Occupational Therapy DVD for Parents

What I appreciate most about this DVD is that it gives credit to parents of special needs children that they're doing their homework, they're figuring out what works for their children and they're actively participating in their children's early intervention. Thank you for valuing our input! I emailed the OT on this DVD for her philosophy behind the DVD and her response was, "I may only see your child for an hour a week. It helps me and your child for you to participate and do these activities at home so that your child gets the best results."

The DVD covers a lot of sensory issues. My son has always disliked touching things like paint, glue, dirt, grass, etc. This DVD talks about and gives examples (with children) of different things to do to try and desensitize the child so that they can tolerate different textures.

There is a section on oral motor skills for children who have difficulty speaking, they may drool, or don't like having their teeth brushed. The section on auditory processing reminded me of Supernanny and just learning that the kids need to process information, keep your words simple and concise, don¡¦t give up and try to be patient. Stuff like that. There is another section that covers trampoline exercises and explains how and why this is helping your child. I had always wondered why the swing and trampoline are so good for children with special needs and now I know.

My son's OT has always told me to make an obstacle course at home. There is a section on this DVD "Organization of Behavior" that does this, shows kids at different levels going through the motions, and why and how this is helping. It's simple, however, those of you with kids like mine, NOTHING IS SIMPLEº

The Occupational Therapist, Britt Collins, is a pleasure to watch. She speaks in OT terms, which take a little getting used to, but also explains on a parent level.

One of the children on the DVD is a typical child and because I babysit my typical niece often, I was happy that this showed activities to do to have my son and niece interact. They're both getting therapy and don't even know it because it's fun stuff and we make it into games.

I've read a few OT books, and there are a few really good ones out there, but I liked watching and learning visually. It gave me confidence that I can do it too. It won't make me an OT, but it does help me help my child and that's all that matters. Thank you

Becky Rose

The author, Paul Madaule, describes what he learned about hearing from Dr. Alfred Tomatis and shows how to use the Tomatis Method and "Earobics."

Growing up, Madaule had dyslexia, learning disabilities, "inhibition, temper tantrums, absent-mindedness, fits of anxiety, extreme shyness, sleepless nights, difficulty expressing himself, fear of the future and clumsiness." Tomatis showed him that all of these ailments were all due to his inability to hear properly. Madaule explains how "sound confusion put him "off track" creating a misunderstanding. A distorted perception of words, in turn, affected his understanding of the world."

The book is easy to read and the material is comprehensive. Madaule gives relatable examples and helpful suggestions throughout. He touches on the ear itself, the ears connection to the brain and body, the vestibular system and how to correct hearing disorders. Music, sound and movement, chanting, learning a new language are amongst the topics explained from Dr. Tomati's perspective.

Dr. Tomatis's methods have proven effective as non-invasive treatment for children with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other special needs due to auditory processing disorders.

Madaule begins his story as a student, morphing into a celebrated teacher. This book is wonderful and useful.

The book is split into two parts, Listening Unveiled and Listening Through Life.

Some chapters are:
Listening for Preschoolers, Listening at School, Teenage Listening, Multiple Listening of the Adult, No Retirement for Listening.

I highly recommend this book for parents and teachers, people suffering from dyslexia or any of the above listed disorders, and anyone who wants to increase their ability to communicate.

BLOOD MOON by A.W. Gryphon

The author cleverly disguises the heroine as a frail little girl full of wonder and bright eyed innocence, luring the reader into a comfortable, stable environment and then ripping your heart out with one ferocious and don’t look back bite. At one moment a feisty fairy will dance onto the page and the next sentence will lead to a blade of destruction and a heartbroken child summoning the powers that she can’t possibly control or understand, unleashing chaos into the world that can only be compared to that of opening Pandora’s box.

I settled into reading Blood Moon by A.W. Gryphon, delighted by the Pagan/Wiccan history and the sweet love story between a mother and her daughter. The book is written with a pure fascination and respect for the Wiccan, Witchcraft and Pagan culture and customs, told from a point of view that comes from both passion and chaste for a society that has survived through centuries of scrutiny and being extremely misunderstood. Without preaching or chastising, Gryphon opens the doors to a world that seldom view past the clichés and distortions, and leads the reader into a world of compassion, harmony and beauty amongst spells and mysterious rituals.

The story follows Amelia Pivens, born into The Craft and thrown into a life of deceit and distrust. Not only must she find her way as a woman in the world, but as a witch and possibly the chosen one who must save the entire universe. Suffering the loss of her mother at a young age, Amelia’s fragile heart mends long enough to find love with the dashing Wolfgang Kreutzer. Proving that women are by far the most resilient creatures on earth, Amelia soon finds herself heartbroken by the death of her husband and facing the world alone once again.

With the London National Gallery as a backdrop, the artwork of Spanish painter Francisco Goya is both celebrated and explored with a haunting urgency. The reader is invited as a silent guest to witness Amelia’s transformation as she stumbles and matures into a state of awareness after being forced to grow up quickly into a world of good versus evil.

As the clock ticks down to her 28th birthday, Amelia must discover who she can trust and most importantly who she is. Laced with action, exotic cars and enigmatic men, this psychological, supernatural thriller dives deep into the heart of witchcraft and comes up with a priceless treasure. The book explores the fierceness of a woman wronged, the rage behind revenge, and the dormant power that lives inside each one of us.

A.W. Gryphon leaves us with a mouth opening twist sure to keep readers salivating until the release of a sequel. I for one, have already decided I’m in for the series and am currently printing my “Team Amelia” t-shirts for all that join me in the coven. Until then, I’ll repeatedly dissect the fabulous roller coaster of finely crafted characters and the journey that has only begun. Well done.

The book is currently on pre-sale at Barnes and Noble, Barnesandnoble.com. Release date is April 2008.

Lots of useful information - Secrets of Millionaire Moms

This book is loaded with useful information.

While looking for a book that would just give me answers and tell me step-by-step what to do, I found much more than that in the pages of this book. The author explores feelings and relationships behind the business plan that prompted me to deal with more than the surface aspects of running your own business.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a self-help book - it just realistically explores common things women do and feel while running a business and it all rang true with me.

I appreciated all the examples of all the women in the book and learning about what steps they took on the pathway to success. It's both inspiring and encouraging to know that against all odds, it can be done and has been done many times.

I read the book with a stack of post-it notes because Mrs. Monosoff covers so much ground it made my mind alive with ideas that I had to write as they came to me.

Thank you for putting together such a helpful book for those of us that are trying to figure it all out in the business world and be moms too. Best of luck to other mom entrepreneurs.

I feel so much better! Fat Flush Plan

Ladies, anyone who gets horrible cramps and has blood sugar problems - this book completely helped me. I'm not a doctor or health care professional - so please don't take any advice from me - just telling my personal story about this book.

I came across this book for the obvious reasons - to lose weight. But what I found as I started implementing the program (lots of supplements - and they aren't cheap) that I felt better.

Having always had a problem with my blood sugar, I'm amazed that for months now I've been regulated by eating right and taking the supplements. I've also had less painful periods, so I started researching the supplements and found that the black currant oil is a super food and anti-inflammatory. Yahoo-losing weight and feeling better - works for me!

The diet can be difficult - specially getting started because your body will miss the sugar and carbs that it's used to if you eat as unhealthy as I did. I thought it was going to take a lot of time to eat healthy - but it doesn't take any extra time. It's just about adjusting.

If you're looking for something new and a lifestyle change - I highly recommend this book. Happy eating and feeling better.

Autie Mom who is glad Jenny's speaking out

As everyone knows, this is a book about Jenny McCarthy's experience with her son's battle with autism. As a mom with a son who has been diagnosed with autism, I was thrilled to watch Jenny on Oprah, Larry King, etc. making her rounds and bringing awareness to the topic.

I appreciate Jenny's honesty and vulnerability that she expresses through this book. She tells her story with the same fierceness that she fought with to save her son. She did save her son - he's living proof that the steps she took saved him and good for her. She's abrasive and in your face and that is who she is. I find her entertaining and fun - I've read that some people are offended by her language - but it didn't bother me.

My only fault with the book was that I would have liked it to be more organized for people looking for specific information, but instead it's chronological. But again, it's her story, so it makes sense that it's in order of events.

The diet that Jenny speaks of didn't work for my son, but I'm glad it worked for hers. I agree that the diet is a huge part of autism and whether it's a little improvement in your child or a big one like hers it is still important.

I think the overall message is for mother's to not take their children's diagnoses and give up - fight for your child. Find things that work, find things that can help. For us - occupational therapy was effective and also fish oil and nutritional supplements - for others nothing works - but the point is to try. Try whatever you can and know that there are a lot of other mother's out there trying too.

Jenny also explores divorce and financial hardship in the book - things that happen while you're trying to deal with autism. It's a good read. If you're looking for medical advice, read a medical book - this is HER story. Period.

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition by Carol Stock Kranowitz

This book was recommended to me by an Occupational Therapist after he evaluated my son through the state. At this point, I had no idea what SI was or that my son had it (also autism diagnosis). Since then, this book has become my primary resource for my son and other children I encounter. I've given copies to every member of my family and to my son's teachers. Why? Because it explains why kids do and act the way they do when they have sensory dysfunction.

One thing my son used to do was put his head on the ground to look at toys. He also used to avoid touching paint, glue, playDoh. He couldn't tolerate a playground and even family birthday parties were overwhelming. This book explains all of these things - all of the reasons why my son was acting the way he was. And since then, with the help of an occupational therapist, we've corrected these behaviors. My son is happier than ever. He still has SI, but he knows how to avoid certain situations and he's learning how to adapt to school, parks, the world in general.

Carol Stock Kranowitz explains and gives examples of why some kids act out in class, are aggressive, shy, etc. Anyone who is around special needs children will benefit from the knowledge on these pages. It's changed my entire world.

Like with anything new, learning the ins and outs of sensory integration takes time. It's not a super easy read and until you're familiar with the terms (tactile, vestibular, proprioception, gravitational insecurity, etc) it takes some getting used to. Don't be turned off by this last sentence, anyone can learn it and understand and then apply the techniques.

Id even recommend this for parents of typical children as everyone can benefit.

Here's the parts the book is split into:
1. Recognizing Sensory Integration Dysfunction
2. Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Some of the chapters include: Does your child have Sensory Integration Dysfunction?
How to tell if your child has a problem with the Tactile sense
Your child at Home
Your child at School
Coping with your child's emotions
Looking at your child in a new light
There are also a number of resources listed in the back of the book.