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OFSTED inspection February 2025

The school has effective approaches to supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When pupils need extra support, the school swiftly identifies what they need. Working with external agencies, the school provides guidance for staff about how best to support these pupils. Staff follow the guidance and design learning activities that typically enable pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum well.

Inspection of Renhold VC Primary School

February 2025

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SEND at Renhold

At Renhold VC Primary School, we have a nurturing home-from-home environment where our Christian values build and reinforce the connections between all members of the Renhold family. We embrace, accept and celebrate all in our diverse school community; all have the ability to thrive and achieve.

Renhold is an inclusive, mainstream school in which the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every young person matters. Our passionate staff support children in finding and fulfilling their talents in an environment where they learn and grow, whatever their circumstances. We embrace the fact that every child is different, and therefore the educational needs of every child are different; this is certainly the case for children with SEND. We believe in participation and equal opportunities for all. We ensure that all pupils are equally valued by having equal access to a broad, balanced  and ambitious curriculum which is differentiated and scaffolded to meet individual needs and abilities

It is the school’s policy to welcome children with special educational needs.  It is estimated that 20% of children will have a special educational need at some time during their school career, be it short or long term.  This may be a need for extra help in a specific subject like reading or may be an emotional difficulty following, for example, a bereavement.  Renhold VC Primary School is committed to integrating children with special educational needs.  It also has a policy of positive intervention for any child experiencing difficulties in any area of the curriculum.  The staff at Renhold Primary School is trained and experienced in many types of special needs teaching and has developed resources and methods to help children who are beginning to fail.  If in-school resources prove to be insufficient there are outside agencies to call upon such as the Learning Support Service who provide specialised advice and have access to a variety of diagnostic tests.  If extra support is required above and beyond that available through the school budget your child may be required to undergo formal assessment so that an EHCP may be issued.  This enables your child to receive extra non-teaching or teaching support in the classroom, which is financed by the Local Education Authority.  It is reviewed every year and the child will be de-statemented when the support is no longer required.  There are strict regulations about the statementing procedure, so if you wish to know more please come and see the Headteacher.

Any problems experienced by your child will be discussed with parents as soon as possible so that we can work as a partnership to help overcome them.

The named Link Governor for Special Educational Needs is Mrs Natasha Williams, and the Special Needs Co-ordinator for the staff is Mrs Polson.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding any aspect of our Special Needs provision then please contact the school who will be happy to discuss these with you.

TEL: 01234 771724

senco@renhold.beds.sch.uk

office@renhold.beds.sch.uk

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Special Educational Needs Policy Sept 2025

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PDA Society - Pathological Demand Avoidance

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The PDA Society created these ‘What helps?’ guides to provide helpful and practical information to make life easier for PDAers and those around them. If

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NHS Children and Young People Health Services provided across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy Service

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Speech and Language Therapy service for children and young people between 0 and 19 years old living in Bedfordshire and Luton. We provide advice, help and support for children and young people who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, swallowing and feeding.

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Autism Bedfordshire are an independent charity dedicated to improving the lives of autistic people and their families across Bedfordshire.

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Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for autistic children and young people. We stand with autistic children, young people and their families to champion rights, campaign for change and create opportunities.

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What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour and concentration.

Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go. Some people with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity; this used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD), though the term in no longer used officially.

ADHD is not a mental illness or a learning disability, though children and young people with ADHD may also have other conditions or experience mental health problems.

Living with ADHD can be very challenging, for children and young people as well as for their parents and carers. But the right diagnosis, treatment and support can make a big difference to a child's learning, life skills and relationships, as well as making family life easier. There is also lots you can do as a parent/carer to help your child manage the things they find difficult.

What are the most common symptoms of ADHD?

A child with ADHD may be:

easily distracted, finding it difficult to start or finish tasks

often unable to concentrate

often restless or fidgety

very talkative, often interrupting or blurting things out

impulsive, acting before considering consequences, prone to taking risks

easily angry or frustrated, struggling to deal with emotions

finding making or maintaining friendships difficult

disorganised, for instance often losing things or being late

lacking awareness of time

Every child or young person with ADHD is individual and they may not display all of these behaviours. And many of these traits and behaviours are typical in younger children, or can follow a traumatic experience - they don't necessarily mean your child has ADHD.

Age and gender can also affect how someone with ADHD behaves. This can make it harder to spot signs of ADHD, particularly in girls, who are more likely to be undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed with other conditions.

Typically the symptoms of ADHD develop in early childhood and they may become particularly noticeable at times of significant change, such as starting or changing school.

What to do if you think your child might have ADHD

If your child frequently experiences some of these symptoms and it's affecting their day-to-day life, discuss your concerns with your child's GP. Before doing this, talk to your child's teacher and the school special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about what they have noticed.

The GP may want to refer your child for assessment, as ADHD can only be diagnosed by a specialist such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Sometimes parents are reluctant to pursue assessment. They may be worried about 'labelling' their child or about stigma, or they may prefer to watch and wait. These feelings are normal. But parents and young people who do seek diagnosis can find it helps them access the right support; understand and manage challenges; and identify individual strengths.

We have more information about getting support from the GP, CAMHS or school in our guide.

ADHD diagnosis, support and treatment

ADHD assessment is usually done through the specialist Children and Young People's Mental Health Services, commonly referred to as CAMHS.

Diagnosis is most commonly made in childhood, and in the majority of cases, symptoms affecting daily life continue into adulthood.

There is no single, definitive test for ADHD. Specialists will base clinical diagnosis on a combination of observations of your child; discussions and questionnaires (with you and your child); and information from your child's school.

They will consider how long the symptoms have been present; their impact on your child's daily life; and whether they might be due to another condition. The NHS states that approximately 60-80% of children with ADHD have at least one other condition (such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, anxiety or behaviour problems), and your child may be given more than one diagnosis.

Support and treatment options

You and your child should be offered support and advice to help manage ADHD in their day-to-day life.

ADHD can also be treated with medication and/or therapies. These should be discussed with you when your child is diagnosed, and are set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ADHD.

ADHD can be treated with therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). For more information about therapy, see our parent guide to counselling and therapy.

There are a number of types of medication. These are not a cure for ADHD, and many children do not take them, but they can help manage some of the symptoms. Medication must be prescribed and overseen by a specialist.

You may also be offered ADHD -focussed parent training. This does not mean your parenting is somehow wrong. It is designed to provide support and specific strategies and skills to help you and your child thrive.

Jack is still perennially late, disorganised and impulsive; but he's also energetic, original and creative. The medication is helping him make the most of all of that.

What you can do to support your child with ADHD

Be explicit and consistent about unacceptable behaviour, such as violence. Set appropriate consequences and follow them through, but try to stay calm in the moment to avoid escalation. Dealing with challenging behaviour can be very hard, and our parent guide has helpful advice.

Plan the day so your child knows what to expect. Maintaining regular sleep patterns, physical activity and mealtimes can help your child. Some people find dietary change and/or certain supplements helpful. But the NHS states that there is no clinical evidence for this, and medical advice should be sought first. Our young person's guide has helpful advice on sleep problems.

The impact of ADHD on your child's mental health

Any child or young person can struggle with their mental health and wellbeing, whether or not they have ADHD. This might be caused by things like family change, bullying, exam stress or a traumatic event.

But having ADHD may also mean your child has extra challenges - such as social difficulties, struggling to manage their emotions or getting into trouble at school - that leave them more vulnerable to low self-esteem, anxiety or depression.

Children and young people with ADHD frequently have other developmental or mental health conditions and it is important to ensure they have the appropriate support for these.

As a parent there is a lot you can do to support your child with their wellbeing and mental health:

encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling with you. Our starting a conversation guide has ideas for keeping communication open

if you feel your child may have a mental health problem or another condition alongside ADHD, discuss your concerns with their GP or ADHD specialist.

Working with school if your child has ADHD

ADHD is a special education need (SEN), and it may be referred to as a specific learning difference (SpLD). Your child is entitled to appropriate support to help them thrive socially and educationally. This could include potential adjustments in certain situations, such as extra time or rest breaks for exams, movement breaks in lessons, written instructions for tasks and a seating plan that minimises distractions.

Discuss the diagnosis and needs with the school's SENCO, taking a list of your concerns and background information to the meeting.

Your child may be entitled to an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) which details the support they need and how it will be provided. (The National Autistic Society has helpful information about EHC plans.)

Good communication between you and school can be really helpful in ensuring your child thrives in education and meets their potential. Our parent guide to support has more advice on talking to school or college.

ADHD in teenagers and beyond

If your child is a teenager or young person, their needs and the support you give may well be different from when they were younger. They may like to read our young person's guide to ADHD and mental health. But there are still many ways you can help.

Looking after your own wellbeing

Parenting a child with ADHD can sometimes be isolating, upsetting or exhausting. Sometimes parents feel judged or blamed by others (unjustifiably as parenting does not cause ADHD). It is entirely understandable if you are finding things difficult.

It's important to recognise the impact the situation is having on you, and think about ways you can take care of yourself - including getting support from other people so that you can take some time off. It's okay to ask for help when you need it, and to share your worries with someone you trust. We have advice on looking after yourself as well as your child.

Our son's challenging behaviour with ADHD had an enormous impact on the whole family, as we and his brothers bore the brunt of his anger.

Where to get further support

If you would to speak to a professional adviser or find out more about how you can support your child, these organisations can help.
While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

This page was reviewed in March 2022. It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with ADHD. We will next review the page in 2025. YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK - the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.
Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you'd like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

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ADHD Support For Your Child | Parents Advice Guide

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If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, read our tips on what you can do to support them, how to get a diagnosis and where to find help.

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Training round up for parents/carers | Bedford Local Offer

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If your child has dysgraphia, these tools and apps can make writing easier. Your child may already use some of them at school, but it can help to have them at home, too. Most tools are sold in online catalogs for occupational therapists.

A pencil grip fits over the pencil to position the thumb, index, and middle finger correctly. Grasping the pencil properly lets your child write more neatly and more quickly without their hand muscles getting so tired.

There are many types of pencil grips, so it's important to know what your child's specific needs are. If your grade-schooler wraps their thumb around their index finger, for instance, there's one with built-in guards. The guards may make it easier for your child's fingers to remain in the correct position.

You can find pencil grips at office supply stores, but they may not provide enough finger support for kids with dysgraphia. To find the right pencil grip for your child, you may need to look in online catalogs aimed at occupational therapists.

Writing on a slanted surface allows your child's wrist to extend while the fingers flex and naturally fall into a better writing position. Instead of using a slant board, your child can use a three-inch three-ring binder turned sideways. A rubber band can keep papers from slipping off.

This paper has a rough surface along the lines to provide tactile cues that can help your child stay within the lines. The physical "bump" gives sensory information on how big to make the letters.

The lower half of the writing area (below the dotted line) is highlighted, indicating how high the lowercase letters should go. This can help kids learn how to form letters of the correct size. You can order the paper from a catalog in a variety of colors. Or you can make your own with a highlighter.

A graphic organizer is a visual way of breaking writing projects down into smaller steps. It lets your child note key details for almost any kind of writing assignment without worrying about paragraphs, topic sentences, or transitions. As kids brainstorm, they can jot down ideas in the visual framework. Then, when they go to write, they'll have a starting point.

Graphic organizers come in many types. They can look like a Venn diagram, a flow chart, or an ice cream cone (for younger kids). You can find many free templates online.

Handwriting without tears

This writing program gives explicit instruction on how to form letters using multisensory strategies. Letters are grouped by similar strokes using top-to-bottom, left-to-right sequencing. For example, kids learn the six "magic c" letters (c, a, d, g, q, o) as a group. That way they get lots of practice doing the same beginning movement, which builds muscle memory.

This iPad app for beginning writers comes from Handwriting Without Tears. Kids use their fingers to practice forming letters and numbers on the screen. When your child is ready, your child can switch to using a stylus.

With Wet-Dry-Try, your child can use a virtual slate chalkboard for writing capital and lowercase letters and numbers. The app also has personalized audio coaching. An Android version of the app is currently in development.

There are a number of free iPad apps that let kids complete paper worksheets on a tablet. Two examples are PaperPort Notes and SnapType (developed by an occupational therapist).

Here's how these apps work: Kids take a photo of their worksheet. They tap on the screen where they want to add text and type in their answers. If the worksheet is multiple choice or fill-in-the blank, they can use their finger to write in words or circle the answer. When they're finished, they can print out the photo of the worksheet.

Android users can try Samsung Galaxy Note5, which allows you to do similar things. You can upload an image of a worksheet from your camera roll and then, using a text box, write on it with your finger or a stylus.

Understood does not endorse or receive financial compensation for the sale of any of these products.

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Dysgraphia Tools and Apps | Help With Writing | Handwriting Practice

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Find out how to make the writing process easier for kids with dysgraphia. Pencil grips, graphic organizers, apps, and more can make it easier to write.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We are Speech and Language UK - we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 1.7 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feel like an impossible hurdle.

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BEDFORDSHIRE & LUTON SERVICES CHUMS currently delivers nine services across Luton & Bedfordshire, although not all are available in both areas. Supporting children and young people is at the heart of everything we do, and we are passionate about supporting as many children and young people as we can.

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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British Sign Language for Beginners | Free Resources & Online Course

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Learn British Sign Language with our free A–Z BSL dictionary, daily signs and printable resources for schools and families, plus a CPD-certified online course.

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#TEAM
#Together Everyone Achieves More

Please watch our video to find out more about us and what we do.

Summer of SEND Activities 2023

WHAT WE DO

Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum (BBPCF) works alongside Bedford Borough Council (BBC) and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) as a strategic partner and critical friend.

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The Forum has built strong working relationships and have a trusted role as parent carers of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 in Bedford Borough..

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We are experts by experience and as such, have a unique understanding of how challenging life can be raising a child or young person with SEND.

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We do this by giving parent carers the opportunity to participate in a number of ways such as coffee events, conferences, social media, surveys and focus groups. This feedback can then be used to co-produce and work at a strategic level with the Local Authorities and the ICB.

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We also offer training to empower our members.

WHAT IS A PARENT CARER FORUM?

A Parent Carer Forum is a group of parents and carers of children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who work with local authorities, education settings, health providers and other providers to make sure that the services they commission, plan and deliver meet the needs of disabled children and families.

BBPCF was formed in October 2012 and we have had a Steering Committee since May 2013. To meet the members of our Steering Committee please click here

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Parent Carer participation is when parent carers and professionals work together, recognising each others expert knowledge, to make informed decisions about children's services that make the best use of people's time and money.

Membership is open to any family members or carers of any child or young adult with special educational needs or a disability, up to the age of 25 years and who live in or access services in Bedford Borough. You do not have to have a diagnosis to become a member, please complete our membership form here.

Practitioners from the voluntary and statutory sectors can become associate members. Associate members will be kept up to date with BBPCF's latest events and will be able to attend some events, where it is appropriate. To become an Associate Member please click here .

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Home | Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum

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Parent Carer feedback on SEND Services in Bedford Borough for children age 0-25.

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Check out our website here ! We provide a vibrant and empowering support service to young people. we offer educational and fun opportunities, developing self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

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Family Hubs and Children’s Centres | Bedford Borough Council

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A collection of free videos and downloadable worksheets to help adult learners improve reading, writing and numeracy skills.

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Welcome...
to skillsworkshop, the home of free adult literacy, numeracy and Functional Skills resources since 2001.
The site was redeveloped in 2011 and had a major upgrade in September 2018 to reflect the Reformed Functional Skills that took effect the following year. New items are added regularly and there are now more than 2300 free Functional Skills and Skills for Life resources.

The about pages describe the history of the site, the benefits of registration, and explain how you can contribute.

Using this site

NEW Our Tag Clouds are back if you want to browse our most popular topics and categories.

The site has a powerful faceted search function: try typing something into the "Search" box at the top right of every page and then filter by author and type (resource or external link).

To look for specific curriculum topics in a given subject area use the tabs at the top of every page, such as the blue Maths tab. Then use the Maths search box (left hand side) and/or filter the resource list by level, maths topic and/or resource type.

You can see our 500+ resource contributors and follow the links to their information pages to see lists of all the resources they've contributed.

Latest Resources & Links is a chronological list (2022-2001) of all our items. The News page has all the latest site information and Recent Changes has details of updated site content.

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to skillsworkshop, the home of free adult literacy, numeracy and Functional Skills resources since 2001. The site was redeveloped in 2011 and had a major upgrade in September 2018 to reflect the Reformed Functional Skills that took effect the following year.

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A strategy used by some autistic people, to appear non-autistic. This can have a devastating impact on mental health, sense of self and access to an autism diagnosis.

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Dr Dora Raymaker, Research Assistant Professor at Portland State University, discusses research exploring autistic people's experiences of autistic burnout. This includes what autistic burnout feels like, why it might happen and what can be done to prevent it.
Autistic people often talk about autistic burnout as a source of distress, but it's just starting to be recognised in wider conversations. Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) conducted a qualitative study to better understand and define autistic burnout (Raymaker et al. 2020). The study involved interviews with autistic adults and analysis of public internet sources.

Definition of autistic burnout

From what we learned we created the following definition of autistic burnout.

Autistic burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate supports. It is characterised by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.

Characteristics and impact

The research participants describe the experience of autistic burnout as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. They described it as affecting every part of their lives and lasting for long periods of time. Many first experienced autistic burnout during puberty, graduation from secondary education, or at other times of transition and changes in developmental expectations.

Autistic burnout had many negative effects on their lives. Many highlighted difficulties with their health, especially their mental health. They talked about struggling with independent living, loss of self-belief, and being frightened that the loss of skills from the autistic burnout might be permanent. They also talked about a lack of empathy from neurotypical people, who had difficulty understanding or relating to the autistic person's experiences. Some people related an increase in suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviour.

Reasons why autistic burnout might occur

People described a collection of life stressors.

Masking their autistic traits, for example by suppressing autistic behaviours, pretending to be non-autistic, or working very hard to act in a non-autistic way.

Difficult or unreachable expectations from family, school, work, or society in general.

Stress from living in a world not set up to accommodate autistic people, for example managing the stress of having to be in noisy environments.

Life-changes and transitions that are stressful for anyone, for example transitioning from school to work, experiencing a mental health crisis, or the death of someone close.

They also described barriers to getting support or relief from the stress.

Gaslighting or dismissal when attempting to describe the autistic burnout, for example being told that everyone has these experiences, that they just need to try harder, or that they are making it up.

Poor boundaries or self-advocacy with respect to saying no, taking a break, or asking for help. This may be due to trauma, fear, lack of assistance in learning how, and a history of negative responses from others when they tried.

Inability to take a break from stress that is so pervasive ("How do you take a break from life?").

Insufficient external resources and supports, for example inadequate disability services, lack of useful social support.

Together, the life stressors contributed to a cumulative load of stress and the barriers to support meant they were unable to get relief from the stress. At some point, the expectations on the person far exceeded anything they were able to do. Every part of them gave up and autistic burnout resulted. Or, as one study participant summarised:

''Autistic burnout is a state of physical and mental fatigue, heightened stress, and diminished capacity to manage life skills, sensory input, and/or social interactions, which comes from years of being severely overtaxed by the strain of trying to live up to demands that are out of sync with our needs.''

Reducing or Preventing Autistic Burnout

Participants told us about ways that they found to relieve or prevent their autistic burnout, and advice they have for others.

Acceptance and support - interacting with others who could accept them for who they were, without any need to masking or pretend. This could be one-on-one with family members or friends; on a community level of groups with accepting cultures; or on a peer level, especially finding other autistic people who could validate their experiences and offer information and emotional/social support from lived experience.

Being autistic - attending to autistic needs like stimming and spending time with intense interests and comfort items, unmasking, using autistic strengths or doing things in an autistic way.

Formal supports - receiving reasonable adjustments at school or work, physical support like someone to provide groceries, and mental health support.

Reduced load - taking time off, more breaks, reducing social activity or other types of more stressful activities.

Self-advocacy and health - learning how to set healthy boundaries and expectations from others, and what to do when others aren't respecting boundaries. Learning how to ask for help in a way others might be responsive to, and leading as healthy a lifestyle as possible (for example participants described how exercising, sleeping, eating well, and doing things that made them happy helped them out of autistic burnout once they had enough energy to do them).

Self-knowledge - learning how to recognise and act on the early signs of autistic burnout (for example by cancelling social plans to have more rest), having an autism diagnosis, and understanding one's own patterns of behaviour and feelings.

Recommendations and next steps

We recommend increasing awareness about autistic burnout, and connecting with the autistic community and peers that understand autistic burnout. The experiences of people who describe being in a state of autistic burnout should be validated, whether they use the term or not. We recommend that therapists and clinicians learn to recognise autistic burnout in clients and offer strategies for relief.

In general, we recommend others be aware of the potential dangers of teaching autistic people to mask or suppress their autistic traits. Suicide prevention programs may want to consider the potential role of burnout. We strongly support interventions to decrease the discrimination and stigma associated with autism and disability in society, and to improve access to reasonable adjustments and acceptance.

Though an important start to the conversation, our findings are from a small qualitative study of a non-random sample. They are also limited to autism; we feel that this may be a broader experience of people who experience disability. Therefore we highly recommend more research in this new and urgent area, especially in collaboration with autistic people who can contribute the expertise of their lived experience.

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Dr Dora Raymaker discusses research into autistic burnout

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The SEND Parents Survival Guide is a weekly podcast for special needs parenting. Find episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, or via the provided link. Subscribe to stay up-to-d…

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Anger, Rage and Explosive Outbursts - How to Respond to your Child or Teen

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6 Tips on how to respond to your child, tween, or teen’s anger, rage and explosive outbursts. Get them to behave appropriately even when angered.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a complex neurological and developmental disorder, affects about 1 in 36 children in the United States (CDC, 2020). With such prevalence, understanding and supporting affected individuals are a must for parents, educators, and therapists, particularly in promoting awareness and research into the disorder.

Fortunately, current literature on ASD and autism isn't just diverse and extensive - it's also continually changing. Parents and professionals must then stay informed about new research, knowledge, and insights that influence, even change, the way we think about ASD and autism.

Working with Autistic Individuals

Choosing a career that involves helping kids with autism can be a fulfilling and impactful decision. With the increasing prevalence of autism, there is a great need for professionals trained in this field who can provide support and intervention for children with autism.

Pursuing a degree program in fields such as special education, applied behavior analysis, speech-language pathology, can provide the necessary skills and knowledge to work with this population.

The cost of these degree programs can be a barrier for many students. Fortunately, there are financial scholarships available specifically for students pursuing degrees related to helping kids with autism. These scholarships not only alleviate the financial burden but also recognize the importance and value of this career path.

By receiving a scholarship, students can focus on their education and training, ultimately leading to a brighter future for children with autism.
Additional Resources:
In our curated list of the must-read 20 books on ASD and autism, we strive to provide our readers with diverse perspectives about the disorder. We then included books written by individuals with ASD and autism and their parents and by professionals with extensive experience in the field.

The result: Books that offer inspirational personal stories, practical intervention strategies for parents and professionals, and up-to-date information research into the disorder.

Thinking in Pictures - My Life with Autism

by Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is undoubtedly the poster child, so to speak, for autism and is recognized for her pivotal role in championing neurodiversity movements and autism rights. Her seminal work on autism, Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism, is an insightful memoir that contains her personal experiences with the condition.

Her memoir is considered among the best readings for autism because it also provides practical strategies for people with ASD and their parents and caregivers.

The book contains several sections with clear-cut chapters that offer readers insights into her journey with autism and the ways that it has affected her life. Of particular interest for readers is Grandin's thought processes that, as the title implies, involve thinking in pictures.

Basically, she's a visual thinker who uses her sensory experiences in dealing with the challenges that come with autism in general and her work as an animal behaviorist in particular.

Grandin also discusses the trials and triumphs in her journey with autism, and her experiences are easily relatable for children and adults with the condition, too. Her engaging, inspiring, and clear writing style makes her book accessible to diverse readers, while her triumphs, both on the personal and professional levels, are truly an inspiration.

More importantly, her stern warning about seeking the silver bullet for autism should be heeded! Grandin recommends instead combining different approaches that work for an individual with autism.

Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

by Tony Attwood

Dr. Tony Attwood, a respected clinical psychologist known for his extensive work on Asperger's syndrome and autism, continues to gain widespread recognition for his definitive work on these conditions. Parents and professionals alike attest to the comprehensive coverage that Dr. Attwood provides on these topics in this book.

The chapters are organized into clear and compelling topics that readers will find easy to understand, thanks to their logical progression. These include the causes and indications of Asperger's syndrome, the diagnosis and its impact on both the individual and their parents, and the effect of Asperger's syndrome on the sensory sensitivity, cognitive and language abilities, and movement and coordination skills among affected individuals.

Mental health issues caused by teasing, bullying, and perception of self are also discussed in depth.

Dr. Attwood also offers practical strategies for affected individuals and their parents and therapists in the effective management of their symptoms and the improvement of their quality of life. Inspirational personal stories, objective case studies, and research findings and development make the book suitable for a wide range of readers, too.

Check out the appendices for more information about available resources and tools in the condition.

The Asperger's Children's Toolkit

by Francis Musgrave

Francis Musgrave, the founder and former trustee of AS Active, wrote and illustrated The Asperger's Children's Toolkit with originality, creativity and interactivity in mind. The likable characters in his colorfully illustrated book, such as the Social Scientist, the Sensory Detective, and the Brain Guru, provide readers with practical advice about the challenges that children with Asperger's deal with daily.

There are general strategies and specific tips about dealing with sensory overload, anxiety and social situations, even about handling friendships and family relationships.

The pieces of practical advice are embedded in workable activities and cut-and-keep tools that both children and adults with Asperger's can use. This is among the reasons for its widely recognized features of originality, creativity, and interactivity, as well as an emphasis on the use of positive reinforcement and the focus on positive behavior in building success one activity at a time.

There are no dos and don'ts here, and neither a high-horse, preachy approach toward adults affected by Asperger's nor a condescending tone toward children with the condition.

Plus, we like that it emphasizes fun activities! Dealing with Asperger's shouldn't be burdensome, after all, when uncomfortable experiences can be turned into positive things.

The Loving Push - How Parents & Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adults

by Debra Moore and Temple Grandin

With the personal experiences of Temple Grandin, who's considered a high-functioning, high-achieving individual with autism, and the professional experience of Debra Moore, a clinical psychologist combined, The Loving Push is a must-read for parents, caregivers, and professionals alike.

The book focuses on the transition from childhood to adulthood among individuals with ASD and autism, as well as provides insightful guidance and practical support during each step of the transition period.

The comprehensive coverage makes it a relatively long read, but it's something that committed parents will appreciate, considering the great unknown and pervasive uncertainty that often comes with living with ASD and autism. The childhood-to-adulthood transition covers a wide range of topics, from building life skills vital for independence to fostering positive personal relationships and professional success.

The strategies discussed in the book are, indeed, relatable and achievable because Grandin herself is living proof of their effectiveness! There are several real-life scenarios that adults with autism can relate to and gain insights and inspiration from, and these can be tweaked depending on their unique circumstances.

Grandin also emphasizes that learned helplessness and negative thinking can be overcome, which is a vital skill in learning domestic skills, working for a living, and being part of a community.

The Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism (A Toolbox for Helping Children with Autism Feel Safe, Accepted & Competent)

by Bill Nason

Children with autism struggle with social interactions that make them feel less safe and accepted by their family and friends. Bill Nason's The Autism Discussion Page provides readers with concise yet comprehensive information, simple yet effective tools, and useful insights vital in making children with autism feel safe, accepted, and competent.

The neurotypical readers, including parents, teachers, and professionals, will find easy-to-understand explanations of what it feels like to deal with autism. For example, the discussions on the sensory aspects and the effective ways of self-regulation are useful for parents and children concerned with the impact of anxiety attacks.

Nason's ability to present autism-related information and the ways of understanding and supporting individuals with the condition - clear, concise,, and compassionate while still maintaining a professional tone - is gold in itself, too.

We also love the logical arrangement of the chapters, such as Acceptance and Understanding, Cognitive Issues in Autism, and The Emotional World on the Spectrum.

The Reason I Jump: Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

by Naoki Higashida

When Naoki Higashida wrote The Reason I Jump, he was just a 13-year-old boy struggling with autism. This is his autobiography, a book that gives readers a remarkable view into the mind of a teenager whose perspectives and experiences are like a square peg in a round hole. But he doesn't ask for sympathy, much less pity - only for understanding and acceptance of the uniqueness with which individuals with autism see the world.

Such is the heartfelt writing combined with useful insights that Higashida uses that his book has been translated into several languages; David Mitchell translated the English version. This is a short book, but there's a purpose in every word; although the core message itself may be repetitive, it's also in the repetition that Higashida succeeds in reaching a wider audience.

Several personal anecdotes highlight the mimicry behaviors that children with autism - the goodbye wave is a great example - adopt in their everyday lives, frequently to the bewilderment of neurotypical individuals.

These mimicry behaviors not only result in socially awkward situations but also highlight the misconceptions that both neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals are subject to.

Autism Breakthrough - The Groundbreaking Method That Has Helped Families All Over the World

by Raun K. Kaufman

When he was diagnosed with severe autism at two years old, Raun Kaufman wasn't committed to an institution, as was recommended then. Instead, his parents developed the Son-Rise Program that enabled him to overcome the challenges of severe autism and become a successful adult. His journey is remarkable, too, considering that he was a non-verbal child before his parents' intervention!

He introduces the Son-Rise Program through his book, Autism Breakthrough, and inspires families dealing with autism that, indeed, there's hope. The Son-Rise Program emphasizes the use of intensive one-on-one interactions, building meaningful emotional connections, and adopting unconditional love for children with autism.

Parents, caregivers, and professionals play crucial roles in nurturing progress among children with autism, and these roles encompass the mental, emotional, and social aspects.

Kaufman's book is highly recommended because of its first-hand perspective and his inspiring story. Beware, nonetheless, that the Son-Rise program isn't exactly aligned with the mainstream approach toward autism - its strategies have been labeled controversial and unconventional.

But therein also lies one of its strengths - if you're willing to look at alternative strategies for your child, then it's a good reference.

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism & the Future of Neurodiversity

by Steve Silberman

In the neurodiverse world of autism-specific books, Silberman is an oddity himself! He's neither an individual with autism nor a parent or professional dealing with autism on a daily basis. Instead, he's a well-respected journalist in technology and the digital industry, with his first autism-related article published in 2001 (The Geek Syndrome).

But his work in Neurotribes is considered a must-read, too, among people with autism and parents and professionals involved because of its comprehensive coverage of autism's nature.

Published in 2015, Neurotribes explores the evolution of our contemporary understanding of autism, from its first definition in 1943 as a rare childhood disorder to its current pervasiveness (i.e., one in 68 persons in the United States).

Silberman's gift for the compelling narrative complements his objective journalist's perspective, a combination that results in an informative, engaging and insightful read. His talent for combining diverse perspectives is particularly evident in the diverse opinions that divide parents, advocates and professionals, and persons with autism.

Silberman presents several compelling portrayals of persons with autism and their families that aim to celebrate them, not exclude them from the mainstream societal narrative. He also challenges the preconceived notions of autism and the traditional approaches to its management.

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing & Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder

by Carol Kranowitz

With her 25-year teaching experience, Carol Kranowitz writes The Out-of-Sync Child with useful information and strategies in mind. First published in 1998, it became the basis for the successful Sync series and succeeding editions.

This is particularly useful for parents, caregivers and teachers whose limited awareness of sensory processing difficulties makes them less able to successfully interact with and assist children with a sensory processing disorder.

There are two parts in the book - first, the characteristics of sensory processing disorder and their impact on everyday life, and second, options for effective interventions, including suggestions for coping in home and classroom situations.

Every part is divided into relevant chapters that make it easy for readers to build on their previous knowledge and gain better insights into the disorder. The book also includes other relevant references and resources that parents, teachers and professionals can use to improve their understanding.

Social Skills Picture Book - Teaching Communication, Play & Emotion

by Jed Baker

As Temple Grandin asserts, many persons with autism think in pictures - and that's exactly what Jeb Baker and his The Social Skills Picture Book tap into! The iParenting Media Award winner uses photographs of people involved in a wide range of real-life social scenarios with right-and-wrong comparisons and positive-and-negative consequences clearly portrayed.

Note that while this is a child-appropriate book, parents, teachers and adults must facilitate the discussions related to the social situations portrayed. Children and adults can then engage in role-playing for a better understanding of the specific social situation, as well as for exploring their nuances and reasons.

We love that the instructional picture book covers several social skills, from making conversations to displaying empathy.

The author also ensures that children not only learn the basics of these social skills but also improve on them through follow-up steps. We even recommend it for parents with neurotypical children who want to understand and interact better with children with autism - children, after all, learn from each other.

Early Start for Your Child with Autism - Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate, & Learn

by Sally J. Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, Laurie A. Vismara

Even everyday activities can become learning experiences for children with autism! This is the core message of An Early Start for Your Child with Autism, an American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year awardee. Of course, parents and caregivers of children with autism have crucial roles in the personal, mental, and emotional growth of children with ASD.

Drs. Rogers, Dawson, and Vismara acknowledge the challenges that living with autism brings to affected children and their families. However, their comprehensive approach toward early diagnosis and interventions, practical strategies in turning daily routines into fun learning opportunities, and evidence-based guidance make overcoming these challenges easier.

Since children with autism struggle with social skills, the authors provide parents with clear and concise strategies for fostering their children's social skills, including communication, play and language development.

Parents are also strongly encouraged to collaborate with educators and therapists so that their children can receive personalized attention in line with their autism-related management plan.

Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

by Barry M. Prizant

With his 40-year experience as a researcher and clinician, Dr. Prizant can't be blamed if he takes a clinical approach toward autism and the individuals affected by it. Instead, his book Uniquely Human is a breath of fresh air and breathtakingly simple in its approach!

Prizant advocates for the humanity of people with autism and their ability to live their best lives. Instead of looking at autism as a checklist of deficiencies, we should aid them in the development of their abilities that enable them to take control over their lives.

There's no thrust toward fixing the child, making them comply with neurotypical behaviors, and eliminating the typical signs of autism (e.g., random word repetition, spinning in place, and hand flapping).

In other words, autism is a "different way of being human" - it's neither an illness nor a disorder! With such a mindset, parents, teachers, and therapists can establish and maintain more meaningful connections with children and adults with autism.

The result: Better communication and collaboration that maximizes their potential for improved quality of life.

The Autistic Brain - Thinking Across the Spectrum

by Richard Panek and Temple Grandin

The book partnership between Grandin and Panek makes The Autistic Brain an engaging and informative read, too, thanks to their different yet complementary writing styles and personal perspectives. While Grandin provides profound insights based on her personal experiences with autism, Panek provides compelling narratives that contribute to a better understanding of the condition.

The Autistic Brain dives deeper into the complexities of the brain among persons with autism, as well as discusses the latest research into brain structure and physiology, sensory perception, and genetics in the field.

Like Prizant and Silberman, the co-authors also emphasize that autism isn't exclusively an illness or a disorder. Instead, their focus is on raising awareness that individuals with autism are just that - unique individuals in their own right - and on accepting the neurodiversity within them in particular and among humans in general.

There's also a strong emphasis on considering environmental, contextual, and societal factors when understanding autism and the development of its symptoms. In doing so, individualistic interventions can be created that, hopefully, will be more effective.

No-Drama Discipline - The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos & Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind

by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

The audiobook No-Drama Discipline offers practical strategies for parents, educators, and therapists in calming the chaos, so to speak, which can be a challenge even in the best of times. Children with autism have difficulty dealing with discipline that, in turn, exacerbates tantrums and tensions - and it can be an everyday occurrence that can push every parent and teacher to their limit.

Siegel and Bryson promote whole-brain parenting in the audiobook, an approach that emphasizes understanding child development in the context of brain development.

By understanding the science, parents, teachers, and therapists can create a discipline strategy best suited for every child - and no drama, fuss, or fast-and-furious words are involved either.

The co-authors provide a unique perspective on discipline through strategies based on psychology and neurobiology. Instead of punishment, parents and teachers are encouraged to connect and communicate with children and redirect their energy and emotions toward a positive direction.

By turning reactivity into receptivity, discipline becomes a positive influence on brain development and, thus, on child development. There are step-by-step guides, too, combined with effective strategies, such as getting to their eye level and validating their feelings, which parents and teachers can adopt.

The Autism Adulthood Workbook: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life

by Susan Senator

Nat, the Senator's adult son, was diagnosed with autism as a young boy, so she speaks from personal experience. The Autism Adulthood Workbook is a combination guidebook and self-help book aimed at persons with autism and their families challenged by the childhood-to-adulthood transition.

Readers will benefit from the engaging activities and learning exercises in the workbook, as well as information about the organizations and websites that offer assistance.

There's plenty of practical advice, inspirational anecdotes, and valuable insights in the book that make it an excellent resource. What's more, Senator covers most of the big issues that adults with autism who want independence face in their everyday lives - employment, housing, personal and professional relationships, and finding competent caregivers, among others.

Her emphasis on self-advocacy makes her work even more crucial for adults with autism to go out into the world and find their place.

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism

edited by Shannon Des Roches Rosa, Jennifer Byde Myers, and Liz Ditz

The diversity of experiences, opinions, and ideas regarding autism is as diverse as the persons diagnosed with it and their families. In the Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, such diversity is celebrated in the short personal essays that cover a wide range of topics.

These include rights and advocacy, sensory issues and behavior management, and education and employment, as well as conventional and controversial therapies, meaning the content covers issues concerning both children and adults with autism.

The chapters are organized in systematic order, too, meaning readers can build on their knowledge with each succeeding chapter. Thus, there's a chapter on the first steps after an autism diagnosis, followed by practical advice for parents, caregiving strategies, and therapies, among others.

After the collection of essays, there's a section where more resources, such as books, blogs, and movies, for persons with autism and their parents, can be found.

We want to call attention to the crucial importance of the "Causation and Dubious Therapies" section, too. Parents must be particularly vigilant in using information related to suspicious therapies.

The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules - Handbook of Not-So-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens & Teens with Asperger Syndrome

by Jennifer Cook O'Toole

With middle school and high school-aged teens with autism as its main target audience, The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules offers practical information about the whys and hows of social conventions.

While there are a few questionable suggestions, such as children not questioning adults, the book is a highly recommended primer for tweens and teens who want to improve their social skills. Children and teens alike will also find that many, if not most, of the social situations and conventions they struggle with are covered in the book.

O'Toole herself knows what she's talking about, as she has also been diagnosed with Asperger's. She has been there and done that, but her language and tone in the book demonstrate her empathy, encouragement, and hope for better things ahead for tweens and teens.

We like the "Secret Rule" format, too, which combines informative advice and humor in a conversational style.

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

by Ellen Notbohm

Based on a November 2004 article, the book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew was published in 2005, and it has become a must-read for persons with autism and their parents, teachers, and therapists.

Notbohm succeeds in raising wider awareness and advocacy for autism without being preachy about it, as well as in providing practical strategies that parents can adopt.

In brief, these ten things are:

Behavior is communication in itself

Never make assumptions about anything

Consider possible sensory issues first

Breaks are vital for self-regulation and should be granted even before I need it

Tell me what you want positively and affirmatively instead of giving out orders

Set reasonable expectations

Provide a transition period between activities

Avoid making bad situations even worse

Use gentle criticism

Offer reasonable and real choices

Are you intrigued? Then, you should check out the book! You will find plenty of practical tips for adopting these measures in it.

The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism & Related Disorders

by Mary Lynch Barbera and Tracy Rasmussen

"It takes two to talk." This is the underlying concept in the verbal behavior approach discussed in the book co-authored by Barbera and Rasmussen, and it's aimed at both parents and professionals, such as speech-language pathologists.

The co-authors discuss the complex principles and practices behind the verbal behavior approach in a manner that makes them more understandable and applicable in daily life.

Note that the book mainly targets speech-language pathologists as its primary audience, meaning there may be jargon requiring more reading.

Nonetheless, it's the kind of book that parents committed to their children's growth in their communication skills will find useful. The chapters cover relevant topics in behavior and behavior modification, assessment strategies, and appropriate interventions.

Asperger's Rules!: How to Make Sense of School and Friends

by Blythe Grossberg

Grossberg wrote Asperger's Rules as a workbook that enables children with autism to understand the general unwritten rules of social interactions in school. Children and their parents benefit from the bulleted lists, dialogue trees, and fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice activities dealing with common social scenarios.

There are also brief analyses, goal setting, and demonstrations of appropriate responses that children and parents can practice in role-playing situations.

We love that the pieces of advice Grossberg gives have a straightforward yet solid quality to them, meaning children and teens with autism can apply them in their daily lives. There's more compassion in the discussions and less condescension in the articles, which makes the book such an excellent resource.

In conclusion, these 20 books offer an abundance of useful insights, practical advice, and informative resources that make living with autism, whether as a diagnosed individual, a parent, or an educator using art for therapy, more rewarding.

We must emphasize, however, that with the continuing research into autism and ASD, it's of crucial importance to stay updated and maintain an open mind. In addition, there are many Autism apps that help people with ASD.

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20 Books on Autism and ASD Every Expert (and Parent) Should Read - Grad School Center

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Are you a parent or family member of a child with autism? Do you work around them? Grab the most recommended expert books on autism and ASD!

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One of the most common questions I get is: "One of my kids has ADHD. What books should I read to learn more?" Today, I pulled together my top 10 books on ADHD for parents.

Some of these are highly targeted to ADHD kids. Some of them deal with ADHD in all ages, child through adult. Many of them deal with common co-occuring issues you may have noticed in your child, like sensory processing challenges, pathological demand avoidance, or oppositional defiance disorder. And, I included a couple of parenting books that are written for a general audience, but that I think apply particularly well to mixed-neurotype families.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission for referring you. Please know that I only recommend resources and products that I believe in personally.
My Top 10 Books for Parents to Understand a Child with ADHD

1) 8 Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD by Cindy Goldrich

"Combining expert information with practical, sensitive advice, the eight 'key' concepts here will help parents reduce chaos, improve cooperation, and nurture the advantages―like creativity and drive―that often accompany all of that energy. Herself the mother of an ADHD child, Cindy Goldrich's methods are tested not only in her daily work counseling other parents but also in her own home. Tactics for calm, collaboration, consistency, establishing consequences, and 'parenting the child you have' deliver effective support for out-of-control children and overwhelmed parents alike."

Danielle's note: I would highly recommend this book to folks who are relatively new to what ADHD is, what it looks like, or how to handle and support a child with ADHD. The book is laid out well, easy to understand, and based on the current science and educational psychology of ADHD. I can personally attest that a lot of these methods work astonishingly well.

2) Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser
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" Transforming the Difficult Child brings to life a new way of shifting intense children to a solid life of success. The Nurtured Heart Approach puts a refreshing spin on both parenting and teaching and reveals new techniques and strategies that create thoroughly positive behaviors."

Danielle's note: I have mentioned this book in so many podcast episodes and other recommendation lists now that a lot of you are probably sick of hearing about it. If it's new to you, though, let me just let you read this quote from a review I wrote on Goodreads when I first read it in 2018:
I recommend this book to every family. It saved mine.
"I have one kid who's autistic and one kid who definitely has sensory issues and may very well be diagnosed with more things when she is older (update: combined type ADHD as of 2020). [We struggle with] a lot of defiance, a lot of testing, control issues, high anxiety, many screaming tantrums that can last an hour, etc. I'm autistic with SPD and anxiety too, so we all ended up triggering and exhausting each other, and the older the kids got, the worse it was all getting ... I was at the end of my rope last year, right before she turned 3 years-old, and feeling very hopeless about being able to parent her at all, much less parent her successfully. Nothing I tried worked, a lot of what I tried made things worse, and I was just exhausted and burned out all the time. It was affecting our whole family, and I felt lucky if we made it 5 hours without an hour-long tantrum over something unexpected and insignificant.

[This book] totally saved our lives. I implemented some of the simpler suggestions, like using fewer words and gentle, but direct command-form language, right away, and they worked! It was amazing! She started doing the things I asked her to do at least some of the time! Over time, I was able to change how I was responding to the tantrums and other challenges, and we saw huge progress in my daughter's ability to talk through issues, and tell me what was making her anxious, instead of just immediately tantruming. Since we listen to her and try to work with her to solve the issue once we know what it is, she's begun to have more trust that we're on her side and will help her, and since she feels more connected, her overall behavior is so much better. I would not have been able to make these changes without this book, and I'm really grateful for it."

3) The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene

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The method is similar to those I've seen in other books, but the explanations of what's going on from the child's point of view are superior. The book also has very good, accessible advice for how to apply these methods to neurodivergent kids (ADHD, autism spectrum, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc.), and kids who don't speak, generally assuming that all kids can contribute to identifying and solving their problems themselves, which I deeply appreciate.
"An experienced therapist offers groundbreaking and compassionate techniques for helping chronically inflexible children, who suffer from excessively immoderate tempers, showing how brain-based deficits contribute to these problems and offering positive and constructive ways to calm things down."

Danielle's note: I had already recommended this book to several people even before I'd finished it way back in 2017, and have continued to recommend it widely. The author assumes that kids are doing their best, and that kids who "explode" are missing the skills that help them to adapt to changing situations. The book then offers methods of problem-solving so that parent and child can work together to improve the situation for everyone, reducing tantrums.

4) Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg

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"Chronic disorganization is disorganization that undermines a person's quality of life and recurs despite traditional self-help efforts. Conquering Chronic Disorganization is filled with real-life stories of people who used simple, innovative and fun organizing methods proven in the field to end clutter, mismanagaed time and paper pile-ups in the home or office."
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Danielle's note: This is a slim, older volume that you can often find used. The author, Judith Kolberg, is the founder of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, and her book is full of creative advice for creating and maintaining organizing systems that you and your child can actually use. This book is 100% neurodivergent friendly and there's no shaming here. I love it and recommend it to clients literally every week.

(Bonus Book) Add-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life: Strategies That Work from an Acclaimed Professional Organizer and a Renowned Add Clinician by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau

"A professional organizer and a renowned ADD clinician join forces to present this guide that addresses the unique needs of adults with ADD. It offers organizing advice that ranges from self-help to utilizing the help of nonprofessionals to using professional assistance."

Danielle's note: By the same author as Conquering Chronic Disorganization above, this book is more recent, easier to find and certainly specifically targeted toward ADHD/ ADD folks. I have not personally read this one, but if you can't find the original title, this is probably worth checking out!

5) Reset Your Child's Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time by Victoria Dunckley
Danielle's note: I offer this recommendation with many caveats, so read on: I barely functioned for years because I couldn't keep track of a physical calendar, to do list, phone numbers, addresses. Now I have a smart phone, and I'm not going to claim that it's good for me in the sense that good food and exercise are good for me, but I also couldn't be a person in the world with friends and a marriage and children who are fed and clothed and well-loved without that phone.

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I don't feel like this is a very balanced approach, nor honestly particularly helpful in a society (where educational systems and work environments and even mall directories) depend on screens. But if you're struggling and other approaches haven't worked, you might be exactly the audience for this book.
"Dr. Victoria Dunckley has pioneered a four-week program to treat ... Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS). Dr. Dunckley has found that everyday use of interactive screen devices - such as computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets - can easily overstimulate a child's nervous system, triggering a variety of stubborn symptoms. In contrast, she's discovered that a strict, extended electronic fast single-handedly improves mood, focus, sleep, and behavior, regardless of the child's diagnosis. It also reduces the need for medication and renders other treatments more effective."
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Author Victoria Dunckley wants to claim that all screen time is dangerous, and although she has some science to back her up, most of it is from tiny studies with tiny populations and who knows what funding or controls. Although I agree that extended screen time can dysregulate all of us to some degree, Dunckley really doesn't want to talk about all of the ways that screens (and the apps running on them) are literal lifesavers for a lot of disabled folks.

If you are struggling with your family's screen time, or considering that screens are causing your kids some behavioral issues, read this book, get some ideas, and figure out how to reduce or remove screen time from your day-to-day, whether you use Dunckley's exact plan or not. I do believe that some people, and especially kids, are much more prone to screen addiction and screen-related behavioral issues than others. But is the science behind this overwhelmingly convincing? No. And Dunckley's personal experience, while very valuable, is with an at-risk population with comorbidities, and so can't translate to a general population.

6) How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

"Here is the bestselling book that will give you the know-how you need to be effective with your children. Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals around the world, the down-to-earth, respectful approach of Faber and Mazlish makes relationships with children of all ages less stressful and more rewarding."

Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too (, Danielle's note: This book has been around for almost 40 years, and there's a reason that this is a classic! This is a general book that's not specifically for neurodivergent families, but it has some great tips for working with children who are demand-avoidant, anxious, or rigid. I highly recommend this book to all parents, along with Faber's other classic book, if you have more than one child.

7) Scatterbrain: How the Mind's Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative and Successful by Henning Beck

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" Remember that time you screwed up simple math or forgot the name of your favorite song? What if someone told you that such embarrassing 'brain farts' are actually secret weapons, proof of your superiority to computers and AI?
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In Scatterbrain, we learn that boredom awakens the muse, distractions spark creativity, and misjudging time creates valuable memories, among other benefits of our faulty minds. Throughout, award-winning neuroscientist Henning Beck's hilarious asides and brain-boosting advice make for delightful reading of the most cutting-edge neuroscience our brains will (maybe never) remember."

Danielle's note: Many parents struggle with shame around their neurodivergent traits, and can inadvertently shame their children for those traits as well. It can be easy to become caught up in all the things we can't do, and all the ways we fail. But many of the executive functioning challenges ADHD folks have are just magnified versions of normal brain functioning, not failures at all. I love Scatterbrain for being an accessible, easy-to-understand explainer for why our brains do the things they do. It's a reframe that we all need to hear sometimes.
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8) You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo

"There is much literature about children with Attention Deficit Disorder. This work focuses on the experience of adults with the disorder, combining practical information and moral support. It explains the diagnostic process and distinguishes ADD symptoms from normal lapses in memory, lack of concentrations, and impulse behavior, and addresses: how to achieve balance by analyzing one's strengths and weaknesses; how to get along in groups, at work, and intimate and family relationships - including how to decrease discord and chaos; mechanical aides and methods for getting organized and improving memory; and professional help, including medication and therapy."

Danielle's note: If you're new here, you may not know that I was identified with autism as an adult, after my first child was diagnosed. Many, many neurodivergent adults are learning their identities quite late in life, after a child, friend, or family member is diagnosed. This book is a classic for explaining what ADHD is and what it isn't, and it offers a lot of ideas around treatment options that are helpful for adults as well as children. Like Scatterbrain above, it also offers a much-needed reframe; your "failures" are not happening because you're not trying hard enough! You just don't have the tools you need for success . . . yet.

9) The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz
Buy on Bookshop | Buy on Amazon
" The Out-of-Sync Child broke new ground by identifying Sensory Processing Disorder, a common but frequently misdiagnosed problem in which the central nervous system misinterprets messages from the senses. This newly revised edition features additional information from recent research on vision and hearing deficits, motor skill problems, nutrition and picky eaters, ADHA, autism, and other related disorders."

Danielle's note: Sensory processing disorder, aka sensory integration disorder, sensory overwhelm, or sensory overload, commonly co-occurs with ADHD, ADD, autism, and several other neurodivergent profiles. If you ADHD-er is easily overwhelmed by lights, sounds, or touch, is excessively clumsy, has trouble eating, or stims constantly (ADHD-ers stim too!), they may be dealing with sensory challenges. Read this book and Sensational Kids below, and get an occupational therapist involved as soon as you can. We also have a short explainer on SPD here, with further resources for adults.

Although I haven't had the chance to read this one yet, the same author has also written The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder, and several friends have reported enjoying it. Buy on Bookshop or Amazon.

10) Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Lucy Jane Miller

"Imagine, for a moment, that you are a parent of a child with no visible disability, but whose experiences of everyday life present constant challenges. What may be typical activities for most people-eating, dressing, making friends, taking a spelling test, responding to a hug-are a struggle, often resulting in social, emotional, and academic problems.
This is the bewildering and largely uncharted world of Sensory Processing Disorder-a complex brain disorder affecting one in twenty children. Dr. Lucy Miller, the best-known SPD researcher in the world, is that voice: warm, clear, and upbeat, Dr. Miller identifies the disorder and its four major subtypes, provides insight into assessment and diagnosis, and suggests treatment options and strategies, including the importance of occupational therapy and parental involvement."

Danielle's note: Along with The Out-of-Sync-Child above, this is THE recommended book for parents supporting a child with sensory processing challenges, and if you have an ADHD-er, you probably also have a child with sensory processing challenges.

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My Top 10 Books for Parents to Understand a Child with ADHD

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Danielle Sullivan, a certified parent coach for neurodivergent families, offers 10 of the best books about ADHD for parents to read.

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Autism is still often treated as a taboo topic, so books about autistic children should be essential reading for everyone. People on the autism spectrum might communicate, behave, and learn in ways that are different than others, and their specific behaviours can vary in form.

This list of books for autistic children is split into different categories. There are books for and about autistic kids, many of them about creating and celebrating healthy relationships. Then there are informational books about autism, many of which break down why kids on the spectrum react certain ways. Finally, there are sensory books for autistic children, which provide stimulating visual and tactile sensory experiences as they inform about animals, sounds, emotions, and anything else you can think of. I've noted when the book is written by an autistic author using #OwnVoices.

These books are all aimed at kids 10 years old and under, and for more books aimed at a variety of ages and in different genres, we also have a list of 50+ books about neurodiversity and another shorter list of picture books. While we do our best to actively promote diversity in books and publishing, this list features fewer authors and illustrators of color than we'd like. But as we see with newer titles like Benny Doesn't Like to Be Hugged and My Rainbow, hopefully, more diverse books about autistic children are forthcoming.

Reading Books for Autistic Children

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Easy Chapter Books About Autistic Children For Ages 6-9

Books About Autism

Sensory Books for Children with Autism

I hope that this list gives you and your favorite kiddos something satisfying to read together.

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18 Of The Best Books for Autistic Children | Book Riot

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Autism is still often treated as a taboo topic, so books about autistic children should be essential reading for everyone. People on the autism spectrum might communicate, behave, and learn in ways that are different than others, and their specific behaviours can vary in form.

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There’s lots of fantastic books out there to help parents, teachers and young people learn more about autism in girls. Here’s my top 6 books to learn more about a diagnosis of auti…

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Come along to our FREE coffee mornings/afternoons. It's your chance to have a cuppa, chat with other parents of children with additional needs and to ask questions. 

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Come along to our FREE coffee mornings/afternoons. It's your chance to have a cuppa, chat with other parents of children with additional needs and to ask questions. 

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Upcoming Dates for SEND Coffee Mornings:

TBC

You said: 'SEND Coffee Event timings could be after school to allow more parents to attend'

We did: We are working on a timetable of events to accommodate as many parents as possible. Details will be shared in early autumn.

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We offer a mixture of face-to-face, telephone and virtual appointments. These will be matched with the needs of each child and family.

We have three speech and language teams who specialise with different groups of children:

Community speech and language team. We help children of all ages. We assess and help children with disordered speech and language development. This includes children with a stammer or nonfluent speech, voice disorders, difficulties understanding and using language, and disordered speech development.

Early communication support team. We help preschool children. We help parent and carer speech and language groups, provide early advice sessions and home visits to help with children's early communication skills.

Special needs team. We help early years children with complex needs, children with speech, language and communication needs and children with eating or swallowing difficulties. We work with families and professionals. We will agree Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) goals.

Once your child has had an assessment, you may be offered a package of support. This is a plan that is tailor made to your child. It will focus on ways to help your child and ways to encourage them to reach their targets. A package of support may include:

Information and guidance on communication tools such as visual supports.

Suggest strategies and methods to help your child's everyday communication.

Sessions to show strategies and techniques.

Training workshops to learn strategies and techniques for parents and professionals.

A review with a speech and language therapist or support practitioner. This is to check that you understand the plan and strategies. It is also to check that they are becoming a part of your child's daily life.

Please be aware that your child's package of support may not contain all these suggestions. A package of support is to help with the challenges that your child is experiencing at that time.

A package of support is completed when the Speech and Language therapist is happy that your child has the support they need to meet their targets. Completing a package of support does not mean that there is no longer a speech, language or communication need.

If there are changes or new concerns that require support. Your child may need another package of support. You can make a request by contacting our service.

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community paediatric speech and language therapy

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Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Therapy Service

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Speech and Language Therapy service for children and young people between 0 and 19 years old living in Bedfordshire and Luton. We provide advice, help and support for children and young people who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, swallowing and feeding.

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Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's language skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.

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Children’s language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A chatty child is a happy child, so Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child’s communication skills through simple interaction and play.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We are Speech and Language UK - we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 1.7 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feel like an impossible hurdle.

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Winston's Wish is the UK's childhood bereavement charity. We support children and their families after the death of someone important.

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bedford borough council early help tickets

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Early Help is about taking action early and as soon as possible to tackle problems emerging for children, young people and their families.Early Help means providing support as soon as possible to help families cope with difficulties and working together with other services to prevent bigger problems emerging.Support can come from a range of services and organisations, for parents, children and young people of any age.

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We offer a Lego Therapy intervention at school to support children with team work, self-regulation and communication.

If you would like to donate a Lego kit to school, we are always grateful for your support.

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We would love some donations of good quality, second hand sensory equipment. On our current wishlist is:

- A space hopper

- Skipping ropes

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Welcome to our Events Page, your go-to destination for discovering upcoming events tailored for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Here, you'll find a variety of events designed to provide valuable information, practical support, and opportunities to connect with others who share similar experiences. Whether it's a workshop on mental health, a webinar on coping strategies, or a local meet-up for a friendly chat, our events are crafted to empower you with knowledge and build a supportive community.

Be sure to check back regularly as we update this page with new and exciting opportunities to learn, share, and grow together.

Lets talk about SEND and Health

Tuesday 3rd June 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Monday 22nd September 7:00pm - 8:30pm

These are drop-in sessions hosted by Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum which aim to strongly signpost families that are just starting in the complex world of SEND or those who have some concerns about their child's development. You can expect a lot of resources, a hot spot to research anything and some SEND practitioners to help answer any questions you have.

The﻿se ten-minute bookable slots allow parent carers to meet with professionals and service providers to discuss their cases. You must email to book.

Teacch Room, Child Development Centre, Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7EB

Teacch Room, Child Development Centre, Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7EB

These are open sessions where practitioners can share information about their service and be available for questions from parent carers.

Teacch Room, Child Development Centre, Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7EB

These events are supported by the local Authority and provide additional opportunities for SEND families to enjoy together. To attend you must be a SEND family living in Bedford Borough or receiving services from Bedford Borough.​​

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Events | Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum

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Welcome to our Events Page, your go-to destination for discovering upcoming events tailored for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities

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How to support your child at home and school parent handout

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Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum Podcast: Let's Talk SEND

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Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum Podcast: Let's Talk SEND

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Discover BBPCF Podcasts: real stories from parents, carers, and professionals about SEND in Bedford Borough. Listen, learn, and feel connected.

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Working with families to build a better future.

FACES support services are free and confidential. Services are paid for by our supporters through grants, trusts and donations

Want to donate?

There are many different ways you can support local families. Whether it is donating pre-loved baby equipment to our baby bank, or sending a cash donation. Any way you can help is greatly appreciated.

We all have a statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

If you think a child is being abused or mistreated or you have concerns about the safety of a child, you must speak to somebody immediately. You can call the Integrated Front Door (IFD) on 01234 718700 (office hours) or ring 0300 300 8123 (out of hours)

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In an emergency call the police 999

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FACES offer a range of children and family support services including exploitation, domestic abuse, poverty and hardship and early intervention.

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We are currently designing a regulation space where children can go to regulate, feel peaceful and ready to learn.

We are looking for the following items to help us make this space feel calming:

fairy lights

cosy floor mat/rug

small mirror

lamp that is touch adjustable

Any donations are gratefully received.