Disabled Books

I bought this book because I am interested in the gifted program for my kid. However, I am very surprised that this book is totally irrelevant to my need. The book talks about the IQ and the gifted program, but there is not a single sample test in the book. Answer this question: what is the bird that can not fly and can be eaten by people? Am I talking about chicken, turkey or Australian orstrich? Show me the real picture!

Not just every parent of a gifted child, but every teacher and every guidance counselor of gifted children, too, should read Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education. Palmer explains all in one book, what it took me years of talking to dozens of gifted professionals to learn for myself. And Palmer makes it easy to read, with review points at the end of each chapter - if you're in a hurry, read the review points first, and pick the chapters that answer the questions you have right now. But read the whole book cover to cover when you have time - it's worth it!

What do IQ tests measure, and what don't they measure? What's the difference between group and individual tests? How about surveys? What are the different kinds of scores that result from these tests: standard scores, percentiles, and age-equivalent scores? How are gifted children identified by these tests? Which groups of children are commonly under-identified? How does identification vary from school district to school district and state to state? And besides test scores, what are the characteristics commonly found in gifted children?

But Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education is not just about tests and testing. It describes various gifted education programs, and how those programs may or may not serve your gifted child. Are there disadvantages to being gifted? Palmer describes common sensitivities of the gifted child, and the possible effects on the child's self-esteem.

Gifted children may also suffer from learning disabilities, much to the surprise of parents and teachers alike. In Part III, Palmer points out possible LDs, and identification methods for gifted children with memory, attention, vision or auditory processing problems, and more. What are the options for gifted and learning disabled, also called twice exceptional children? IEPs, resource rooms, aides and more, are discussed.

Palmer concludes with a history of the measure of intelligence, IQ tests and testing, nature and nurture, and other discussion topics.

If you are the parent of a gifted child, or you suspect you're the parent of a gifted child, you should read this book. And if you are a teacher, you should read this book to learn more about the gifted children in your classroom.

We were interested in finding ways to challenge our daughter who was working far ahead of most of the other children in her grade and was starting to complain about school being "boring." She's always had good teachers who try to find ways to modify the schoolwork for her, but much of the time she seemed to be going over things she already knew.

My husband and I read this book after having our daughter tested at the Palmer Learning Center (Dr. Palmer sent us a copy along with the assessment report). The information in this book, along with Dr. Palmer's report and recommendations, really helped us understand our options and find the programs our daughter needs. Our daughter's school doesn't offer formal gifted programs until third grade, but we were able to work with her teachers and come up with a plan where she is being accelerated in two subjects. We are also looking into enrolling her in a summer camp for gifted kids at a local university and trying out an online program in the future.

The book is written for parents who, like us, have little background in testing and programming for gifted kids. Dr. Palmer offers straightforward and objective advice and doesn't push any one type of gifted programming. He clearly explains what parents need to know about each topic in understandable language.

If you have a child who is bored in school and you need help understanding what testing and programming for the gifted is all about, this is the book you should start with. Highly recommended!

Chapters Include:

A Closer Look at IQ Tests: What they Measure and What the Scores Mean
Identifying Gifted Kids - Who Gets Tested and Why?
What is Gifted Education - And Is It Right for My Child?
IQ Testing and Gifted Education - Answers to the Questions Parents Ask Most
Signs of Giftedness - What You Should Look For and Why You Should Know
Is it Good to Be Gifted? Optimal IQ and the Flipside to Being Gifted
Bright Kids with Learning Problems - When IQ and Achievement Don't Match Up
IQ Testing in the Schools - How Did it Start?
What is Intelligence - And Can it Really be Measured?
Nature, Nurture, and Other Influences - Why We Are Who We Are

Dr. David Palmer's Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education is a very thorough look at intelligence testing in general and for gifted children in particular. Palmer covers the basics very well, and I found myself nodding vigorously in agreement with much that he had to say. Palmer discusses:

Why gifted children don't always score highly on intelligence testing
Hidden gifts
Late bloomers
Optimal IQ
Possible negative aspects of giftedness
And much, much more.

Palmer says, " IQ tests are certainly imperfect instruments and only one piece of the puzzle." He communicates clearly why kids should be evaluated for a gifted program based upon multiple criteria, and not a single group administered IQ test. While group tests are common screening tools, an individually administered IQ test is much more likely to provide reliable data. Even with a private assessment though, a gifted child may not do well, due to a variety of causes.

This book addresses types of gifted education and which students tend to benefit from them. Kids who are highly to profoundly gifted may need a more radical solution than those in the "optimally" gifted range, who tend to do well in school with only slight modifications.

The possibility of finding true peers becomes more difficult when a child is more highly gifted. Dr. Palmer talks about asynchronous development and how it can affect social interaction. A gifted child may look like other kids his age, and share a common level of emotional maturity. However, it can be awkward when this child also has the vocabulary, interests, and reasoning ability of someone several years older.

For parents who are unsure about the idea of testing, or who want to more fully understand what is being measured, this is a terrific book written in clear language with a lot of relevant information. I like the common sense attitude and the section on learning disabilities is outstanding.

If you are expecting a run-down of the particular tests in common use today, that is outside the scope of this book. Also, throughout the book, references to IQ scores seem to be based upon the old Stanford Binet LM, which provided scores up over 200. The LM is an older instrument which is rarely used these days, and it does not compare "apples to apples" with current tests which are designed to measure up to 160.

We were curious about our daughter's advanced abilities and wanted more information. Dr. Palmer's book explained the process of IQ testing and the different aspects of identifying gifted children, as well as explaining gifted education and other educational options. This book helped guide us through the process of identifying our daughter's needs and has assisted us in our ability to advocate for her. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious about their child's intelligence and wants some direction and help getting answers. It is a reference we refer to often.

I bought this book based on the reviews written by previous buyers, especially the one that the buyer said they would not have survived their learning strategies class without this book--and I 100% AGREE! The way this book is arranged makes it very easy to make lesson plans and to make copies and overheads. The students understand the material and enjoy the exercises! This book is worth every penny!

AS was described
THanK you
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE more sellers like you :D

I used this book as an activity book for my study skills development classes this past year and was very pleased with it. This works well for middle school and high school students who are having trouble developing study skills on their own.

These are good study strategies, whether a student has special learning needs or not. And with the ability to photocopy, this is a valuable resource that more than pays for itsself!

As a special education teacher I purchased this book because the title addressed the needs of the students I teach in a study skills class. However, the format of the book doesn't offer much in the way of copying many chapters or sections to teach to the students. Some chapters are user friendly, others are of no use the way they are formatted. Great title and table of contents but it is not very user friendly for teaching.
I also haven't been able to figure out the use of the CD that comes with it. Overall, for the price, I am disappointed.

I don't exactly agree with this type of therapy, kind of brainwashing, some kids just need time to flourish on their own. Maybe good for some. Not very good for very sensitive children.

This book is so informative that I wrote to the author to tell her what a great job she did - and what a service for the community. It's in easy language and VERY helpful to the professional, as well as the parent. I highly recommend it!

This book is easy and enjoyable to read. It explains, in simple terms, what VB is and gives you guidelines which are easy to follow. Useful for both parents and professionals.

I am an ABA/VB professional as well as an author of a book on the topic of the Verbal Behavior Approach to ABA. I have met Mary only once but I have read her book and found it to be an excellent introduction to the science of behaviorism and particularly to the Verbal Behavior Approach to ABA. If you are currently trying to decide the best way to approach the education of the child with autism in your life or if you have already found the benefits of ABA and want to see the science of Behaviorism through the eyes of someone versed in Skinner's analysis of Verbal Behavior, this book is a great start. Once you have the basics down, you can continue your education of VB with "Educate Toward Recovery: Turning the Tables on Autism" A Teaching Manual for the Verbal Beahvior Approach to ABA also available here on AmazonEducate Toward Recovery: Turning the Tables on Autism.

As a mother of three children on the spectrum, I want to share how much this book has changed our lives forever. Hope is a powerful feeling and one given to us from this book.

We were going along following the "standard" recommendations of the professionals working with our children on the spectrum without much change for over the past two years. Sure, we had some changes, but not like the ones we were about to experience using the Verbal Behavior Approach.

This book was very easy to read and did a great job of detailing exactly how to do what we were reading about. For us, the concepts were all completely new and a totally different way of intervening. Having Mary Barbara's personal story throughtout the book helped make it more real for us as a parents.

This book has given us the power to help our children ourselves. No longer do we have to follow recommendations from others that just don't seem "quite right" for our children. We have the tools to make a difference ourselves. The therapists we do have that work with our children, are much happier also and feel a better sense of direction now. They have told me how much more hopeful they feel now having the resources they needed. They report that following the Verbal Behavior Approach has changed them professionally as well.

We have spent the past few months working through behavior problems with our children. I am glad to report that for my middle son, age 4, 20+ meltdowns a day is literally down to none or an average of 3 a week. What a difference! We have our lives back! Each child on the spectrum is different of course, but I just wanted to share one personal detail in this review to give specific evidence of the changes we are experiencing.

We feel so much closer and more connected to our kids. I don't know what more a parent with a child on the spectrum wants. We are forever grateful. I highly recommend this book to anyone out there who wants to help their children, clients, family member, and self grow and learn. I recommend this book to parents on the spectrum and parents of non-spectrum kids as well.

We still have a long road ahead of us, but we are up for the journey having the resources we need now. (This book stays by my side and I refer to it daily.)

I find this book fascinating on two accounts: First, that the age old question of whether the mind and the body are separate has been answered - dualism is not supported. And second, that there are educators so dedicated to helping those kids who typically fall through the cracks of our system of education. Bill Hubert takes the reader through his journey of exploration to help the 20% of kids who simply don't learn to read with conventional methods. What accelerates their learning? Exercise! Using old-time balance boards and juggling stimualtes the brain in rhythmical patterns which seem to provide the necessary neurological maps for their brains to begin the sojourn toward more disciplined thinking. Awesome book! Recommended for anyone in education or even coaching of younger children.

I'm just ordering this book to reinforce what Bill taught at the three-day workshop at Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. It was fast-moving and invigorating. Everyone who wants to REALLY DO Bal-A-Vis-X exercises needs to be trained by BILL to SEE and HEAR the exercises. I would recommend it to all... I foresee that I will probably buy his new DVD set in order to remember exactly how to do the exercises.

Very valuable input and helpful to us as we struggle with learning for our son. Product was received in excellent condition and we are looking forward to implementing all of the ideas in the book.

...Bill Hubert was an elemntary and middle school teacher who "Over time...concluded that all of his students who struggled academically tended to exhibit similar physical characteristics:

-an inability to control eyes
-an inability to focus attention
-an inability to sit or stand without moving
-graceless, often illegible handwriting
-stiff/locked posture while sitting, standing, walking, or running
-limp/supportless posture while sitting, standing, walking, or running
-rhythmless gait while walking or running
-rhythmless cadence while talking or reading aloud
-apparent ambidextrousness, which was often neither-handedness
-general clumsiness
-mental and /or physical apathy"

...sorry, thirty years observation in an elemntary school classroom doesn't qualify as substantial evidence for such a conclusion...and as if that weren't enough of an intellectual "leap of faith" he then claims after "two decades of trial-and-error discovery" he found a therapy: "Bal-A-Vis-X"...and while juggling balls while standing on a balance board may, in fact, enhance mental faculties in some fashion, there is not a shred of scientific evidence that it does...the concept of "educational kinesiology" falls under the category of "applied kinesiology" which itself was founded by a chiropractor named Goodheart about forty years ago...and neither "educational kinesiology" nor "applied kinesiology" have any more scientific merit than chiropractics -- i.e. none...but Mr. Huber does have something -- he's got a lot of stuff to sell to you...why, he's got books, videos, seminars, demonstrations -- all available to order from his website...heck, you can even order the beanbags and balance boards from him!...if your kid's got some learning inadequacy you would probably do just as well buying him a skateboard or a gameboy as hounding him with the activities in this book.

I was expecting something that would cover how to set up a bal-a-vis-x program, but what I ran into was the complete history and impetus for creating the program. It took longer to get to the meat of how the program works, but by having the cronicle of how it all came about, I was even more encouraged by the program. I am going to buy more of these books for my son's school's teachers.

First of all, as an educator of future educators of black boys, I loved the fact that this was a quick read. We have to be so careful of the labels we allow to be placed on children because they may accept them. Michael Porter is not afraid to expose what he has witnessed and offer practical solutions.If you are not afraid of truth, you have to read this eyeopener. Porter wrote that whether our boys become productive, prosperous, non criminalized men is a litmus test for public education.His experiences as a teacher of behavior disordered children made him answer no to the preceding question.

Service was quick and it arrived before the projected date. The book was in great condition-like new.

This book, along with Jawanzaa Kunjufu's books, is a must read for all educators. If you want to make a positive change in the lives of African American males, it is important to understand the "powers" that are in place that hinders the growth of not just our African American boys, but all of our children, because without the positive influences/gifts of these young boys, everyone will suffer.

As an educator, I can whole-heartedly agree! Thank you for putting this into print. PLease seek 60 Minute & 20/20 for an audience. Give them the direction to investigate & and PLEASE follow through! I am buying this book & referring it to all of my co-workers. Ouch!

This book is very informative about our african american boys and men. I'm a single parent with a 17yr old (son), and have gone through half of the problems that is going on in the school system. advicing my son that he needs medication for his behavior program, through the special education program etc. It is something that every african american parent should pick up and read.

Blessings

My son was recently diagnosed with NVLD and this book was very enlightening. It helped to have some "aha" moments of things going on with him and how to make life easier for us all. A very quick read and very positive over all.

This book was ok. It was the first book I have read specific to non-verbal learning disability, but the information wasn't anything that new. A lot of it I had read before in investigating sensory integration disorder and dyspraxia. A quick read and ok if you haven't already covered a lot of ground on neurological based developmental disorders. If you are a closet expert I wouldn't spend the money or time.

Excellent informative resource for parents with NLD's. Recommend this book for everyone who has children with NLD or is working with children.
LB camamo island

There is embarrassingly little available for parents of children with NLD, and this book is not great but is better than most books. (The only one better is "NLD at school" by Tanguay.) This book at least does cover some of the basic issues that come up for children with NLD, but there is too much focus on how the author solved her own child's issues rather than providing a selection of ideas.

This book is jam packed with information about NLD. It's a page turner for those of you who need this very important information about your NLD child. Marcia has delved into areas of this difficult disability with a vengence, and has come up with some wonderfully positive solutions. I learned so much about NLD, that I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to learn more about the problems and solutions for a child with this frustrating disability.

As a positive psychologistEnchanted Self: A Positive Therapy (New Directions in Therapeutic Intervention , Vol 1) I am always on the look out for inspirational writings. All the better if they are truly the story of a person's efforts to make the most of her life. That's what we find in The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine...We really get to see how day after day after day a person can struggle and succeed against what seem to be terrible odds. I actually had a chance to 'meet' Shirley in a teleclass we mutually took. I was so impressed with her actual being, not just her writings. She is very special and has a message for all of us: Don't give up! You have purpose and there is a way. I always try to give my clients that same message in some fashion or other, whether I try to infuse hope by my words, or share via my books, such as my new book,The Truth, I'm a girl, (I'm smart and I know everything)where I try to re-invest adults with the courage and fire they had as kids and at the same time help kids keep the fire.

Even though this book is long, I still highly recommend it. You may want to randomly even open a page for a new dose of 'fairy dust' giving you encouragement to make the most of your life!

As a life and personal coach, I encourage my clients to read about people who face challenges and tragedies and manage not only to survive, but to thrive. Shirley Cheng's biography, "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine," is such a book.

Shirley's life could have turned out very differently had she and her mother been cowed by the appalling behavior of doctors, teachers, landlords, social services employees, lawyers and even friends. Instead, their courage and willingness to confront rather than accept ill treatment, led Shirley, a blind, disabled woman, to create a life filled with meaning and singularly lacking in self-pity or bitterness.

Reading of Shirley's physical pain, her increasingly weakening body, the slipshod way she was handled by school aids who were supposed to be helping her, the legal wranglings over her care, would make anyone scream in frustration. Even worse was the way Shirley was treated by an endless list of so-called professionals. Hardly anyone listened to Shirley or her mother regarding her pain, her intelligence or her thirst for education. The indictment of so many people who should have been on Shirley's side, is a sad commentary on our medical, social service and educational systems. In addition, Shirley's father evidently was a manipulator and a cruel man who refused to use his money for the benefit of his daughter. The hardships she and her mother faced feel unendurable. Yet they were endured. And despite poor medical care, despite teachers who seemed uninterested in helping this talented student, despite unfeeling "friends," in two countries, this mother and daughter fought and won many more battles than they lost.

Unlike Shirley, few of us seem to have the innate ability to face every day and everyone with a smile regardless of our own painful circumstances. Yet we can read her story with an open heart and choose to integrate her positive outlook and determination into our own lives in a way that will serve us and those around us. After all, this is the reason Shirley wrote the book. She hoped that her story would inspire others to treat everyone with respect, to stand up for what we believe in and to reach out to those less fortunate.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (3/06)


This book is about the young life of Shirley Cheng, but really it is the story of two remarkable women, Shirley and her mother Juliet. It tells of the trials, tribulations and obstacles that they had to overcome. Shirley was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when she was 11 months old. Juliet then started her quest to find treatment for her daughter. Shirley's childhood was spent between America and China, looking for new
medicines and treatments. Several times Juliet had to fight for custody of her daughter when doctors wanted to do things she did not approve of.

The first goal in Shirley's life was to get an education, this did not go smoothly either. Between school administrators that would not listen to them, and aides that were very cruel, Shirley persevered and gained her GED diploma. She was also asked to speak at the graduation, an honor she embraced. Besides the arthritis, Shirley also suffers from several other diseases including heart problems, severe constipation, multiple allergies, asthma and blindness. It is through faith and sheer determination that Shirley has been successful.

What will Shirley accomplish in the rest of her life? She has proven that she can do anything she puts her mind to. The love and joy that mother and daughter derive from each other is a precious thing to behold.

"She was running toward a glistening stream with fish of all colors flying out of the water. With laughter escaping her lips, she chased a white butterfly amidst the green field of wildflowers. Her black hair glowed with a halo of brightness, with sunrays dancing about her. The blue sky was accentuated by a shimmering rainbow..." ~pg. 116

Shirley Cheng is the author of Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells. She is a highly imaginative writer who has access to beautiful inner worlds where she creates mythological tales and beautiful stories.

In "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine" we are able to access an extremely detailed portrait of 700 pages explaining Shirley Cheng's life and how she became a writer. As if observing her life as an angelic protecting presence, she writes of her life's struggles and challenges she faces due to many people in her life seeming to show a general insensitivity to her condition.

As a child she is diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but this is only the beginning of a long journey filled with therapies and medications, not to mention medical complications due to medication side effects. As Shirley Cheng seeks to make sense of why certain medical problems keep occurring, she faces life with a refreshingly honest and hopeful approach.

"Picking up a book, Shirley began to enter into a different world, a world that she could escape to from her surroundings. After the first quarter, she had begun to increase her reading and writing volume. She read three books a day, averaging five to six hundred pages." ~pg. 375

After spending the entire morning reading Shirley's work out on my deck in the sun, I can recommend anyone to do the same. This is a world where you can not only view the outer struggles of the poet's life, the inner world is also revealed in creative flourishes I started to look forward to finding throughout the writing:

"The strong wind whirled, bringing dancing flakes in its invisible arms, equally distributing a thin layer of snow to other places of the frozen land. Small spheres of shimmering, crystalline flowers alighted upon the earth from their silvery home above, while the sun slept peacefully below the horizon..."~ pg. 6

~The Rebecca Review

This is a complex story written in an easy to read, conversational fashion that is disarming, yet sometimes astounding in its micro-details (ie., telephone conversations you get word-for-word); Shirley Cheng seems to have the memory of a titan. Nevertheless, at times you feel some information is missing--must be missing, because why else the poor treatment by one person after another, one agency after another, one doctor after another, one medical aide after another? But then it hits you--these people, these agencies, these medical "professionals" are really, in many cases, THAT awful! The truth is that American medicine, American government schools and American government agencies all too often think they are GOD. But they're not.

In fact, this book poignantly shows how the enormity of the misuse of power, such as trying to take an ill and hurting child away from its primary source of love and security--its mother--in the name of doing what's "best" for that child, is downright horrifying. And rightly so. The medical establishment is one of the biggest offenders in Shirley's life, and we can probably all relate. (No one is saying, incidentally, that there aren't good people to be found in these arenas of public service, and thankfully, Shirley and her mom find some good people, too.)

If nothing else, Shirley's story is triumphant in that her mother rejects what she knows to be wrong for her child, fights the nightmarish resistance of said "establishment" and wins in the end. But the book is also more than that; it is the tale of a sensitive, intelligent, and observant girl who happens to be painfully disabled; she suffers enormously but has the extraordinary gift of a mother who is sold out for her well-being, hook, line and sinker.

Did the mother make mistakes? Of course. She trusted the wrong people, particularly a relative who was no less than criminal, it seems to me, in her actions. But Juliet Cheng's gift of love to her daughter is something that many able-bodied people never get. She is the epitome of the selfless mother/caretaker extraordinaire, shining the light on the lives of quiet, exhausting devotion that mothers like her live daily.

Overall, the author does an amazing job of keeping the reader's interest; I think the book could be shorter, but I honestly cannot say it was ever boring. When you finish the book you will feel an affinity to this Shirley Cheng and her mother, Juliet. You will admire them both, and hopefully, thank the Lord that your "trials and tribulations" have not been as devastating. If you are interested in a story of hardship and happiness, of personal triumph against horrendous disadvantages, of the experience of being female, Chinese, disabled and blind and yet achieving your dreams in an adopted country--then read this book. The level of success that Shirley achieves is remarkable and inspiring--no less than her achievement in writing this book. Her work and courage alone get five stars in my book.

Shirley Cheng is a talented and bright-hearted young woman who is by no means finished achieving. I look forward to her next accomplishments!

Linore R. Burkard
www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com
Inspirational Romance for Today's Woman of Faith

This spiral-bound book provides a concrete picture of the characteristics and behaviors that are frequently demonstrated by children with nonverbal learning disabilities. The classroom strategies are very helpful as well. There are pages of outlines that lend themselves well with an overhead projector for discussion in a group during presentations on the topic.

This book is considered the definitive work for parents of NLDer's. I'll admit it's very good but it does have some flaws. I want to start by saying that I was diagnosed with mild NLD at the age of 18. This affects my view of the book in that it really isn't that useful for high school and beyond. Her CAMS don't mix with a university setting and the adults she profiles have depressing lives. Thompson's example of a college student bothers me because she is portrayed as being unable to attend anything but a "local junior college". I also agree with the reviewer who said that Thompson spends to much time focousing on extreme cases, not everyone with NLD needs such intense interventions. Some of the examples are really worst case scenarios. Another thing that I'd like to point out is that not all NLDer's have problems with reading comprehension. I'm an English lit major with no reading problems and have read of other NLD individuals who don't have this kind of difficulty. Finally, typing isn't the magic solution she says it is- the same deficits that make writing difficult can affect typing ability. Good starter book but don't assume your child is going to be that bad. I wish she would expand on this book with something not geared towards just young children.

I have already bought three copies of this book to give to others (teachers and doctors) that deal with my son. My son also says this book describes many aspects of him much better than he could. It has opened my eyes and allowed us to begin to address the real issues, not just theories given by professionals.

This is the best book I have ever read on the subject. For the first time I can distinguish between ADD and NVL.

I have read multiple books on NVLD and highly recommend this book over all of the books as it contains a wide range of data and explains relevant test scores in great detail. She provides excellent information on diagnosing NVLD, coping with NVLD at home and IEP suggestions for the school. Sue Thompson is the guru of NVLD. I also highly recommend both of Pamela Tanguay's (sp?) books on dealing with NVLD at school and at home. If you only purchase one book, Sue Thompson's is the best.

Although I agree that some of the adult 'outcome' examples are scary, such gives us all the more impetus to help kids w/NLD and to spread the word at any stage; this user-friendly source book is the definitive intro for parents and school-folk (followed then by P.Tanguay's pair of books: NLD at Home, and NLD at School). The base of the front cover states the previous title which (if you're a parent or friend of someone with NLD) rings SO TRUE: "I Shouldn't Have to TELL You..." Well, yes, we do -- and yes, we do need this book back in circulation, maybe with some updating. I've special-ordered multiple copies for others and it's getting mighty expensive -- but worth it."

was very impressed by the service of the seller. kind, courteous and extremely helpful

As the mother of two boys with autism, I am always on the lookout for programs that might help reduce hyperactivity and tics. Yoga For the Special Child has helped in that quest.

This book provides clear visuals as well as written directions on how to coax your child to engage in various postures and breathing exercises, first passively, and in later stages, actively.

I actually began the yoga with my son just as he was beginning to fall asleep. As the weeks have moved on, I have introduced some of the postures that require his active participation.

Very simply, he loves the entire process---and yes, it does leave him much more relaxed.

While I found myself raising my eyebrows at some of the claims of benefit enjoyed by severely disabled participants in the writer's yoga school, I do see where consistent use of yoga can provide a child with the means to self regulate hyperactivity and tics.

I do recommend the book in that light, and I am grateful to have found it just as I feared we would have to medicate for hyperactivity.

It's also a fun bonding experience. I finally have something I can do with my son for a change!

As a pediatric community nurse who works with children with severe developmental delays as well as multiple medical issues, I can tell you that this program _ Yoga for the Special Child- has been a gift. The book is a beginning, or introduction of sorts to Sonia Sumars theraputic yoga program. The children whom I work with love all aspect (breathing, asanas and relaxation) of "yoga therapy" and often will initiate our yoga sessions. My clients medical specialists also have commented posatively and often times will atribute the achievement of developmental goals to the patient's regular yoga practice.
The child is only limited in his or her yoga practice by the creativity of the teacher. And if you just listen, the child will show you what they need. Yoga is a wonderful way to empower these special children.

I must admit at the beginning of my writing this review that I was inspired by an earlier reviewer of this book on this site who wrote a relatively negative one. That is too bad; as there are, probably, a bunch of parents and professionals who have chosen not to plunk down their [$$$] to buy this book based on this person's opinion.

This book is for parents and professionals who are probably trying to find something (perhaps "anything" is a more appropriate word) to help their kid/kids. The author, as she describes in the first chapter or so, has "walked the walk", which now enables her to "talk the talk". And, after reading her story, which is heart-wrenching and, ultimately, uplifting, one realizes that the author is in the business of helping "special children", not because it is a good business idea, but because it is her life's mission. (How much money does an author make on such an inexpensive book written for such a limited audience? God bless her publisher.) In short, the author is sincere, authoritative, and, seemingly, hell-bent (in the most caring, lovey-dovey way imaginable) on changing the way that special children interact with the world.

She offers no quick fixes, and specifically warns against them. She emphasizes that patience, consistency, and a long-term commitment are the keys for the best results. She clearly prefers starting children in her program as soon as possible. However, there definitely seems to be no age limit to the kids with whom she works, as one on them seems to be sporting a cheesy-beginner mustache in a photo of him doing an impossible looking pose. The previous reviewer who said that there were no tools to deal with an older child missed the obvious. The author's emphasis on positive reinforcement and "love" is obviously an attempt to build trust with the child, which is the key to dealing with children (special or not) of any age. As for the most difficult cases, the author also conducts a teachers training program and has trained many people (professionals and parents) around the world, many of whom are available to help overwhelmed parents who want to try this program with their own children. (A website address can be found in a footnote on page 61.)

As for the bulk of the book, it consists of loads of exercises (with descriptions and pictures) to help a child develop strength, muscular control, concentration, self-esteem, etc. She does not give lessons on attaining enlightenment. The goal of these exercises is to have the child integrate with other (less special?) children in a "normal" way. Not bad, if this book can deliver all this for [$$$]. Even if this book only helps 1% of the kids that participate in this program, what thinking parent would not gamble a few bucks on those odds?

As for the previous readers comment about the author saying that a child's ears moved lower relative to the rest of her face, I believe that it is unjust. First, the comment appears(on page 32) in a reprint of a letter from a child's pediatrician. Second, the pediatrician does not say that the program moved the ears; it just says that the ears moved during the time the child was participating in the program. Third, the reviewer does not claim to be medical professional, so I don't think that she (or anyone other than a medical professional who examined the child) is in a position to say anything about what happened to this child's ears or how it happened.

In short, parents/professionals must choose to spend their [$$$] or not on a book that could potentially change their kid's life. I hope that my review will help them arrive at their decision. (And, remember, if [$$$] is too much, there is always the public library.)

If you don't know anything about yoga or therapy, then this is a great book to get to use with you child who has a disability. If you do have a yoga background then a lot of it is common sense on how to stretch your child. The great thing about this book is that it has specific exercises for each stage, so it is a handy reference tool.

After years of unsuccessful psychiatric work, school problems, and Ritalin, my parents found Dr. Walker. I was eight, and my parents and teachers were at a point where I was probably no longer going to be able to attend school and there was a possibility of being institutionalized. The rages that I would fly into would take a room apart. The animals and three other siblings in my family were continually terrorized. Babysitters refused to stay with us.

It is hard to talk about this stuff now, as I am a thirty-something adult with a very healthy and happy life. I have a wonderful husband, a 17-month-old daughter, and a baby on the way. Dr. Walker diagnosed me as being allergic to gluten and as being a borderline diabetic who with strict diet management would hopefully never have to take insulin. My diet went into effect when I was eight, immediately after my parents brought me home from Dr.Walker's multi-day visit. It worked. I don't know how long the diet took to work because I was so young, but my parents said that the change was like night and day. A normal, healthy, child without Ritalin. In adulthood I still do not need insulin.

It is not always easy to find out what the problem is. In fact, my parents probably spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars, many hours, and many trips to different doctors. (We visited Dr.Walker who practiced in CA, while we lived in AZ.) Boy do I owe my parents! But there can be reasons for such behavior that take some serious digging. Ritalin, often, is just a cover-up and a heck of a lot easier to do. But for sake of the health of the child please consider alternatives.

Put very simply, this could be the most important book you will ever read. It will change your life, your children's lives, your family life, and the way you view the medical and psychiatric community. If your child has been "diagnosed" with ADHD, ADD, or one of the other behavioral "disorders" or has been put on Ritalin, Aderall, or an anti-depressant, you owe it to yourself and your family to read this book.

Dr. Walker's book brought out many things every parent should consider before they consider medication. Lead poisoning, mercury fillings, and worms are just a few. He also listed were these things may be found in our enviroments. This was paticularly helpful since we, my wife and I, did not take all of our activities into account when evaluating toxic substances. This book was easy to read and very informative. Thank you Dr. Walker.

I cramp my brain trying to decide what the skeptical position is in regard to Ritalin and ADHD. ADHD is not a new syndrome; it was first described over a hundred years ago, yet some people seem still to want to debate its very existence, like the shooter on the grassy knoll. Does ADHD exist? yes. Is it true that too many Ritalin prescriptions are written? probably. But too many antibiotic prescriptions are also written, and many too many Valium prescriptions no doubt, as well.

Certainly any book that denies the existence of ADHD with the ancient canard of weak parenting, a la the 1950's "rejecting mother" theory of autism is better used to level a shaky table. But this isn't such a book. Although there are no empirical studies here-- everything is anecdotal-- here is example upon example of other medical causes of hyperactive behavior, other than an organic brain disorder that must be treated neuro-chemically. So it's not bad parenting. But it's not necessarily the nebulous ADHD either. The book is simply a plea to look closer.

Anyone who has taken a college undergrad class in neurology or biochemistry and behavior knows that minute differences in fetal brain development, or in neurotransmitter production can lead to vast changes in behavior, so ADHD is theoretically possible if nothing else. But this is because the brain is a body organ like any other. Disrupt the function of any organ, and you are liable to see behavior changes. Introduce heavy metal to the bloodstream, or parasites to the intestines, remove a necessary nutrient from the diet through poor metabolism, or by poor diet, and see behavior changes. Even the weather can affect behavior.

My only wish for the book is that Dr. Walker had discussed in more depth some of the organic neurologic disorders that can include hyperactivity, such as Fragile X Syndrome, Asperger's Syndrome, and Tourette's Syndrome. Children with these syndromes could benefit from medication (though not necessarily Ritalin) in conjunction with behavior habilitation.

There are so many possibilities, so many ways for the environment to influence behavior, and the liklihood of an organic disorder to exist in the absence of other symptoms so small, that a rush to the prescription pad is at best shortsighted, and at worst malpractice. I thank Dr. Walker for breaking this ice; I hope that physicians, neurologists, and other qualified professionals will join him.

overall the book isn't one that adds up. Walker seems to vacilate between suggesting ADHD simply doesn't exist -- that it is always the symptom of an underlying problem -- and saying that there may be something to it if no underlying disorder can be found, but Ritalin isn't the answer. I found myself getting confused in spots about what he really believes.

His points about Ritalin are well made. He's absolutely correct in stating that it can be a risky drug for children to be on, that we haven't done enough appropriate longitudinal research, and that the side effects for some children can be problematic, at best. The key words, however, are some children. I know children who are on the drug who aren't having any problems with it. The whole issue of what is a cause and what is an effect is a confusing one, and this book doesn't make it any clearer.

In terms of the safety of Ritalin, the research and studies Dr. Walker mentions are based on such small sample sizes that they can't be taken as proof. His writing suggested to me that he was attempting to suggest causal relationships when he only had enough evidence to point out a correlation.

Now, Dr. Walker's points about HMOs and the lack of proper diagnosis of children are ones I can completely agree with. It's in this area that his evidence and argument is the strongest. He does a good job of explaining the different possible non ADHD causes of hyperactive behaviour. I did find this part of the book a bit long, however.

The latter parts of the book, dealing with advocating for your child with medical and educational professionals, is the most effective and useful part of the book. I would give the book two stars simply for the chapter where he gives readers observation sheets to fill out and give to the doctor as a basis for a proper medical examination. His advice on dealing with these professionals is sound and easy to implement -- he takes alot of the mystery and fear out of working with doctors and teachers. I would have like to see him encourage readers more to press for wider societal change, such as loosening the grip of HMOs and relieving some of the pressure on our schools -- changes that can only occur on a legislative/cultural level -- rather than simply pitting parents against doctors and teachers, however.

This book is worth looking at if you know nothing other causes of hyperactive behavior. It's got some useful information, but I wouldn't make it the only book I read on the subject.