Talk to Me: Conversation Strategies for Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum or with Speech and Language Impairments - Softcover

Jones, Heather

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849054282 ISBN 13: 9781849054287

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2014

Synopsis

If your child finds talking to people a struggle, this is the book to get the conversation started. In this hands-on guide, Heather Jones offers practical advice, born of experience with her own son, which will help you teach your child the principles of communication. Full of strategies and examples, it shows how you can allay fears, build confidence and teach your child to enjoy conversation. Once a child gets used to talking with other people, many life skills can develop more easily as they grow up - from making friends and shopping for themselves, to being interviewed and eventually getting a job. This handy book provides guidance and inspiration to parents, teachers and anyone else who cares for a child who finds language and comprehension difficult.

About this title

Book Description:

Award winning book on engaging in more meaning conversations with your child on the Autism spectrum

From the Author:

Do you know someone with autism? Are you related to a child with speech and language problems? This book may be just what you're looking for to help the two of you. My son was diagnosed with high-functioning autism and severe speech and language impairments and I recognised something was wrong by the time he was two. For years afterwards I struggled to involve him in conversation, but he seemed to prefer silence and his own company or screaming in a rage and having a 'melt-down'. But when he was 10, I worked out a way of talking to him and slowly he began to respond. From those early days, I started to keep notes and shared my ideas with my friends and family. Now, after fifteen years, Jamie is aware of the purpose of conversation - he still can't comprehend to his age level, but he knows about things like turn-taking, pauses, body language, encouragers and what it means to be resilient. Once he started to calm down and could relieve his frustration without flying off the handle, he could follow my suggestions and our plans. Through mind-maps and project books, I got him interested in all kinds of things - cooking, using public transport, washing, budgeting, banking, driving and even getting a job. It was a slow process, but now Jamie drives himself around in his own little car, has had a part-time job as a nurseryman for the past two years, and has opened his own bank account. He is a pleasant, hard-working, easy-to-please individual - someone any parent would be proud of. As a result of my many years care of Jamie, I have written this book which documents in short, easy-to-read chapters the way I brought Jamie up to understand language. At the end of each chapter I've given a few tips which crystallise my challenges with Jamie and advice. I sincerely believe this book can help distraught and frustrated parents, carers and children. I know that it did for me and Jamie.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1849054282
• ISBN 13: 9781849054287
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168