Free Download Digital Books

Working with projects is nothing new in youth work, and youth workers have long recognised and valued them as an integral part of their work. The benefits to be gained from such work are almost limitless. This book is intended to help youth workers to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to work successfully and creatively with groups of adolescents and young adults. The first part explores how skills are learnt, how values, beliefs and understandings are developed and how projects can enhance this process. The second part, packed with useful ideas, shows how these things can happen in practice. It contains advice on skill development building dialogue interaction with groups whether (or not) to intervene evaluation procedures setting youth work within its wider context. It contains many suggestions for ways in which both the youth worker and youth groups can confront the many issues, such as gender, race and sexuality, faced in youth work today. ...

Drawing together motivational theory, research-based evidence and guidance for best practice, this book presents innovative models for goal-setting and goal pursuit in therapy with children. Setting goals not only allows children, and their families, to engage with the overall therapeutic process, but it also provides an essential motivational element throughout the entire therapeutic process. The editors and contributors give practical advice on empathically collaborating with the child and his or her family, to clearly identify achievable goals that can be wholeheartedly pursued. Key information on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is accessibly explained, which will aid professional understanding of the relationship between motivation, goal-setting, and strong therapeutic practice. The approaches in this book can be used by a wide range of professionals, including those who specialise in working with children with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavio...

This self-guided workbook is suitable for young adults aged 16-26 with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or LD (Learning Differences), to teach the necessary skills for entering the workforce and forging a meaningful career path. Providing insight into a range of industries and workplace settings, this workbook will help you to support young people in choosing rewarding and successful careers. Detailing the College Internship Program's (CIP) successful Mploy program, the information in this book will help young adults to develop self-confidence and build social connections. Including activities and ready-to-use worksheets, this is a focused look at preparing for work. Key topics include: * Career assessments * Creating effective resumes/CVs * Interview skills * Employer expectations * Professional communication * Performance appraisals * Handling stress in the workplace * Social thinking * Executive functions in the workplace Product detai...

Most children who are fostered or adopted have some level of contact with their birth family -- whether face-to-face or by letter -- yet most of the time the psychological impact of contact on the child isn't considered. This book explores what attachment, neuroscience and trauma tell us about how contact affects children, and shows how poorly executed contact can be unhelpful or even harmful to the child. Assessment frameworks are provided which take the child's developmental needs into account. The authors also outline a model for managing and planning contact to make it more purposeful and increase its potential for therapeutic benefit. The book covers the challenges presented by the internet for managing contact, unique issues for children in kinship care, problems that arise when adoptive parents separate and many other key issues for practice. Brimming with practical advice and creative solutions, this is an indispensable tool for social workers, contact centre workers, ...

Laying the philosophical foundations of expressive arts therapy, this book highlights the role and importance of poiesis, the art of 'making' as a response to the world, in the expressive arts therapies as well as our own lives. The concept of poiesis was originally developed and brought into the field by Stephen K. Levine. It is a perspective that restores the primacy of the arts for the arts therapies instead of reducing art-making and art-objects to psychological data. Bringing together different schools of thought in unexpected ways, this book shows how the principles underlying expressive arts therapy have relevance to ethics, politics and social change. It includes chapters on Taoism, improvisation in the arts, and the importance of creativity for understanding human existence. With personal narratives and poetry to help create natural points for the reader to stop and reflect, Philosophy of Expressive Arts Therapy is the perfect guide for those wanting to understand the...

Highly Commended in the 2018 British Medical Association Book Awards What is the difference between fear and excitement and how can you tell them apart? How do the mind and body make emotions? When can anxiety be good? This science-based graphic book addresses these questions and more, revealing just how strange anxiety is, but also how to unravel its mysteries and relieve its effects. Understanding how anxiety is created by our nervous system trying to protect us, and how our fight-or-flight mechanisms can get stuck, can significantly lessen the fear experienced during anxiety attacks. In this guide, anxiety is explained in an easy-to-understand, engaging graphic format with tips and strategies to relieve its symptoms, and change the mind's habits for a more positive outlook. Product details Format Paperback...

As awareness and understanding of Asperger Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder increases, more adults are identifying themselves as being on the spectrum and seeking formal diagnosis. This book discusses the process, the pros and cons, and the after-effects of receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood. Outlining the likely stages of the journey to diagnosis, this book looks at what the individual may go through as they become aware of their Asperger characteristics and as they seek pre-assessment and diagnosis, as well as common reactions upon receiving a diagnosis - from depression and anger to relief and self-acceptance. Combining practical guidance with advice from personal experience and interviews and correspondence with specialists in the field, the book discusses if and when to disclose to family, friends and employers, how to seek appropriate support services, and how to use the self-knowledge gained through diagnosis to live well in the future. ...

Social Stories (TM) are acknowledged as a very successful way of teaching concepts and social understanding to children with autism spectrum disorders, but considerable skill is needed to write the most effective story. This clear and engaging book introduces ways of thinking about the issues your child finds difficult, and includes 32 stories created by Dr Siobhan Timmins for her son during his early years, with helpful explanations of how she did it, and what the underlying thinking was behind each set of stories. She explains how the stories build upon each other to help the child to understand further, more complex topics, and how to see the connections so that you can best help your child. From basic skills such as learning to listen, wait and share, to common fears, this book takes the mystery out of creating effective Social Stories (TM) and amply demonstrates how to put together a cohesive set of stories which your child can understand and relate to. ...

Drawing on a range of approaches developed by paediatric chaplaincy teams worldwide, this edited collection provides best principles, practices and skills of chaplaincy work with neonates, infants, children, young people and their families. By engaging with paediatric chaplaincy from an international, multifaith perspective, contributors from around the world and different faith traditions show what good spiritual, religious and pastoral care for children and their families looks like. The book contains contributions from specialists who work with children with mental health issues or profound disabilities, as well as chapters that focus on how best to provide palliative and bereavement care. Includes resources and activities for use in specialist care situations and tools for assessment, making this a must-have for any paediatric chaplaincy team working in a hospital or hospice. Product details ...

Over the last decade, Carol Gray's Social Stories approach has become established as a highly effective way of teaching social and life skills to children on the autism spectrum. Taking the form of short narratives, the Stories in My Social Stories Book take children step by step through basic activities such as brushing your teeth, taking a bath and getting used to new clothes. It also helps children to understand different experiences such as going to school, shopping and visiting the doctor. These stories are written for preschoolers aged from two to six, and the book is a useful primer for all young children - but most especially those on the autism spectrum. My Social Stories Book contains over 150 Stories, and is illustrated throughout with line drawings by Sean McAndrew, which form a visual counterpart to the text. A helpful introduction explains to parents and carers how to get the most out of the book. Product details ...

Empowerment of users of social care services has become a key issue in much current social work and social policy literature. However, many of these texts have defined participation narrowly, and consequently user involvement has been restricted to influencing the decisions of front-line workers, with little participation in policy making at senior management level. This book explores strategies for effectively involving users in the planning, delivery and evaluation of services. How the key concepts of empowerment, participation and user involvement have been applied in important areas such as mental health, child care services and social welfare is discussed, and the outcomes for users considered. The book draws on extensive research and case studies, and also considers the methodology and ethical dilemmas of carrying out research. User Involvement and Participation in Social Care is an authoritative, thought-provoking overview of the current situation in social care delivery and pre...

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome takes a playful look at Asperger Syndrome (AS), drawing inspiration from the feline world in a way that will strike a chord with all those who are familiar with AS. Delightful colour photographs of cats bring to life familiar characteristics such as sensitive hearing, scampering at the first sign of being stroked, and particular eating habits. Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality, and potential of people with AS. This engaging book is an ideal, gentle introduction to the world of AS. `There is a great deal of truth in humour. If you have only just begun to discover why someone with Asperger's syndrome is different, this book will inform and entertain you. The descriptions provide an accurate balance between the qualities and difficulties associated with Asperger's syndrome, while the photographs will make ...

Providing perspectives, insights and recommendations, this is a comprehensive overview of the current state of children's rights and education around the world. Written by experts in their fields, the book includes chapters on: national accountability how international standards can be implemented the rights of children with special needs respecting children's views in education education and democracy how the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child can be implemented. This authoritative and thought-provoking volume will be essential reading for anyone involved in, or concerned about, the rights of children in education around the world. Product details Format Paperback | 240 pages ...

A burgeoning evidence base supports that arts, play and other creative therapies have potential to help children in foster care, kinship care or adoptive families to recover from complex trauma. Written by contributors working at the cutting edge of delivering effective therapeutic interventions, this innovative book describes models for working with children in foster care, kinship care or adoption. Covering how to assess needs and contextual considerations for working with children and families, this book presents a range of creative therapeutic approaches spanning art psychotherapy, music therapy and dance therapy. It emphasizes the necessity of working with caregivers and other significant adults, as well as the child, to facilitate recovery. The theoretical foundations of attachment, developmental psychology and neurobiology are embedded in each chapter showing how they underpin each of the recommended creative therapies. This book will be suitable for professionals directly emplo...

Improving Learning Through Dynamic Assessment is a practical tool for helping to assess and support children aged 4+ with learning challenges based on an innovative approach. Contrasting with traditional 'static' assessment methods, this resource enables educational psychologists and related professionals to involve the child actively in the process of assessment - allowing them to measure not just what the child has learnt, but also how the child learns, how responsive they are to attempts to intevene, and what is holding them back from learning. It outlines the relevant theory and offers a staged assessment process to follow, with strategies for assessing cognitive and affective capacity. The resource contains all you need to carry out dynamic assessment, featuring photocopiable activities, checklists, handouts for teachers/parents to use with children and training materials which explain the approach in terms understandable to all participating adults. The first practical r...

Arguing that the profession of art therapy has its roots in the studio environment, Catherine Moon proposes that it is now time to reclaim these roots, and make art once again central to art therapy. She suggests that there has been a tendency for art therapy not merely to interact with and be enriched by other perspectives - psychological, social, anthropological and transpersonal - but to be subsumed by them. For this reason she makes a clear distinction between using art in one's practice of therapy, and working from an art-based model. This book presents a model of art therapy where the products and processes of art constitute the core of the model, rather than serving as the impetus for adaptations of other theories of counselling or therapy. It addresses how an arts-based approach can inform the therapist in all aspects of practice, from the conception of the work and the attempt to understand client needs to interacting with clients and communicating with others about the pr...

This is a comprehensive guide to some of the difficulties and disorders which can cause children to become disruptive at school and in the home. It examines the nature of EBDs and their potential causes, whether social, psychological or biological and discusses the issues that can arise for professionals involved in their assessment, analysing the various methods used. It is an excellent introduction for both educational and medical professionals.' - Aslib Book Guide 'A useful book for those working both in child mental health services and in education.' - British Journal of Psychiatry Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBDs) present a challenge for parents, teachers and other professionals alike. Understanding and Supporting Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties is a comprehensive guide to this group of ill-defined, often unrelated disorders, which can cause children to become disruptive both at school and in the home. The contributors s...

As children grow up and spend more and more time away from home in schools and colleges, life often seems to get increasingly complicated. Autism makes the challenges they meet in these new environments even more difficult to navigate. Social Stories (TM) is a highly regarded strategy that parents and teachers can use to help young people with autism understand the new social situations they face during this time. Writing an effective Story takes a special set of skills, and in this fully illustrated book Dr Siobhan Timmins explains how to acquire and hone these techniques and put them into practice. Following on from her book on writing Social Stories (TM) for young children, this book on the next age group up includes 160 illustrations and clear examples based on the author's own experiences of raising a son with autism. She explains how to identify the underlying issues, and articulate the key ideas so that young learners can find connections between Stories to build a greater u...