An Exceptional Children's Guide to Touch: Teaching Social and Physical Boundaries to Kids

The rules of physical contact can be tricky to grasp and children with special needs are at a heightened risk of abuse. This friendly picture book explains in simple terms how to tell the difference between acceptable and inappropriate touch, thereby helping the child with special needs stay safe.

Each story covers a different type of touch from accidental to friendly to hurtful and will help children understand how boundaries change depending on the context. It explores when and where it is okay to touch other people, when and where other people can touch you, why self touching sometimes needs to be private, and what to do if touch feels inappropriate.

This book is an invaluable teaching resource and discussion starter for parents, teachers and carers working with children with special needs.

Hunter Manasco Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the department of speech-language pathology at Misericordia University. He specializes in treating autism and neurological disorders in pediatric and adult populations and has extensive professional experience of working with children with special needs in schools, hospitals and university clinics.