Neurological Disorders Books

This book is one of the best books in this field. Since many years I look it up, amazed about the rich content. It is a MUST to any neurologist.

Hi Everyone...This book is amazing. I'm going into Neurology Residency, and got this book to prepare myself. The text is really well written, thorough, very detailed, and easy to follow. Not as thick as I imagined though.

It is clear much care has been taken in the writing of this text.I am involved in medical student teaching and this book has been very useful. Neuroanatomy and related topics has always been a bit difficult for many students and this text puts things in a concise,thourough fashion.I have also used it personally on numerous occasions to help review some relatively uncommon clinical scenarios.

A book intended to instruct with quality, including the tiniest details of the complex neuroanatomy and its semiology. Every neurologist should at least read it.

Once you have mastered clinical neurology and passed the boards, you need this book. It contains all the neurotrivia, all the elements of clinical localization that you need at the bedside and simply can't keep in your brain from day to day.

I'm not talking about elementary stuff like the common etiologies of acute 3rd nerve palsy or the basic elements of the Brown-Sequard syndrome. That stuff is in here but it's assumed that you know it already. No, I'm talking about things like, for example, the differential of sector palsy of the iris sphincter, or the masterful discussion of simple ways to separate out a pupil blown from a Pcomm aneurysm from one that accidentally had some albuterol dripped into it.

Dry: yes, it is. Dull - if you flip it open at random, it makes excellent bedside reading for insomniacs, it'll put you right to sleep. But when you are faced with a physical finding and don't know how to incorporate it into the clinical picture, there is NO SUBSTITUTE for this book. If I were stranded on a desert island and forced to practice neurological diagnosis with only my extensive training and one book to help me, this would be that book.

The stories in this book give hope to us all. For more than a decade I have worked with adults and children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The usual treatments involve behavior modification and drug therapy. Little time is spent in observation and evaluation such as described by Judith Bluestone in this book. The Handle Institute's methods offer hope through its methods that have no reliance on drug therapy. This is a book for patients, family members and professionals.

After reading the Churkendoose Anthology, I am embarrassed to feel overwhelmed by my own daily problems. The true stories in this collection show determined people overcoming extreme odds when they look at things differently. The people at The HANDLE Institute must look at neurological problems with a wide lens encompassing everything that might influence a person's development. I am inspired to revisit the problems I once thought intractable. When at first you don't see an answer, look wider and learn more.

Have you heard Ray Bolger sing the Churkendoose song? It is a silly children's rhyme that helps individuals feels good about who they are and how they're uniqueness can be an advantage if only they could see it that way. The song comes to life at The HANDLE Institute.

Compiled and edited by Lisa Brenner, The Churkendoose Anthology: True Stories of Triumph over Neurological Dysfunction is a collection of uplifting testimonies offering a positive message of hope to individuals afflicted with neurodevelopment problems ranging from attention disorders, learning disabilities, Tourette's Syndrom, or an acquired brain injury, to Cerebral Palsy, sleep disorders, Vestibular Dysfunction, Down's Syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. True success stories of the HANDLE (Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency) approach in helping young people and their parents. Enhanced with an informative commentary by Judith Bluestone, The Churkendoose Anthology is highly recommended as an engaging and encouraging read, especially for anyone having to cope with a neurological dysfunction.

The Churkendoose Anthology is a touching compilation of true stories of individuals and families who have triumphed over behavioral dysfunction without the use of drugs. It is an inspiration to all who know someone or suffer themselves. Professional therapists, MDs, especially including pediatricians will benefit from reading and learning about this unique way of healing a multitude of behavioral issues.

Going through life as parent of a "special" child, one navigates a maze of physicians, experts, specialists, and amateur diagnosticians. Desperate for help, such parents try a range of treatments and tactics, sometimes destroying their families and their sanity in the process. Ms. Bluestone and HANDLE do not have a "magic bullet," but the simple and authentic wisdom in the HANDLE approach teaches us all that there really ARE honest and practical strategies to help individuals who don't fit any of the models in the medical literature. My son has benefitted greatly from the HANDLE precepts, and this book tells true stories of others whose lives have been forever changed. Ms. Bluestone's own story is an inspiration, and she brings to her work the unique empathy of one who has "been there" and found her way out. HANDLE respects individuality and eschews labels; the accounts of these HANDLE clients are compelling and dramatic. Perhaps the most important thing this book provides is hope, which is often in painfully short supply for "marginalized" people. I congratulate all these writers for recounting their journeys, and I think thousands of people can benefit from stepping into the Churkendoose shoes for a few hours. I recommend this book to those with open minds, tired spirits, and vital hearts.

I love this book!!! I have a dyslexic child and a home library of books the haved helped me along the way. I found this book later in my plight and could have saved alot of money if I had it first. It is informative, easy to read, helpful, and hopeful with real world suggestions. Definitely a keeper. I still refer to it when I get frustrated. It is a book I use to talk with my child about her problems. Yes there are other books with great suggestions but this is the best starter out there!!!

Abigail Marshall clearly and concisely guides parents through the LD maze. This book addresses all aspects of dyslexia, the various methods for teaching dyslexics...how and why they work, or don't...All the things a parent wished their IEP team had told them, but didn't.

For any parent reeling from a meeting with educators, this is a must read!

The Gift of Dyslexia The Gift of Learning

The word "everything" normally brings an air of doubt to my mind, especially when it comes to dyslexia. However, this book is as all inclusive as one could hope for. As a dyslexic parent with two dyslexic boys I found this book to be one I must highly recommend!
It is easy to read (big help to us dyslexics doing research for our children) and concise in a way that was refreshing for a book of this type. This book is full of latest information, some new to even me, but it also includes all the things it took me many years to learn the hard way.
My sons are out of high school now so I have traveled down many of the paths described in this book. I have read many dozens (that is a lot for me) of books on dyslexia related subjects and this is by far the best parenting book for dyslexic children I have found. It is a wonderful resource for those new to the subject as well as more seasoned parents like me! It truly is an "Everything" book!

This book outlines valuable information that I have not found in other L.D. handbooks (such as the advantages of Omega 3 fish supplements in your child's diet), yet it's a quick read. If one is to buy only one book on L.D./dyslexia, buy this book.

There was nothing in this book that I
wasn't satisfied with. Your book is wonderful! I really mean that.
It was very informative,insightful,helpful,and most of all - it
helped me easily identify with it. After all, I am Dyslexic. I have
always been Dyslexic,and I will always will be Dyslexic. I felt like
I was reading all about myself in your book. I am glad that you
pointed out that Dyslexics can be able to sound out words and spell
well but they often have problems with nonsense words and also
comprehension. I also liked that you mentioned the possibility that
Dyslexic symptoms can lead to misdiagnosis of disorders like ADD. I
don't even know if I have inattentive type ADHD that I was diagnosed
last year at the age of 32 years old. My Dyslexic symptoms can
easily can account for the inattentive type ADHD. I have been paying
more attention to how I write. I noticed that when I was beginning
to write the word, diaphragm, I wrote a b instead of a d. I have
read ground as brounds and an as no. It's like my Dyslexia hasn't
really gone away.


I took the Nelson Denny reading test when I got assessed for
learning disability. I scored 49th percentile on the reading
comprehension, but there were things on that test that I have read
about in the past. There were things on Carl Jung and Homer. Carl
Jung's psychology is something that really interests me. He believed
in the metaphysical and was seen as a mystic. I knew about Homer. I
read the Iliad as a kid. I loved reading about the Trojan War. I
just loved mythology because it was great for my unharnessed
imagination which you noted in people labeled ADD. I was like the
posterboy for ADD. If there were no things on that test that I never
read before, I would have scored well below the 30th percentile,and
I would have qualified as having a reading disorder. I was never
given a nonsense word reading test which is used to measure decoding
ability and diagose Dyslexia. The psychologist told me that I didn't
have Dyslexia. I had most of the symptoms of Dyslexia as a child.
Maybe I did have problems with reversing letters as a child. It's
hard for me to remember. 3 years of special education could have
helped correct my Dyslexia.



I really enjoyed reading your book. You've helped me realize that I
am Dyslexic. There is no doubt in my mind that I am Dyslexic. I know
that my children will be Dyslexic if their mother happens to be
Dyslexic like me. I will do whatever I can to get their Dyslexia
treated. They will be given the help,tools,love,and care to help
them succeed in life. I feel that this was something that I never
really had when I was a child. I blame nobody for that. I was held
back a year because of immaturity which you noted could happen to
kids with Dyslexia. I did feel more stupid because of that. My
mother didn't know anybody. She didn't know that I was Dyslexic. She
even called me "retard" when I was in 1st grade. Later on, she told
me that I was lazy and irresponsible when I was in mainstream
education. The fact is that she never went to high school. She had
many of the symptoms of Dyslexia. If she had known about her
Dyslexia,then she would have understood me much better. She would
have understood my father who also had symptoms of Dyslexia.


Thank you very much for this book. It was the book that I needed the
most. It was more effective than any self help book. I have been
involved in psychotherapy,and it did nothing for me. It didn't
address my Dyslexic symptoms. They didn't know that I am Dyslexic
neither did I. It was a social worker who mentioned Dyslexia when I
talked about being in special ed for speech problems. That was in
1997. Learning about Dyslexia and Dyspraxia has helped me understand
that I am not retarded,stupid,lazy,nor crazy. I will keep this in
mind when my children has the same problems as me. After all, I will
easily understand them because I have been through it too. Your book
will always help me understand that.



Sincerely,

Raymond Andrews

Excellent source for parents of teens transitioning into adulthood and independence. Great tips for school meetings.

Learning Disabilities do not have to be a giant neon sign blinking "I can't" over ones head - they can be overcome just like any other disability. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a comprehensive guide for guidance counselors and others responsible for assisting these individuals onto the next stages of their life. Advice on understanding the transition planning process under the IDEA of 2004, how to accept these individuals more, and how to prepare them for their life long careers. "Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood" is a must have for any educator in charge of these special needs students and for community library education shelves.

Dr. Roffman has thankfully written exactly the guide book I needed as my Down Syndrome son turned 16. As a parent, I had no training in how to think about transitioning my son to adulthood. He has been in an inclusion school environment all his life, from infant day care to high school. But the transition to the wide-open space of adulthood, when the structures of schooling were gone, was a complete mystery to me. How could I prepare? How could my son be best prepared during his final few years of secondary education?

Roffman's guide is a step-by-step roadmap for parents, of what to do, what to ask, who to ask, and when to ask. It is also useful for anyone on the service side of transitioning learning disabled teens. The book seems most specifically addressed to the parents and service providers of children with more common learning disabilities than Down Syndrome. Yet it helped me to raise my hopes and standards of what to expect for outcomes of my son's transition as well. For example, with proper preparation, perhaps my son could attend a community college or build a more advanced skill set toward future employment than I was thinking previously.

When I attended his 10th grade IEP review meeting, I felt completely prepared, and for the first time, I knew what I wanted to have happen during the meeting, and it did! This book made the difference. I have recommended Roffman's book to everyone in our school district's SPED PAC, to those who work with my son in the high school, and to members of the school committee. I no longer feel like "the blind leading the blind." Instead, I feel confident that I will be able to support my son's transition with confidence, even if I don't know all the answers yet. Now I know how to ask the questions, of both my son and his service providers, in time for us to figure out the best answers together. If you are parenting a learning disabled teen, or providing services for ld teens, I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. You'll be glad that you did.

This book is organized well. It explains what you need to do in a step by step fashion. It has tables, and checklists. It pulls in essential information that you need in reference like style that is easy to go back to.

Other books on this topic, which I've obtained, review, and returned because they read like a story book because they were difficult to reference later on. This one is not a story book, by an emotional author. Its written with facts, objective recommendation and suggestions that you can apply to your own situation as you see fit or as you need.

This is a concise, well-written, very understandable guidebook for parents and teens with LD facing a challenging time in their lives. Most delightfully, this book is very positive (while realistic) in its tone and suggestions. For a small book, it is simply packed with practical strategies (with emphatic finger-pointing bullets!) and guidance. The timetable is an easy to use resource for those with attention challenges! Dr. Roffman intersperses case vignettes to show the human side of these issues, and she shows what the individuals can and did do to deal with the challenges. Very good role models for success! All in all, an excellent book. I'll keep this copy on hand to show parents and will certainly recommend it to staff and patients. It's a must read roadmap for families who find themselves at this intersection.

Jerome J. Schultz, Ph.D.
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Director, Center for Child and Adolescent Development
Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School

Lisa Lieberman's book is a excellent resource for anyone requiring outside assistance in their home. Well-written and well-researched, I am sure it will be a great help to many people.

"A 'Stranger' Among Us" is no less than a fabulous resource. The book's title is accurate, but quite modest: Though written with a focus on finding support persons for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, this book is nonetheless a valuable guide for families of persons with physical challenges, mental health difficulties, dementia, and serious learning/cognitive limitations as well. This book has a place in the library of any professional or agency serving challenged individuals and their families, and I heartily recommend it to family members and prospective support personnel alike. The author's personal experiences, professional training, extensive knowledge, and abundant compassion combine to provide a tool that is at once accessible, accurate, and wise. This book is a "must-have" resource, a generous and courageous gift.

A fantastic addition to my medical library to use for all of my patients who have family members with disabilities. The book provides many answers and practical help for those seeking and employing in-home support. It is written in an easily readable, user-friendly format.

I most appreciate the sample advertisements and the sample contracts provided. It also helps give permission to those who stay at home to consider in-home help.

A "Stranger Among Us" is very well written, with easy to follow examples and even worksheets to greatly assist with the hiring process. I especially appreciated how the author allows us to benefit from her "hands-on" experience in her own household, and also includes input from some of the providers that she has employed. Also the reader benefits from extensive research put into this book regarding boundaries that should be established between you and the "In-Home Provider" .

The information and insite offered in this book is amazing. This book illustrates how to endure the difficult and time-consuming process of hiring the right person for the job who will also 'fit" with your family, how to see if the support is working as well as expected and also includes a chapter "When It's Time To Say Goodbye".

A "Stranger " Among Us is a must for anyone who intends to hire "in-home" help, whether you require special support for disabilities or to hire someone to assist with the everyday tasks of a busy household.

FINALLY, a book that understands the true needs of families and how to help us proactively help ourselves. One of the most difficult dilemas when you have a loved one or child with special needs, whether medical or neurological, is how do you find qualified, caring caretakers? So often as family members we find this task so daunting that we choose not to seek outside help. This book is so reassuring, it gives you the tools to find qualified care, but also the right people for YOUR family.

The thing that strikes me about this book is not only how detailed in strategies it is, but how respectful it is about different kinds of people and their diverse needs. One chapter in particular that stands out is Defining Your Family Culture and Needs. This author recognizes that families have different values, and she discusses how having caretakers who match those values can create harmony, or finding caretakers who are different can enhance a family's life by exposing them to a new way to look at the world. It celebrates the benefits of both and the right to make the choice that is right for your family.

This book has step by step instructions about the various ways to go about hiring caretakers, in and out of home, the strategies you can implement in order to find the best match for your family, there is also a strong emphasis on the role of communication and having mutual respect. She recognizes that a caretaker can become part of your family (which we have certainly found to be true.)I could go on, but it is so incredibly detailed that I couldn't possibly do it justice. This book takes all the guess work out of finding a caretaker, all the things I have wondered and worried about facing when our current caretaker eventually move on to other endeavors. The book makes facing that so much less frightening. I HIGHLY recommend this book not only for parents of children with special needs, such as myself, but as a template for anyone seeking qualified care for their loved ones, whether they have disabilities or not. This book should be on hand in every library and every program that works with families in order to provide an understanding of the need for qualified care and how to how to provide in home supports for those families. I already have two copies and am planning to buy more to make sure our local therapy centers have them in their libraries.

Kristi Sakai parent of 3 with autism, author of
Finding Our Way: Practical Solutions for Creating a Supportive Home and Community for the Asperger Syndrome Family

Having taught reading disabled children and subscribing to the MSL and VAKT methodology as well as Linda Mood Bell I LOVE being able to refer to a succinct well written resource.
The book to own ...if you are just starting out or have been in Reading a long time. Great resource!!

Written by the expert team of Jack M. Fletcher, G. Reid Lyon, Lynn S. Fuchs & Marcia A. Barnes, Learning Disabilities: From Identification to Intervention is an evidence-based presentation of cutting-edge information about assessing and dealing with learning disabilities, with especial focus upon reading disabilities (word recognition, fluency, or comprehension-related), mathematics disabilities, and written expression disabilites. Though more of a scholarly assessment and description of the latest findings than a "how-to" manual per se, Learning Disabilities is sure to prove an invaluable, up-to-date resource especially for educators with responsibility for learning disabled-children, as well as anyone recognizing the "unexpected underachievement" that often signifies LDs and staging an appropriate intervention. A logical-minded, information-packed compendium.

This is an excellent book for the professional, researcher or serious student of learning disabilities. It is chock full of relevant research and gives divergent views fully and fairly. It nevertheless takes a stand on the assessment of and treatment for learning disabilities that differs markedly from the traditional approach commonly found in school districts and private clinician's offices. It provides a very good way to understand this perplexing and challenging field with up to date research. Most importantly, this book provides a refreshing willingness to challenge dogma and to give specific guidelines for future research and, most importantly, to guide remediation.

Excellent read. This book is informative, balanced, and will be uniquely valuable to health and education professionals, and the public in general. Fletcher and his colleagues offer an expert analysis as to where the field of Learning Disabilities has been, and where it must go, if we are to help the many children who struggle each day, trying to learn. Fletcher and his colleagues are clear; the IQ-Achievement Discrepancy Model is invalid and should be laid to rest once and for all, before more children are excluded from the educational intervention they need. They offer instead a thoroughly 'common sense' model of 'Response to Intervention (RTI), a model that, if adopted, will substantially increase the number of children getting help, sooner, and at a lower cost. The authors clearly understand the complex dynamic of science, clinical practice, educational instruction, and public policy. All must be aligned to move the field of LD ahead, and Fletcher and his colleagues are positioned to foster that needed change with this impressive contribution.

This was a great book, very helpful. I ordered one for my child's teacher and for his teacher next year so she could be reading it over the summer. I intend to give this book to each new teacher my child has and he is only in second grade.

This was the best book on ADD my wife and I have read. It not only explained ADD in understandable terms, it also provided us with practical ways to help our child succeed at school, at church, and in society. We appreciated the examples given because they enabled us to explain our situation to others in ways that help others (family and friends) to understand that ADD is not a curse and that an ADD child is not damaged goods. This is a must-read for anyone related in any way to someone with ADD.

After reading this book I feel more prepared to face the day to day challenges living with a child with ADD. This book offered practical ideas and easy to understand information about Attention Deficit Disorder. I have already utilized many of the ideas mentioned in the book. My only concern with this book was the publishing date. This book was published in the 90's. I am aware that a lot of new research has been done since this book was published so the chapter about medication is dated.

I've read many, many books (most recommended by my pediatrician) on this subject for my 2 sons who are affected. This is, by far, the best, most insightful book I've read yet on ADHD! I actually called and recommended THIS BOOK to my pediatrician!

If you have a child, or student, affected by ADHD, this is a MUST READ! It will change your perspective and help you gain the patience with that child that you thought was long gone.

I would also recommend Celebrate! ADHD by Kirk & Anita Martin.

This great book, although somewhat dated, is the best place to start for any psychiatrist or neurologist wishing to add cognitive testing to their clinical examination. I have written several papers on the topic, developed and published my own mental status examination, and this book was my starting point. If you can find it, get it.

Recommended by a veteran neurologist, who had used an earlier edition as a neurology resident. He reviewed this edition and found it to be as solid as ever, with updated info on neuropsych and neuroimaging. As a psych resident, I found it extremely useful in that it correlates organic brain insults with neuropsych findings. Well written, concise, well illustrated.

Mental status examination in neurology (cognitive tests,lobe function tests etc)is often a source of worry for trainees in
psychiatry. Traditional psychiatric text books donot address this important aspect of psychiatry and trainers (who often
themselves neglected this) add to trainees confusion.This classic book clearly addresses this problem by detailing every test and its clinical application in a simple language.Iam sure every reader would emerge confident with clear concepts after reading this book.

I work at a outpatient head injury rehab facility and deal mainly with higher level cognition such as attention, problem solving, and memory. It is very difficult to find materials and I used to make up my own. This book has allowed me to free up alot of the time I used producing my own materials. It is a terrific book and a great asset. One other therapist in my facility has bought the book and our student affiliate has taken great interest in it. Great job at making such a useful tool!

This is an excellent book for beginning therapists as well as those who have been in the field for several years. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with these authors over the last few months and have found them to be an excellent example of dedicated speech therapists who are willing to go the extra mile for their clients who are higher functioning. The acitivites in this book are functional and easy to adapt to individual clients and their needs. I guarantee that you will find this book useful in planning the most effective and functional therapy for you clients. Enjoy!!

As a graduate student, I have found this book to be a valuable resource. I have used it in many different practicum settings, and find the activities and exercises easy to use as well as effective. In addition, the appendix on 'therapy documentation, transition, and discharge' has been very helpful as I learn more about the paperwork that accompanies the field of speech-language pathology.

I'm all about providing support and tools for children to understand themselves. Our kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other neurological issues often have difficulty not only perceiving the emotions in others, but in themselves. Flooded with feelings of anger or frustration it's difficult at that moment to make good choices in regards to behavior. As I have three children with Asperger Syndrome myself, I have often faced the issue of explaining to them that they can make positive choices when overwhelmed with feelings. (To quote my son, "Nuh uh!") It is not the time to reason with a child when he is in the middle of a meltdown, which is why it is so important to empower him with ideas and skills over a period of time, and to have a plan as to how to implement a plan BEFORE she or he is melting down. That is where this very simply written book comes in. Having this basic plan for making positive choices when upset, can prevent meltdowns.

The Way to A provides children with a concrete tool for understanding how they feel and behave during certain emotions, and then with an adult helping the child problem solve, they can decide on different options for what may calm or soothe themselves. This book is ingenious in that it is covered with wipeable pages you can use a dry eraser marker on to use over and over. Ideally each child would have his own book, but because it is reuseable, it can be used for every child in a pre-school, daycare, or elementary school.

Parents would be well served to work through this little colorful book with their child in order to not only provide their child with the tools to learn self-management, but to problem solve themselves and to gain a greater understanding of what sets their child off, and what calms him. While most parents of children such as ours already know these things (parents are the experts on their child), to see it written down makes it more concrete and reminds us that we DO have strategies. This is empowering for both child AND parent.

I think this is a lovely book, and also quite cute. I can't wrestle it away from my 6 year old at the moment, but it would also be helpful for my 11 year old, and the strategies themselves, are excellent for my 14 year old. The saying goes, "First, know thyself." This is a step in the right direction for creating a lifetime of self-management.

Kristi Sakai, mother of three children with Asperger Syndrome and Author of
Finding Our Way: Practical Solutions for Creating a Supportive Home and Community for the Asperger Syndrome Family

This is a great book you can use over and over again.
We carry the red and green cards everywhere! All that
has to be asked now is if (whatever the issue is) is an
"A" choice or a "B" choice. It's a great tool to have.

I purchased this book for my sister whose daughter is very high functioning austic. We were at our wits end in dealing with her tantrums and insistence on having things her way. She caught onto this method very quickly and it has helped us in managing her tantrums. While we don't always succeed, sometimes she comes right out and says "I AM NOT CHOOSING A!!", most of the time she really wants to "do the right thing" and does select A.