BOOK AND MEDIA SHELF

by Zoffany, Johann (1733–1810)

The SLP Book and Media Shelf

Where Books, Videos and DVD summaries and/or reviews will be featured as we come upon them. We invite suggestions or new reviews an any time!

JUNE 2009

The Big Book of Exclamations by Teri Kaminski-Peterson

The Big Book of Exclamations by Teri Kaminski-Peterson, pediatric speech pathologist, is an educational children's book designed to promote speech sound development, and imitation of gestures, sounds, and words. Unlike most books, it doesn't have a story to read. Instead, along the bottom of each page, there are prompts which teach parents/caregivers how to act out the illustrations and interact with children using gestures, sounds, and words. This twenty-four page book is also filled with information intended to help parents understand speech and language development, and also provides resources for those seeking advice.

Review posted on their website: "I work with a group of toddlers ranging in age from 18 to 30 months. I use this book almost every day for our "circle" time. I have found the book to be very helpful with every day words for these children. They ask for the "no no puppy book" all the time, and they cry when I tell them we can't read it right away! The children love the make all the animal noises and they also love to perform all the actions. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who has children that are learning gestures, sounds, and words."
Kristin - Playhouse Childcare Center

See details on the following website:
http://thebigbookofexclamations.com/pages/Home/

APRIL 2009

Yoga for Stuttering 2009

Yoga for Stuttering: Unifying the Voice, Breath, Mind & Body to Achieve Fluent Speech (Paperback) by J.M. Balakrishnan (Author)

Yoga for Stuttering takes a fresh approach based on ancient methods. Author J.M. Balakrishnan combines an understanding of the neurological aspects of stuttering with yoga methods long used in India for remediation to form a new, natural method for improving vocal fluency. The book presents three related branches of yoga and their accompanying practices, nada yoga (chanting and vocalization), hatha yoga (yoga poses), and raja yoga (guided meditations), providing the reader with sets of voice, breathing, and physical exercises to help relax the body and mind, relieve chronic tension, and achieve fluent speech. The book features photos and illustrations to make the method easy to follow, and no prior knowledge of yoga is required. Yoga for Stuttering was created to meet the needs of those who have not obtained relief through traditional methods and is aimed at both speech pathologists and individuals looking for a holistic, drug-free approach to the condition.

MARCH 2009

Baby Signs 2009

Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk
The Essential Parenting Guide--NOW COMPLETELY UPDATED AND EXPANDED!

Authors: Child development experts Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D.

Editorial Review From Library Journal: After studying baby sign language with a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Acredelo (psychology, Univ. of California, Davis) and Goldwyn (psychology, California State Univ., Stanislaus) conclude that babies who are taught to use signs to express basic ideas (e.g., fingers to the lips for eat, fingers raised in a V for bunny) before they can say the words are both happier because they can communicate with others and more adept at speaking once they begin to acquire language. This is not a scholarly exegesis of their findings but a practical, easy-to-use guide to teaching baby signs. The authors begin with an explanation of their findings and then offer a portfolio of suggested signs in which simple pictures are accompanied by description, memory aid, and suggested situations for use.

FEBRUARY 2009

Language Development:Foundations, Processes and Clinical Applications, 2009

Language Development: Foundations, Processes, and Clinical Applications (Hardcover)
As the number of culturally and linguistically diverse individuals in the United States continues to increase annually, Language Development: Foundations, Processes, and Clinical Applications will help your students understand language development in terms of each individual child s communication needs. This comprehensive resource, written by experts in the field, offers an accessible overview of language development by discussing the typical course of language development within the clinical context of language assessment and intervention. Clinical practice applications will help your students prepare for the clinical challenges they will face in their professional careers. This resource focuses on our role of responsibility to children who are challenged in learning to communicate, and in doing so, bridges the biological, environmental, technological and professional aspects to advancing the development of professionals and children alike. Language Development: Foundations, Processes, and Clinical Applications features chapter objectives, dialogues, case studies, key terms, and study questions, as well as a glossary.

JANUARY 2009

Transporters a new DVD for children with autism.
The idea behind THE TRANSPORTERS is to help children to learn about emotions in a way that they enjoy. THE TRANSPORTERS features characters like toy trains and cable cars because children with autism tend to like mechanical objects that have highly predictable movement, while they shy away from people’s faces, which they find unsettling and unpredictable. By grafting real actors’ faces onto vehicles, the DVD attracts children with autism to look more at human faces and makes it fun and enjoyable to recognize and understand emotions. The DVD took almost three years of research and production effort to create and it has involved children with autism at every stage. See video example here:

A new study to be published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders from Cambridge University has found that after watching the DVD for just 15 minutes a day for four weeks, most children with autism caught up with other children in their ability to recognize emotions.

Parents who have used the DVD have reported noticeable improvements and stronger emotional bonds with their children. Professionals have noted children commenting on other people’s feelings, often for the first time. (Verifiable testimonials from parents, as well as education and health professionals, are available upon request.)

DECEMBER 2008

Speech Class Rules (Kindergarten through Middle School)
ASHA (American Speech-Language and Hearing Association) Certified Speech-Language Pathologist Ronda M. Wojcicki has recognized the need for information regarding speech therapy in the public schools and has created a children s book to address the problem head on... Speech Class Rules - An Introduction to Speech Therapy for Children. This fully illustrated children s book serves as a tool for parents, educators, and Speech-Language Pathologists to introduce and explain the concept of speech therapy while entertaining readers. For further info go to: http://www.TheSpeechPlace.com

About the Author
Ronda M. Wojcicki received her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders from James Madison University in 1996 and her Master of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of Hawaii in 2000. She is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who has practiced in both the public school and outpatient rehabilitation settings.

November 2008
Check out ASHA's book browser webpage. Categories include:
* Amplification, Cochlear Implants, Audiologic Rehabilitation
* Hearing and Hearing Disorders
* Language
* Service Delivery, Practice Management, Reimbursement
* Speech, Voice, Fluency, Swallowing
http://www.asha.org/about/continuing-ed/booktalk/bookbrowser.htm

October 2008
Infant Pathways to Language Methods, Models, and Research Directions Edited by John Colombo, Peggy McCardle, Lisa Freund

http://www.languagedisordersarena.com/books/Infant-Pathways-to-Language-...

September 2008
Language Disorders from a Developmental Perspective Essays in Honor of Robin S. Chapman, Edited by Rhea Paul

http://www.languagedisordersarena.com/books/Language-Disorders-From-a-De...

Handbook of Child Language Disorders Edited by Richard G. Schwartz

http://www.languagedisordersarena.com/books/Handbook-of-Child-Language-D...

August 2008
Anomia: Theoretical and Clinical Aspects by Matti Laine, Nadine Martin
http://www.languagedisordersarena.com/books/Anomia-isbn9780863777226

July 2008
Understanding Developmental Language Disorders Edited by Courtenay Frazier Norbury, J. Bruce Tomblin, Dorothy V.M. Bishop

http://www.languagedisordersarena.com/books/Understanding-Developmental-...

June 2008
See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism by Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe

A new book, published May 2008 by University of North Texas Press.
Amazon reviewers George Getschow, Writer-in-Residence, Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas writes,
"This is a book written from the heart by a mother nearly driven to madness by her son's maniacal behavior. But she slowly learns how to pay attention to what makes Sam tick, what makes Sam run. And as her journey of discovering what ails Sam unfolds, many parents will find themselves hooked."

Another reviewer, Dianne Aprile, Spalding University states that
"See Sam Run is well written and poignant as well as emotionally satisfying for the reader. The author's narrative voice is strong, intelligent and authentic. Her story is one that is important to get out."

Customer reviews included that of parent whose positive review said,
"This book took me on a familiar journey thorough the haze of denial, the thick fog of despair that descends when denial is no longer possible, then through the maze of discovery trying to find a professional who would listen without condescension or judgment, and provide the help we needed. What a relief to learn that I am not the only mother who has harbored those thoughts and feelings, faced the cold, bare truth, and fought and clawed her way through that maze. The picture this narrative paints of Sam's day to day life helped me clarify and map our own journey. I cried traveling back through those painful memories. I cried for my son and Sam, for Peggy and Mark and me. Taking the journey with and through another helped heal the scars."

May 2008

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm
Framed with both humor and compassion, the book defines the top ten characteristics that illuminate the minds and hearts of children with autism. Ellen's personal experiences as a parent, an autism columnist, and a contributor to numerous parenting magazines coalesce to create a guide for all who come in contact with a child on the autism spectrum.

May 2008

Hegde's PocketGuide to Treatment in Speech-Language Pathology, Hegde's PocketGuide to Communication Disorders, and Hegde's PocketGuide to Assessment in Speech-Language Pathology by M.N. Hegde may be very familiar to SLP students preparing for their orals and certification. Now in paperback, they provide a functional trilogy for those who love compendiums of SLP information at their fingertips. Although expensive, they professionalize any SLP's library. Amazon offers used copies at reduced prices.

April 2008

Biology and Knowledge Revisited: From Neurogenesis to Psychogenesis Edited by Sue Taylor Parker, Jonathan Langer & Constance Milbrath.

Notably, this edition includes a chapter by former Colorado resident Elizabeth Bates, to whom the book is dedicated. Dr. Bates died in 2003 while this book was being prepared. Her chapter (7) is titled "Plasticity, Localization and Language Development". For announcement of her death and brief biography, go to http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/general/Bates.asp

The book is the current edition of an edited series sponsored by the Jean Piaget Society, provides a scholarly examination of language from neurological and psychological vantage points utilizing references from classic theorists in psychology, neurology and biological evolution.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zbCtFg-XNqoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA205&...

March 2008

Bilingual Education: An Introductory Reader By Ofelia Garcia, Colin Baker, 2005

The book contains a comprehensive selection of outstanding and influential articles on bilingual education in the USA and the rest of the world. It is designed for instructors and students, with questions and activities based on each of the 19 readings for students to engage in active learning.

About the Author
Dr Ofelia García is professor of bilingual education in the Department of International and Transcultural Studies and co-director of the Center for Multiple Languages and Literacies. Her publications include Policy and Practice in Bilingual Education. Extending the Foundations, co-edited with Colin Baker. Dr Colin Baker is Professor of Education at the University of Wales, Bangor. He is the author of many books and articles including Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (Multilingual Matters, 4th edition, 2006). He is Editor of the International Journal of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=PQoVx1dl-XwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA286&...
February 2008

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
by John Elder Robison

Publisher Comments:
Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, dismantle radios, and dig five-foot holes (and stick his younger brother in them) — had earned him the label "social deviant." No guidance came from his mother, who conversed with light fixtures, or his father, who spent evenings pickling himself in sherry. It was no wonder he gravitated to machines, which could, at least, be counted on.

After fleeing his parents and dropping out of high school, his savant-like ability to visualize electronic circuits landed him a gig with KISS, for whom he created their legendary fire-breathing guitars. Later, he drifted into a "real" job, as an engineer for a major toy company. But the higher Robison rose in the company, the more he had to pretend to be "normal" and do what he simply couldn't: communicate. It wasn't worth the paycheck.

It was not until he was forty that an insightful therapist told him he had the form of autism called Asperger's syndrome. That understanding transformed the way Robison saw himself — and the world.

Look Me in the Eye is the moving, darkly funny story of growing up with Asperger's at a time when the diagnosis simply didn't exist. A born storyteller, Robison takes you inside the head of a boy whom teachers and other adults regarded as "defective," who could not avail himself of KISS's endless supply of groupies, and who still has a peculiar aversion to using people's given names (he calls his wife "Unit Two"). He also provides a fascinating reverse angle on the younger brother he left at the mercy of their nutty parents — the boy who would later change his name to Augusten Burroughs and write the bestselling memoir Running with Scissors.

Ultimately, this is the story of Robison's journey from his world into ours, and his new life as a husband, father, and successful small business owner — repairing his beloved high-end automobiles. It's a strange, sly, indelible account — sometimes alien, yet always deeply human.
Review:
"'Robison's thoughtful and thoroughly memorable account of living with Asperger's syndrome is assured of media attention (and sales) due in part to his brother Augusten Burroughs's brief but fascinating description of Robison in Running with Scissors. But Robison's story is much more fully detailed in this moving memoir, beginning with his painful childhood, his abusive alcoholic father and his mentally disturbed mother. Robison describes how from nursery school on he could not communicate effectively with others, something his brain 'is not wired to do,' since kids with Asperger's don't recognize 'common social cues' and 'body language or facial expressions.' Failing in junior high, Robison was encouraged by some audiovisual teachers to fix their broken equipment, and he discovered a more comfortable world of machines and circuits, 'of muted colors, soft light, and mechanical perfection.' This led to jobs (and many hilarious events) in worlds where strange behavior is seen as normal: developing intricate rocket-shooting guitars for the rock band Kiss and computerized toys for the Milton Bradley company. Finally, at age 40, while Robison was running a successful business repairing high-end cars, a therapist correctly diagnosed him as having Asperger's. In the end, Robison succeeds in his goal of 'helping those who are struggling to grow up or live with Asperger's' to see how it 'is not a disease' but 'a way of being' that needs no cure except understanding and encouragement from others. (Sept.)' Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)"

Unstrange Minds by Richard Grinker

Selected as Library Journal Best Books, 2007 (will appear in LJ December issue):

Anthropologist Grinker’s affecting investigation communicates a much-needed truth: autism is both a disease (biological) and an illness, i.e., a life-altering experience completely at odds with society. Hope then comes like a bullet via vignettes of parents from America to Korea who’ve adapted to their children’s “unstrange” worldviews. (LJ 1/07)
http://www.unstrange.com/

Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism, by actress Jenny McCarthy
Read about Jenny’s journey and see pictures of the author and her son on Oprah’s website

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200709/20070918/slide_20070918_350_101.j...

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp donned "the baby whisperer" by NY Times. See NY Times review. "In his latest book, “The Happiest Toddler on the Block,” Dr. Karp tries to teach parents the skills to communicate with and soothe tantrum-prone children. In doing so, however, he redefines what being a toddler means. In his view, toddlers are not just small people. In fact, for all practical purposes, they’re not even small Homo sapiens." See full article below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05well.html?ex=1361509200&en=8a...