A tribute to renowned play therapist Ann Cattanach
JKP first published Ann Cattanach’s work in the early 1990’s, by which time she was an established play therapist, confident in her ability to help…
Tag: special education
Aileen Stalker on writing The One and Only Sam
“The use of pictures to illustrate “what it sounds like” and “what it really means,” also helped the children to gain better understanding of the idioms. But I also realized that any child understands language better if it has context and relates to their own experiences…”
Linda Miller on the ‘5P Approach’ to behaviour management for young people with Autism
“The 5p Approach evolved over several years as a result of my work as a psychologist within schools. I grew increasingly concerned that I was often called in to deal with behaviour difficulties after the event, when a better understanding of autism and the reasons for the behaviour occurring could have prevented many problems arising in the first place…”
Albert Cotugno on Group Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
“We believe that learning about and developing social competency and social interactional skills must occur within the naturalistic environment of peers and groups. However, for children on the spectrum, this must be approached in thoughtful, systematic, effective ways with a variety of variables considered and addressed to be successful.”
Digby Tantam asks Can the World Afford Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
“…neurotypicals are linked together, or rather our brains are, by a kind of wireless network, which I call the interbrain. […] People with autism do not tune in, or not so much–that’s the main argument of the book. Their ‘interbrain connection’ is tenuous. They have ‘low bandwidth’.”
Brenda Boyd on Appreciating Asperger Syndrome
“People with AS can be like a breath of fresh air in a world which contains so much pretence and artifice, simply because they are often true to themselves in a way that typical people are not. And even though the characteristic traits of AS can make life difficult and uncomfortable, they have been responsible for some of the world’s greatest achievements throughout history – for example the typical AS originality, intense focus and potential to become leaders rather than followers.”
Robbie Woliver on Alphabet Kids – From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome
“We started getting these alphabet-soup diagnoses, and even as I became more expert on the subject, it was still a confusing maze to me. I wanted to write a book to help other parents and those professionals who work with them, that would provide a roadmap that would make their journeys easier. This is really the book I wish I had when I started my research almost two decades ago.”
An interview with ‘kindred spirit’ Shana Nichols, author of Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum
“I have always loved stories about creative, strong, gutsy heroines such as Anne Shirley and Jo March from Little Women, and I try to bring that energy to my work with girls and young women with ASDs—embracing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and finding a “kindred spirit” along the way.”
Kay and Haitham Al-Ghani on creating The Red Beast
“I began to explore ways of getting the children to visualise their anger as a sort of beast that was very difficult to control. In this way the anger was depersonalised. After all, we are all capable of becoming angry, it is how we deal with those feelings that matters. Children with ASD already have a great deal of anxiety to cope with in a normal school day, and so the chances of awakening the ‘beast’ are increased. I thought about the methods I used to calm children and incorporated these into a story. However, this story really came to life when I asked my son, Haitham, to illustrate it for me.”
Sally Kirk on Hope for the Spectrum of Autism
“The Asperger’s diagnosis was a real turning point for us. For it fit Will like his shadow. Finally I knew what we were really dealing with. Learning about it helped me to understand Will better. Understanding was transforming. For when I saw the world as he saw it, his behaviors made perfect sense. The blessing of understanding was that it led to empathy and compassion. It melted frustration and exasperation into genuine respect, whole-hearted support and even admiration. It helped me to become much more effective at helping him. The impact such understanding made on our relationship was profound. It put us on the same team – working together to face the challenges. It made all the difference in the world.”