Intrigued by a book in the Harried Parent's Book Club, or want to learn more about a subject that's covered? Read more about it through excerpts from the books below. Choose from this index listed alphabetically by book, or go to an alternate index listed by excerpt title.
11. Book: The Floppy Sleep Game Book
Cover image courtesy of Patti Teel
Author: Patti Teel
Excerpt Title: "Guided Relaxation for Children With Special Needs"
Quote: "It's very important to practice relaxation in a fun, imaginative way. The last thing you want your child to think is that relaxation is "just one more thing to do." After all, relaxation is not so much doing as it is an undoing, or a letting go." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Guided Relaxation for Children With Special Needs"
Quote: "It's very important to practice relaxation in a fun, imaginative way. The last thing you want your child to think is that relaxation is "just one more thing to do." After all, relaxation is not so much doing as it is an undoing, or a letting go." ... Go to full excerpt
12. Book: Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome
Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Author: Luke Jackson
Excerpt Title: "Eye Contact"
Quote: "Sometimes it is too hard to concentrate on listening and looking at the same time. People are hard enough to understand as their words are often so very cryptic, but when their faces are moving around, their eyebrows rising and falling and their eyes getting wider then squinting, I cannot fathom all that out in one go, so to be honest I don't even try." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Eye Contact"
Quote: "Sometimes it is too hard to concentrate on listening and looking at the same time. People are hard enough to understand as their words are often so very cryptic, but when their faces are moving around, their eyebrows rising and falling and their eyes getting wider then squinting, I cannot fathom all that out in one go, so to be honest I don't even try." ... Go to full excerpt
13. Book: Freeing Your Child From Negative Thinking
Cover image courtesy of Da Capo Press
Author: Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D.
Excerpt Title: "Disappointment: Containing the Spill and Moving On"
Quote: "For children with a tendency toward the negative, disappointing experiences don't just ruin that one event; they spill over and ruin all surrounding events. The game plan is to help children learn to be more flexible with their expectations so they can be better buffered from any eventuality." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Disappointment: Containing the Spill and Moving On"
Quote: "For children with a tendency toward the negative, disappointing experiences don't just ruin that one event; they spill over and ruin all surrounding events. The game plan is to help children learn to be more flexible with their expectations so they can be better buffered from any eventuality." ... Go to full excerpt
14. Book: Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child
Cover image courtesy of Firefly Books
Authors: Dr. Brian W. McCrindle and James G. Wengle
Excerpt Title: "Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child"
Quote: "Criticizing your child about their poor eating choices or their lack of activity will often backfire and could lead them to resent healthier eating and physical activity. Instead, praise and applaud them when they make healthier food choices and when they get involved in any physical activity. Always offer healthy options to less healthy food choices and periods of inactivity, but never criticize." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child"
Quote: "Criticizing your child about their poor eating choices or their lack of activity will often backfire and could lead them to resent healthier eating and physical activity. Instead, praise and applaud them when they make healthier food choices and when they get involved in any physical activity. Always offer healthy options to less healthy food choices and periods of inactivity, but never criticize." ... Go to full excerpt
15. Book: Helping Children With Complex Needs Bounce Back
Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Authors: Kim Aumann and Angie Hart
Excerpt Title: "Wanted - Parents to Raise Children With Complex Needs"
Quote: "Dedicated adults needed to work in a busy, demanding and fraught working environment. This is a long-term position so you must have staying power, excellent communication skills and the ability to plan and organize family life for everyone. No previous experience required but you will need to be a good negotiator, determined to make the most of things, and have an excellent sense of humor." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Wanted - Parents to Raise Children With Complex Needs"
Quote: "Dedicated adults needed to work in a busy, demanding and fraught working environment. This is a long-term position so you must have staying power, excellent communication skills and the ability to plan and organize family life for everyone. No previous experience required but you will need to be a good negotiator, determined to make the most of things, and have an excellent sense of humor." ... Go to full excerpt
16. Book: How to Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies
Cover image courtesy of Plumtree Press
Author: Linda Marienhoff Coss
Excerpt Title: "Getting Food Allergy Information From Manufacturers"
Quote: "If you have any doubts or questions whatsoever as to whether or not a particular product is safe for your child, contact the manufacturer to discuss the product's ingredients and the possibility of cross-contamination with other products. Do this before you feed the item to your child." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Getting Food Allergy Information From Manufacturers"
Quote: "If you have any doubts or questions whatsoever as to whether or not a particular product is safe for your child, contact the manufacturer to discuss the product's ingredients and the possibility of cross-contamination with other products. Do this before you feed the item to your child." ... Go to full excerpt
17. Book: I Am Potential
Cover image courtesy of Da Capo Press
Authors: Patrick Henry Hughes, With Patrick John Hughes and Bryan Stamford
Excerpt Title: "When Life Knocks You on the Ground, You Pick Yourself Up and Move On"
Quote: "Something inside her had reached the boiling point, and it just had to come out. 'You know what?' she cried. 'I'm strong! I'm facing challenges people can't even imagine, and I'm coping. I am handling it. Maybe my son is not progressing like other children, and maybe he won't be a star athlete or a great brain surgeon someday. Maybe he'll never even reach the lofty perch of being average, like all the rest. But I'll tell you this ... he'll be everything he's able to be.'" ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "When Life Knocks You on the Ground, You Pick Yourself Up and Move On"
Quote: "Something inside her had reached the boiling point, and it just had to come out. 'You know what?' she cried. 'I'm strong! I'm facing challenges people can't even imagine, and I'm coping. I am handling it. Maybe my son is not progressing like other children, and maybe he won't be a star athlete or a great brain surgeon someday. Maybe he'll never even reach the lofty perch of being average, like all the rest. But I'll tell you this ... he'll be everything he's able to be.'" ... Go to full excerpt
18. Book: IDEA 2004
Cover image courtesy of Shelley Smith
Author: Shelley Smith
Excerpt Title: "The Seven Deadliest Special-Education Sins"
Quote: "Program Rigidity: The district's programs must be flexible enough to meet the needs of all children regardless of need. District must meet the student's needs whether or not it currently offers a particular program." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "The Seven Deadliest Special-Education Sins"
Quote: "Program Rigidity: The district's programs must be flexible enough to meet the needs of all children regardless of need. District must meet the student's needs whether or not it currently offers a particular program." ... Go to full excerpt
19. Book: Kids in the Syndrome Mix
Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Author: Martin L. Kutscher, M.D.
Excerpt Title: "Keep It Calm"
Quote: "Head off big fights before they begin. When things start going badly, redirect to a positive direction rather than criticizing the misbehavior. For example, if the child is arguing with a peer, then suggest a new activity such as having a snack, rather than handing out a punishment." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Keep It Calm"
Quote: "Head off big fights before they begin. When things start going badly, redirect to a positive direction rather than criticizing the misbehavior. For example, if the child is arguing with a peer, then suggest a new activity such as having a snack, rather than handing out a punishment." ... Go to full excerpt
20. Book: Late, Lost, and Unprepared
Cover image courtesy of Woodbine House
Authors: Joyce Cooper-Kahn, Ph.D., and Laurie Dietzel, Ph.D.
Excerpt Title: "Strategies to Help a Child Who Has Trouble Taking Notes in Class"
Quote: "Accommodate working memory weaknesses by providing reasonable supports. For students with weak working memories, it can be very difficult to listen for learning and to write at the same time. For these students, taking notes may impede learning, and the notes that they do take are likely to be incomplete." ... Go to full excerpt
Excerpt Title: "Strategies to Help a Child Who Has Trouble Taking Notes in Class"
Quote: "Accommodate working memory weaknesses by providing reasonable supports. For students with weak working memories, it can be very difficult to listen for learning and to write at the same time. For these students, taking notes may impede learning, and the notes that they do take are likely to be incomplete." ... Go to full excerpt
