Day One & Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers

Ted Cheltoni, 12, has a good friend, a great girlfriend, and would have a pretty normal life if it weren’t for his little brother, Harry. Harry’s not bad on purpose, but Ted would sure like to fix the kid up so everybody would stop asking him to undo Harry’s hyperactive, outrageous behavior. The tension at home gets so bad that Ted’s afraid his parents will get divorced. One day, after Harry finds out he’s suspended from school and kicked off the bus for the following week, Ted finds him packing to leave home. Ted knows he has to do something, and quick, to help his little brother.

Kids with sensory processing disorder SPD may seem unduly sensitive to physical sensations, light, and sound, and they may react strongly to sensory events that adult and other children take in stride or totally ignore. SPD can make it hard for kids to do well in school, participate in social events, and live peaceably with other family members. Until now there have been only limited resources for parents of kids with this condition, but in this book a child advocate and child psychologist offer this comprehensive guide to parenting a child with SPD and integrating his or her care with the needs of the whole family.

The book introduces SPD and offers an overview of what it means to advocate for a child with the condition. It describes a range of activities that help strengthen family relationships, improve communication about the disorder, and deal with problem situations and conditions a child with SPD may encounter. Throughout, the book stresses the importance of whole-family involvement in the care of a child with SPD, especially the roles fathers play in care-giving. Many of the book’s ideas are illustrated with case stories that demonstrate how the book’s ideas can play out in daily life.

It is a parent’s deepest heartache: watching a child struggle in life, desperate to help. When Katherine Cunningham’s daughter Tricia (“Tiger”) is diagnosed with dyslexia, roadblocks appear at every turn, and the entire family is forced to create its own solutions.

“Disabilities can be ‘nuisances,’ but … differences are good. They add to the richness of our world.” This illustrated book explores both physical and learning disabilities. You’ll also learn how many famous historical figures had disabilities and succeeded despite them.

It’s report card day — the most dreaded day in Hank’s school year. And when Hank gets his grades, they’re his worst nightmare come true: a D in spelling, a D in reading, a D in math. After school, Hank and his friends go to his mom’s deli. His mom is on the prowl — she knows a report card day when she sees one. Hank tries to stall her, but she’s going for his backpack. He’s cornered. Hank hands the report card off to his friend Frankie, who gives it to his friend Ashley, who gives it to Robert, who puts it into a meat grinder! Hank watches as his Ds are ground into a big salami, and this particular salami is being made for a very important client. How will Hank get out of this one?

As any parent, teacher, coach, or caregiver of a learning disabled child knows, every learning disability has a social component. The ADD child constantly interrupts and doesn’t follow directions. The child with visual-spatial issues loses his belongings. The child with a nonverbal communication disorder fails to gesture when she talks. These children are socially out of step with their peers, and often they are ridiculed or ostracized for their differences. A successful social life is immeasurably important to a child’s happiness, health, and development.