2017-page

2017 Resources of the Month

November 2017: Transition Planning for Secondary Students with Disabilities (4th Ed.)

November 2017

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Transition Planning for Secondary Students with Disabilities (4th Edition)

by Robert W. Flexer, Robert M. Baer, Pamela Luft, Thomas J. Simmons

Transition Planning for Secondary Students with Disabilities (4^th edition) is a comprehensive and practical resource for anyone involved in dealing with and meeting the transition needs of students with disabilities. The authors describe the varied transition needs readers are likely to encounter in their work and provide a succinct look at the options and career paths potentially available. They cover implementing transition systems, creating a transition perspective of education, and promoting movement to postschool environments.

October 2017 : "Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder"

October 2017

Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

By Scott Tomchek, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA, and Kristie Patten Koenig, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Recommended by AC - HCDE

The most recent Centers for Disease Control and prevention data on the prevalence of autism in the United States identified 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys, 1 in 189 girls) as having ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and it has been estimated that more than 3.5 million people in the United States live with ASD.

This Practice Guideline provides an overview of the evidence for occupational therapy to assist people with ASD in achieving health, well-being, and participation in life through engagement in occupations. It explains the occupational therapy process for this population, defines the domain, and describes interventions that occur within acceptable practice. Extensive attention is given to sensory, psychosocial, and family issues. Appendixes include searchable evidence tables on a flash drive for ease of use.

Also, check out our Featured Article about this book and Social Narratives:

Social Narratives and Social Stories: Are They Effective?

September 2017: Resources in response to natural disasters

September 2017

Special Edition

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This month TxSpot features a Special Edition Resource of the Month in response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. The following are links to resources that can help with questions school-based therapists and other school personnel may have regarding unique situations created by Hurricane Harvey which affect special education and our students with disabilities.

Resources for Supporting Students with Disabilities who have Experienced Natural Disasters

FAQs for Special Education Issues Resulting from Hurricane Harvey

Helping Children After a Natural Disaster: Information for Families and Educators

Resources for Students and Staff Recovering from Natural Disasters

Effects of Trauma on Schools and Learning

Natural Disasters Brief Facts and Tips

Natural Disasters - Brief Facts and Tips - Spanish

Helping Students Cope

Maintaining Positivity With Children in the Midst of Hurricane Harvey

How to Help Your Child cope After Hurricane Harvey

My Hurricane Story - A Guided Workbook for Children

July 2017: "No Ordinary Move"

July 2017

No Ordinary Move

by Linda Bidabe with Chris Voll

Recommended by AC and JC – HCDE

No Ordinary Move is the riveting memoir of Linda Bidabe, the founder and author of the MOVE (Mobility Opportunities Via Education) Program and Curriculum. Linda is an innovative educator with over thirty years of experience working with children with disabilities. She takes the reader through her hardscrabble childhood on a Kansas farm, the self-loathing of adolescence, the heartbreak of divorce and the trials of single parenthood and haunting memories of "too many small white coffins" of children with severe disabilities who, she was sure, could have been saved. Driven by a fierce loyalty for those in her care, an insatiable questioning of “conventional wisdom” and the conviction that all of us deserve a chance to live before we die, Linda swore to help each child fulfill his or her greatest aspiration. “Our business is to discover the dream in each child, and to believe in it until it becomes a reality.” From the rubble of her own painful life experiences, she built the revolutionary approach to overcoming obstacles that has made her a hero around the world.

“Inspiring” and “very gratifying,” No Ordinary Move is no ordinary memoir.

May 2017: "Ghost Boy"

May 2017

Ghost Boy

by Martin Pistorius

Recommended by SB – Katy ISD

They all thought he was gone. But he was alive and trapped inside his own body for ten years. In January 1988 Martin Pistorius, age twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First, he lost his voice and stopped eating. Then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair bound. Martin's parents were told an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby and less than two years to live. Martin was moved to care centers for severely disabled children. The stress and heartache shook his parents' marriage and their family to the core. Their boy was gone. Or so they thought. Ghost Boy is the heart-wrenching story of one boy's return to life through the power of love and faith. In these pages, readers see a parent's resilience, the consequences of misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of cruel caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin's mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body. We also see a life reclaimed, a business created, a new love kindled - all from a wheelchair. Martin's emergence from his own darkness invites us to celebrate our own lives and fight for a better life for others.

April 2017: Autism Spectrum Disorder Podcasts from AOTA

April 2017

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Podcasts

By AOTA

April's recommended resource is not a book, but a set of podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorder produced by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Enhance your school-based practice by listening to those that interest you. recommended resource is not a book, but a set of podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorder produced by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Enhance your school-based practice by listening.recommended resource is not a book, but a set of podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorder produced by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Enhance your school-based practice by listening to those that interest you. recommended resource is not a book, but a set of podcasts on Autism Spectrum Disorder produced by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Enhance your school-based practice by listening.

Autism Awareness podcast

Autism FAQs podcast

Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime podcast 1

Autism Spectrum Disorder Mealtime podcast 2

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Inclusion

OT Toolkit for Autism Speaks podcast

Tips for Caregivers on Autism podcast

March 2017: "The Occupational Therapists Handbood for Inclusive School Practice"

March 2017

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The Occupational Therapist’s Handbook for Inclusive School Practices

By Julie Causton, PhD

Recommended by CB, Katy ISD

This is the friendly, down-to-earth survival guide OTs need to deliver their important services effectively as part of an inclusive school team. Packed with practical guidance and tips, examples that relate directly to an OT's daily practice, and first-person insights from seasoned OTs, this guidebook is key to helping students develop new skills in key areas, from motor skills and mobility to academic achievement and friendships. All new OTs should read this book before their first day in an inclusive school—and veteran OTs will find it invaluable for ensuring that supports are delivered in the least restrictive environment.

January 2017 : "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do if You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World"

January 2017

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Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World

By Sharon Heller

Recommended by DA, Spring ISD

This prescriptive book by a developmental psychologist and sufferer of Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD) sheds light on a little known but common affliction in which sufferers react to harmless stimuli as irritating, distracting or dangerous.

We all know what it feels like to be irritated by loud music, accosted by lights that are too bright, or overwhelmed by a world that moves too quickly. But millions of people suffer from Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD), a common affliction in which people react to harmless stimuli not just as a distracting hindrance, but a potentially dangerous threat. Sharon Heller, Ph.D. is not only a trained psychologist, she is sensory defensive herself. Bringing both personal and professional perspectives, Dr. Heller is the ideal person to tell the world about this problem that will only increase as technology and processed environments take over our lives. In addition to heightening public awareness of this prevalent issue, Dr. Heller provides tools and therapies for alleviating and, in some cases, even eliminating defensiveness altogether.