Judith Spencer does an excellent job of taking the reader from discovery of the abuse, denial, DID effects, and therapy. The details of the abuse can be triggering but also affirming if there are any doubts about the memories of Ritual Abuse. The long search for adequate help within the counseling community was down right disturbing as she was misdiagnosed over and over again. The most informative part of this book is the intimate detail of the therapy relationship and process. Her therapists were absolutely commited beyond the norm to her emotional health. READER BEWARE: don't expect to find similar therapists, they probably don't exist. My only disappointment was the lack of information about the relationship with her husband. As a primary relationship, it was certainly overlooked or intentionally avoided.

This book is amazing. It captivates the reality of child abuse dangers as well as the monstrousity of satanic cults. If this book were a movie, it would make "Sybil" and "The Three Faces of Eve" look like disney shows. It is a psychology course must-read, but I read it simply for its intriguing truth and complexity.

Feels like I wrote parts of it. very scary and triggering . Read with care and if you have a past in satanic abuse, don't read it at all.

As the parent of an adolescent child with Asperger's, I found this book to be just what was needed -- a no nonsense approach to helping our kids with a sense of humor. This is the second book by this author that I have purchased. I will purchase more, I am sure.

This book is one of the best I've seen about the transitional issues that arise when someone with Aspergers reaches their teens. With my son, we find each developmental step has its own challenges, but the movement into middle school, with the increased expectations of self-management and the early teen student issues among peers has been a bigger challenge than most. This book helped me frame these issues as they apply to my son, improving my understanding. Then I could apply many of the ideas provided both directly and through the school. My biggest problem is that this is such a slow read ... not because it is hard to read (to the contrary, its very understandable and straightforward.) Its a "slow go" because of all of the underlining and page marking I am doing to track the "good stuff." Dr Bolick has done those of use living in these situation a major service with this work! I fully recommend it.

More and more books are addressing the problems ASD kids encounter in their latter years . Teresa Bolick has written a well thought out and structured book that answers many of the concerns that parents and teachers have. Would you need another book dealing with this area ? I would say...yes. It is such an important time in these kids lives that a comprehensive knowledge is needed by all those that care for these yound adults.


reviewed by Special Education Teacher and father of ASD child.

I have a son with Aspergers. This book is a great help!

I haven't finished reading this book, but so far what I've read completely fits. My AS teen needs all the help he can get with organization, social skills, etc. This book gives real life examples and excerps from real parents and adolescents with AS. This book is helping me to better understand my child and to help him develop strategies and coping mechanisms so he can have a successful life. Definitely a good addition to my AS library!