HealthyBooks will continue to be online and available to users, although not updated. Read more…
I Have a Question about Divorce: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs ISBN: 9781785927874
Gaines, Arlen Grad and Polsky, Meredith Englander
Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2018
Explaining divorce and separation to a child is never easy, and when the child is on the autism spectrum or has other special needs, the task is even harder. This book will provide the much needed help. Illustrated with 'SymbolStix', a symbol-based language for visual thinkers, the matching text should go far to helping understanding. The format is a simple one. A child, who has just been told his parents are going to divorce, has lots of questions to ask - not all of them easily answered. He or she (the pictures are gender neutral) likes things to be normal and routines to be absolute, and it is apparent that the divorce will cause some interruption of this. Eleven different questions follow, such as, What does it mean that my parents are getting a divorce? Why are my parents getting a divorce? and What about my stuff - my clothes, my bed, my toys? What if I forget something that is special at one house, and I am already at my other house? The answers are simple, honest and forthright, but also understanding and gentle. Notice is taken of the fact that some things will be difficult, and that the child may 'need to be flexible when things don't go exactly as planned'. A child would not have to have special needs in order to get a great deal out of this story, and it certainly could be of use either in school or at home. There are two pages of suggestions for parents and caregivers at the back, and a much shortened picture story is given for children who like to use visual aids and those who prefer to read the book and think about it on their own. A well- thought-out book with big use possibilities. Available from Amazon, from book shops, and from the publisher: www.jkp.com.
Age: 6+