Tag: families

Posted on Adoption and Fostering

60 Social Situations and Discussion Starters to Help Teens on the Autism Spectrum Deal with Friendships, Feelings, Conflict and More

“I think parents are a key component to teens understanding the social puzzle. No one knows a child better than their parent and every family has its own set of values. If parents work together with their teens it will not only bring guidance to the teen but also insight to the parent on how their teen thinks. Parents can guide their teen to responses that are acceptable within their own family values.”

Continue Reading
Posted on Arts therapies

“Dancing at the crossroads and playing on the battlefields” – An Interview Stephen Levine and Ellen Levine, authors of Art in Action

“To focus on conflict usually means that individuals and groups get stuck in polarizing positions and are unable to see alternatives. Art-making, within an expressive arts framework, ‘decenters’ from the usual perspective and opens up new possibilities. It also makes us aware of resources that we might have otherwise overlooked in our focus on our difficulties.”

Continue Reading
Posted on Autism

Understanding Your Autism Spectrum Disorder – JKP author Penny Kershaw talks about her new workbook for students

“I hope that young people reading this book will learn that autism is primarily a difference and not necessarily always a disorder; there are many positive sides to the autistic thinking style. A diagnosis of autism should enable the young person to develop their awareness both of themselves and others, which should help relationships to develop. Throughout the book, I have tried to explain why neuro-typicals behave in a certain way that should alleviate any anxiety or frustration that the young person may experience.”

Continue Reading
Posted on Counselling

Rising Above Bullying: Powerful new book from Red Balloon shines light on 15 years of success in recovering bullied children

“Rising Above Bullying is a book for all those who encounter bullying. For those who are being bullied and their families, for the perpetrators and their families and for teachers and other adults who are in a position of influence. And for the bystanders – those who ‘turn a blind eye’ thinking it is not their business. We all have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety of our children; adults must be proactive in putting a stop to bullying behaviour. This involves doing something if you believe a child is being subjected to unkind and unpleasant treatment.”

Continue Reading
Posted on Adoption and Fostering

Understanding and Working with Parents of Children in Long-Term Foster Care – An Interview with Gillian Schofield and Emma Ward

“Parents felt that, with a few exceptions, social workers did not and could not understand what it was like for them as parents of children growing up in care. There was stigma to bear as well as the emotional loss. In contrast, social workers talked of being aware of the parents’ distress and loss, but often not having the time to see parents, because they were focussing on work with and for the child, or simply not knowing how to help parents.”

Continue Reading
Posted on Adoption and Fostering

My Parent has an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Barbara Lester talks about her new book for children and teens

“I always knew that my father seemed different from other fathers, but back then I didn’t know there was a name that described this difference or that there might be other people who had similar issues in their families. Once I realized that my father had an ASD, it helped me better understand and get along with him. I have found that over the past ten years there has been an exponential increase in the amount of information available to parents to help them understand their ASD children, but almost no information for children or teens to help them understand their ASD parents. I wrote this book to begin to fill that gap.”

Continue Reading