Communication-Disorders Books

There are many books on the market geared towards adults dealing with children who have Asperger's, but very few books that are written for children with Asperger's. "Baj And the Word Launcher: Space Age Asperger Adventures in Communication," by Pamela Victor takes on this task and delivers a witty and educational story about Baj, a young man living in the space age, along with his parents and nosy sister.

Not all children with Asperger's share the same attributes, but some of the commonalities are trouble communicating, not being able to decode facial expressions and social cues, and having difficulty processing sensory input. People with Asperger's have some wonderfully uncanny characteristics as well; they remember details, and are exceptionally creative. With this in mind, Victor offers some simple and helpful suggestions, and does so in a way that is easy to digest.

We learn about Baj's daily routine and his meetings with Mr. Pilma, his school counselor. Mr. Pilma's golden rule is "STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! And THINK before you speak." Mr. Pilma is amazingly adept at helping Baj navigate his daily interactions, offering common sense advice as well as a few extraordinary accutrements. Mr. Pilma comes to Baj's rescue with a magical communications kit - a calming cape, a word launcher, and listening aids. The calming cape is, of course, a wonderful calming cloak, the word launcher helps Baj organize his thoughts so that he can pick the right words when responding to others, and the listening aids help Baj focus on crucial text, summarizing the speaker's intent.

Most of the time these aids come to his rescue, but sometimes he needs additional advice from friends. When Baj ignores his best friend's greeting, due to the fact that he is in the midst of a day dream, his friend admonishes him to "...keep one ear and one eye open for what's going on around you, even when you are imagining things." Baj takes this advice in the spirit it is intended and notes his friend's words. Over a period of time, we follow Baj and watch him transform from a boy struggling to cope with the world around him to someone competent to handle any and all social interactions.

Baj, and the reader, learn some important lessons about body language, diplomacy, listening to others, responding appropriately, and asking questions. After Baj learns a new skill, it is reinforced in the text with a dialogue box, replete with a series of questions, i.e., "What happens inside your body when you get nervous? Happy? Scared? Mad?"

In addition to these lessons, the story itself is captivating and lively. The author does not talk down to the reader and it is obvious that she has high regard for her subjects, including the sometimes persnickety sister. I realize that this book is geared towards children with Asperger's, but it is equally fitting for any child, or any adult for that matter. Who couldn't benefit from most of these lessons? I immediately found myself being more attentive to what was being said by those around me, but oh, what I wouldn't do for that calming cape.

Quill: Well-written, great story, packed full of useful information, for any age.

I was thrilled to read Baj and the Word Launcher. It is such a fun book, and a wonderful way to get inside the head of a child with Asperger's Syndrome. I think that reading this book will be very supportive for other children like Baj, who have a hard time figuring out what's going on around them and could use a bag of tools, like the Word Launcher, to help them out.

Our 7-year-old son just finished this book. He loved it. It was an exciting story that had him eager to turn the page.
We recently decided to tell him that he has Asperger's Syndrome and it quickly became his excuse for all his difficulties. Through this book, he was able to understand that he is responsibile for his behavior and he has begun to see that he can maintain control.
Best of all, he enjoyed reading it. It was the first chapter book he was willing to read. Not only was the content beneficial & fun, but book itself helped him overcome his fear of reading a 'big kid' book.
We highly recommend this book for elementary school aged kids with Asperger's Syndrome.

This book makes me think of the name for the Kennedy Administration (1960-63), the New Frontier. This is the New Frontier in autism/Asperger literature!

Baj is a delightful character who has Asperger's Syndrome which is the spectrum partner to autism. He embarks upon a stellar Magical Mystery Tour armed with a Communication Kit so he can learn to decode facial expressions and other nonverbal language cues. Many is the time when I've wished I had such a kit.

Readers, neurotypical and on the spectrum alike will enjoy this book and love traveling with Baj to the New Autism/Asperger's Frontier!

My son and I just finished reading Baj. My son read it first and couldn't put it down. (He really enjoyed the sci-fi theme and glimpse of life on another planet.) It is an engaging and warm-hearted read which weaves fundamentals of communication and body language into the story of Baj and his friends. This is a book for kids and adults alike who wants to improve their communication skills or just become more aware of them. And it's a great way to start a discussion with any child about these essential skills. I loved the Stop and Think boxes - which can be used to spark conversation and understanding of the concepts. We can't wait for more adventures of Baj!

My son was ahead developmentally in every way. He pointed, made eye contact, was very social, ran by 11 months, put simple jigsaw puzzles together, and asked for what he wanted. When he was about 18 months old, he 'lost' all of that. He seemed to be in his own world, completely stopped speaking, didn't point any more, made no eye contact, preferred to be alone, seemed dazed, and didn't seem to hear anything any more. Being a divorced mother of two with limited resources, I didn't know where to turn for help. When he was diagnosed with autism 8 months later, I was devastated. How could I bring my precious little boy back into my world? Would he ever speak again? I couldn't afford therapy. That's when I found this book. 'More Than Words' was very easy to understand and implement immediately. My son is 6 years old now. This book has helped me bring him back into my world. Every day I still continue to see improvements in all aspects of his communication as I continue to use this book. He is using sentences now, points, and can ask for things again. The book is written in such a way that it can be used as your child grows and advances. I will continue to use it for years to come. If you only buy one book to help your child with communication...make it this one. It has truly changed our lives!

This book is really a $50 book. I'm not sure why these people are asking $150 for it here. Anyway, this book is definitely worth owning. It has beautiful illustrations and is a smooth, easy read. Lots of good ideas.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HTW4GY7MK4IG I have enjoyed using this book as a resource for parents and myself as an Early Intervention Specialist. It is very user friendly. It is not too intimidating for parents with a child that has been newly diagnosed with ASD.

Our son was recently diagnosed with ASD, and I have been reading constantly since then. A child psychologist told me that she felt this book was so important, she would buy it herself to give to parents who couldn't afford it. This is far and away the best book I've found to teach us how to communicate with our child. It is easy to read and offers actual instructions on how to help your child understand you and respond to you. It takes many principles from Greenspan's books and puts them into practice. I actually bought it from the NC Autism Society's bookstore and it was soooo much cheaper! (By the way, you can order online or over the phone from them.) I would highly recommend this book to any parent of a child with ASD.

This book was written for parents of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Written by a speech-language pathologist, this book provides a step-by-step program that trains parents to help children under the age of six learn to communicate through everyday activities. The chapters are divided into four color-coded levels of communication so parents can easily locate those strategies that are best for their child. The book contains a wealth of practical information, and the colorful illustrations positively depict a variety of communication activities. Please visit our website to obtain a copy of this valuable resource at the actual list price.

Jed Baker has produced another great resource to help teachers support social growth and development. There are too few resources for those teaching in middle and high school so I was thrilled to see secondary version hit the market(there is an elementary book as well). If you regularly work with students with autism, you need this book.

This book was recommended to me by a fellow educator. I was skeptical that my High School students would be interested in it, after all, it is a picture book. To my surprise, my high schoolers with autism loved it. It gave us a great medium through which to discuss social skills and it is a format that really works for them. It is not childish or cheesy at all. It includes a variety of social skill issues and topics---it kept us busy for most of the school year. My students with learning disabilities were not as interested in the book itself, but I was able to use the step-by-step descriptions to work on social skills in other ways.

I have used this book with my students as a middle school speech pathologist. The pictures are a great resource for the students to visualize the right and wrong way to behave. They enjoy correcting the wrong pictures as part of therapy. An added bonus it that another book of Jed Baker's has worksheets and lessons that directly teach the social skills in the pictures. Truly a great resource for anyone who teaches social skills.

The book is in excellent condition, was packaged properly and shipped promptly.

Some of the pictures don't accurately show the body language like I would expect them too. Also, pictures are duplicated in the book for various body languages. Would be nice to have different pictures so as not to confuse the student. But I do think it will be helpful for my daughter to use along with her counselor.

While I think some of the students who could benefit from this book might find it a bit patronizing and beneath their level of maturity and intelligence (since it depends on pictures so much), there are some really valuable insights to be found for just about everyone with any degree of Asperger's Syndrome. The only improvement I would suggest is that more details on body language reading and face reading be included. For example, when Dr. Baker says to check first whether a potential friend looks receptive, exactly what should one look for in the facial expression and body posture? Dr. Baker gives some details on these things, but I think some Asperger's students might need more specific pointers.

This textbook is great! Although I am not taking the class, I am enjoying the book. I am already in the field and the class size was limited, so they gave me the name of textbood they will be using an I purchased the book. I can see myself and colleages buying additional books in our field in the future. Thank you.

I was very pleased!! fast delivery & a cheaper price
than the college bookstore!!

The course that I will be taking this semester is language development and disorder from birth through adolescence and this book is a required text. I have already read through the book just to make sure I can keep up with the pace of the class. I am really impressed with the organization and readability. There are wonderful charts and visuals that really helped to solidify concepts. IEP sample pages are just general so be sure to look at what your state offers. There are great sample forms for you to tweak and use and the tables a color coded. So much less highlighting. I will definitely be using this book often well beyond the parameters of this course!

This has to be one of the top 5 books in the field. Dr. Paul is the most devoted of scholars, and you can tell this from the careful way in which the text is composed. Her editorial style is highly readable, and her vast knowledge and wisdom do not come across in the horrible erudite manner that so many texts do. This is a wonderful treasure for every single SLP's library.

The revised version proven to be another paramount work by Professor Rhea Paul. It contains more updated contents written in a search-easy format. The updated knowledge captures the latest development in speech-language pathology for children. The author inspires the readers to be up-front with newest evidence-based practice.

If I had just enough money to buy one book that would help me support students with autism spectrum disorders, this is the book I would buy. It really offers bang for the buck and covers all the basics. The strategies are presented in readable, user friendly fashion and they really work. I have used the ideas over and over and over. Highly recommended as a starting point for parents or educators new to the field of autism spectrum disorders.

Great book with great ideas. Got me thinking about how to use stratagies at home. Great speaker as well-saw her in UTICA_NY

The book was exactly what I ordered and it was sent promptly! Great Price! Thanks!

My autistic son is a visual learner. He watches TV, computer and other children and will learn from them. In addition - abstract concepts and teaching basic academics can be done with a lot of visual support vs. auditory presentations alone.

This is a strong book to identify the issues for special needs kids and using visual strategies to solving them. I highly recommend this book.

I have read a lot of books on autism and I would highly recommend this one! The author details, in a very clear way, why
"visual supports" work well for everyone, but especially for those who have communication related disorders. Then she goes beyond the explanations to give you real examples you can use and directions on how to implement them. She has a very practical approach and acknowledges the differences and similarites needed between school and home programs.

I think this book would be invaluable to a teacher of special needs children and also the "regular ed" teacher who has a wide range of children and their individual needs to consider. Parents and caregivers will also benefit greatly from this book as it has many examples that go beyond the school experience.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is "Imagine being on one of those whirlwind package tours of Europe; sixteen cities in 7 days. You discover the tour agent forgot to give you an itinerary. Every day you don't know where you are goin, what you are going to see or when you are going to eat. Frustrating? That is how many of our students feel about life on a daily basis. It is one of the reasons we see students cling to ritual and routine."

This book is literally packed with ideas and is well worth the cover price. ....

This book supports the real reasons to sign with typically developing children. It makes them smarter, increases their language skills and enhances literacy. What else? Sign language is easy to learn and add to any classroom culture. The instructor does not need to be fluent to reap the many benefits! Every educational institution should incorporate sign language into their programming. This book gives the proof to getting it all started.

Daniels' book demonstrates that American Sign Language isn't just for deaf students. Citing numerous research studies, many conducted by Daniels herself, this book gives solid evidence as to why and how ASL supports literacy in hearing children. Best of all, Daniels offers practical strategies for use in the early elementary and preschool classroom.--Kathy MacMillan, author of Try Your Hand at This: Easy Ways to Incorporate Sign Language into Your Programs

This book is an excellent review of why and how signing with hearing children works to build literacy skills (and many, many other skills as well!). I highly recommend this book for early childhood educators and parents!!!!!

I started using sign language while teaching kindergarten years ago just for fun. The kids loved it. Now I know why! This book is great for teachers and parents. If you have a young child having trouble with spoken or written English, GET THIS BOOK! Also get it just for fun, to learn with a best friend, to communicate with someone who is deaf, to enrich your knowledge of human iconography, symbolism and to learn about the history of language. A great book, easy to read, perfect amount of detail, lots of references. (This book is for adults - and includes lots of ideas to use with kids...)

I have just finished reading this book and I cannot wait to get it into the hands of my kid's teachers (and administrators). I am currently learning sign and so are my kids. Although none of my children are ADD or ADHD I know that some of their classmates are. The book suggests that sign encourages a healthier classroom environment as all the children are ACTIVELY participating in the learning process. The ADD/ADHD kids are actually calmer and all students are learning more. (Less wear and tear on the teachers!) By learning ASL we are also encouraging communication with the Deaf. The Deaf cannot hear, so why do we exclude them and expect them to learn our language? We have the opportunity to begin to change the world our children live in, one sign at a time. That is something to think about.

This is a great resource for both professionals and parents. The author does an excellent job of explaining the various aspects of speech and language and the challenges a child with Down syndrome may face. She also gives intervention ideas that are well suited to these difficulties and are easy to integrate. I was very pleased with this book, especially for the price!

I found this book to be helpful when working with a child who has Down syndrome.

Don't put it all on your therapist to teach your child. Take it into your own hands...it is your child. This book is great for your child of any age. It is really good for someone who has a little one because it talks about oral motor issues that could delay the speech and how to work on them. Libby is the Speech guru in the Down syndrome world...but you may have already know that.

Bought for use in a parent-infant education program for children infant to 3. Written with parents in mind so that it is not full of medical-speak, and full of suggestions, this is a good book for anyone working with or parenting a child with low tone or multiple issues that interfere with language development.

I wish I had time to read the whole thing at once, it's full of helpful info. I recommend it to anyone working with or parenting a child with down syndrome. Something that is partcularly nice about it as well as the other books like it is that they don't talk in ages but in stages. This way you can follow your child, and not some outward source that determines what they should be doing and when.

"Comprehensive" starts the subtitle, and Comprehensive it is! Too many print-handicapped people are forced to stumble through the multi-layered service system, picking up clues almost by accident until they "strike gold" in the person of a skilled counselor or librarian. Here is a full set of Tools for Learning, along with a user's guide! Important for every visually impaired student and family, vital for every school or school system's Special Education department. No less useful for those with serious learning disorders like dyslexia, or with challenging physical disabilities that prevent the easy handling of printed material. Yes, addresses and phone numbers may change; new organizations may develop; but this is a book that will be USED and that will repay its purchase many times over.

A volunteer at VISION Community Services, A Division of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, a lovely 85 year old who is legally blind and severely hearing impaired, mentioned that she was interested in the Guide (as the result of reading a review in our newsletter). I loaned her our library copy and here's what she had to say: "Spent several hours with the Field Guide. Every low vision person should have access to it. One bonus I reaped was a comprehensive description of major suppliers, what they supply and differences between them. Also, Leibs gave a useful assessment of assistive devices. This is bewildering to the newcomer to the field. In the end, I copied out several titles of Great Books to improve my mind. Several times I've tried Huckleberry Finn and quit in boredom. On the other hand, the Toni Morrison title caught my attention, I've been meaning to sample her. Don't expect to like it, but I might be surprised." She adds that it was also good to know the approximate cost of having a book reprinted in large print, and the major LP companies. Despite being legally blind, her vision is better than her hearing so she reads large print books. Her vision loss is due to glaucoma, so she retains some decent central vision.

This book is the "needle of a compass" for the blind and dyslexic. Kudos to Leibs for providing the best resource guide for the blind and dyslexic I've read! He's not only gathered countless resources and provided those in an easy to navigate format, but he's added his own personal struggles and discoveries that finally lead him to experience the sheer joy of reading. I've placed this book in a prominent location in my office and will refer to it often as it's truly the work of a research genius. Special attention should be paid to the Introduction as Leibs takes you on a poignant journey to his discovery of reading and shares his excitement as well as disappointment while uncovering the bliss of reading. Additionally, Leibs provides a "suggested reading" list with contact information on how and where to acquire these books. Truly, his passion for reading will no doubt inspire your own, whether you are a fully sighted reader or not. Kudos to Leibs! A gem of a book, and long overdue!

I picked up this book for the first time a few nights ago and was immediately hooked. As a legally blind consumer and as Director of Rehabilitation Services at an agency whose mission is to empower blind and visually impaired individuals, I was immediately moved by the significance of Mr. Leibs' work. I read late into the night, and my last thought before drifting off to sleep that night was that I wished that this book had been around 30 years ago -- it would most certainly have saved me and a lot of others who live with severe vision impairment or blindness a whole lot of struggle and grief!

This book is the only of its kind I've encountered. The information, both concisely and engagingly presented, opens a breathtaking vista of literature and learning to the lives of the visually impaired in providing guidance to independent access of the printed word!

This book is NOT another "how to live with a disability" book. It focuses on a very important aspect of life, the ABILITY to read, to INDEPENDENTLY access the written word. Leibs has put together an extensive listing of resources to empower the visually impaired reader. In addition, the personal experiences he shares in the book brought back a host of memories of my own educational odyssey. Like Leibs, I and many others with low vision have experienced much hit-and-miss in the process of learning what we needed to know to gain the access we desire and need to succeed. Leibs has put together all the pieces of a complex puzzle into a user-friendly guide that paves the way for others to learn the rudiments of what it takes to access our literary world!

In my opinion, this book should be put into the hands of every visually impaired child in this country. Leibs also targets librarians with this work, as their awareness of these resources may enhance their own knowledge and skills in providing support for visually impaired consumers. I would additionally recommend this book to seniors who constitute, by far, the largest population of visually impaired readers.

Many thanks to Mr. Leibs for a significant contribution to the education and quality of life of blind and visually impaired people!

This book should be in the hands of every sight-impaired student no later than age tweleve. Leibs has completely overhauled the orientation for reading among the blind from one of dependence on teachers and organizations to one of connecting INDEPENDENTLY to a really vast array of resources. This hardcover volume is quite easy to navigate - well designed and quite "user friendly".

This is a great book. I wish I had found this sooner, as my mom has had Alzheimers for 8 years. She has been losing her ability to speak coherently and this book has been a great guide to help me through this most difficult time.

Ms. Pearch touched my soul with her book. I stumbled onto it via Amazon. Once it arrived I quickly read through it. I started practicing the IF LOST concepts right away & can honestly say I have had better connections IMMEDIATELY with my mother. I've since purchased extra copies of the book for family members & have recommended it to several coworkers who are also dealing with ailing parents.
My mother was officially diagnosed 6 years ago - but we knew (she knew) something was going wrong much longer than that. She was 65 at the time. Since then I've read many books on this topic. Several have been helpful -but none have hit home as much as Inside Alzheimer's. Typically I have a hard time finishing books on this topic because the situation is so depressing. Right in the beginning of the book, Nancy recommends reading it at your own pace. She clearly knows the subject is a difficult one.

I highly recommend this book for ALL health-care personnel or family members of those with dementia. I will be handing out copies to all mom's caregivers, including her geriatric psychiatrist. I just gave a copy to my father & I know he'll have a much better understanding of how to reach mom once he finishes it.
Thank you to Ms. Pearce for taking the time to share her vast experiences with those of us going through this one by one. The caring & compassion she has demonstrated in her life will surely take her straight to heaven. No doubt an angel sent to guide those of us who are struggling to make a positive difference for our loved one's with this horrible disease!

Inside Alzheimer's: How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia, show the reader how to communicate effectively with someone who has dementia. Logical commnication skills often do not work so the author shares with the reader both how to listen and use body language to see what the dementia person is trying to say. Also the reader(loved one or professional) discovers how to, most effectively, mintain a connection with the person with dementia.

In addition, Nancy Pearce, shares how to value a dementia person. There are still many things you can do together, perhaps with a few adaptations. These things are discussed.

This book is certainly a must read for a loved one, friend, caregiver, or other professional.

by Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby: Meaningful, Mind Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals

This book provides a very clear, comforting and confidence inspiring way for family and friends to spend time with a person with Alzheimer's. I really appreciated how the author was able to explain the meaning of the world to someone who has Alzheimer's so that I could spend all of my time responding from that context. This allows me to avoid responses that while normal and seemingly logical to me would make no sense to the person with Alzheimer's. The explanations and coaching language are very effective. It was easy for me to grasp and imagine the world of the person with Alzheimer's. By almost being able to walk in their "mocassins" I am able to focus entirely on learning how to get better at it - and therefore be a better friend and companion. Inside Alzheimer's: How to Hear and Honor Connections with a Person who has Dementia

Written by medical social worker Nancy Pearce, Inside Alzheimer's: How to Hear and Honor Connections With A Person Who Has Dementia is an uplifting guide for anyone whose friends or loved ones suffer from various stages of dementia. Relationship and connection are still possible, and highly beneficial, with patients who are afflicted with dementia; Inside Alzheimer's covers the six basic principles of forming a dynamic: freeing oneself from judgment, love, openness to receive love, silence, and thankfulness. "I would much rather err on the side of assuming that the person with dementia can participate in his decisions about end-of-life care, rather than assuming he can't. It happens more than one would expect that during an open discussion, the person with dementia pops into a particular moment of clarity and clearly provides input." Highly recommended as guideline, aid, comfort, and inspiration.

I'm a massage therapist and used part of this book to study for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). This book is really helpful for showing you how to take a client history. This book is needed because it shows you the legalities and proper way to run a massage business. Documenation protects you in cases of audits and also is a source for assessing the client's progress and contraindications. I also studied the following for the National Certification Exam:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 1), (Volume 2), and (Volume 3)
(Author: Patrick Leonardi)
The last 3 books helped me to prepare for the type of questions encountered on the national certification examination. I highly recommend all 4 books. I passed the first time with the help of these books

Very thoroughly explains why to document manual therapies, professionalism, and how to document effectively. Diana Thompson has lots of experience and know-how to share!

Her first edition of "Hands Heal" was a collection of forms used for charting massage therapy sessions. When I saw the new book on the shelf being three times as thick as the first I thought "Oh my what more can be done with charting!" I now understand her obsession with charting. It is not just charting your sessions, but learning to communicate what you do, so the medical community and the public will begin to understand massage therapy as a healing modality. Communication starts with the therapeutic relationship with the client. Healing begins when the client becomes involved in the process. Then you can pass the information along to all parties involved - the lawyers, the doctors, whoever. If you document every treatment, you will be able to find out what is working and what is not with each individual. Documentation can assist you in builing your practice and support the massage profession as a whole. I particularly liked the section on ethics as she supports the idea of peer groups, mentoring and supervision as a means of development for the practitioner. I believe the future of the profession lies in those areas.
If you are a massage therapist in any state, this will guide you to a successful practice whether you are involved in billing insurance companies or not.

I've watched this book evolve over a number of versions. Each one gets better and better. Yes, at times Dianna Thompson appears obsessive but on the other hand, that's what makes it great. Recently I was asked to write a detailed case summary that will be used as evidence in a lawsuit for a client I saw over a year ago. My SOAP notes are what saved the day for me. Thanks Diana. This book is essential for anyone working in a therapeutic environment.