Epilepsy - A Parent’s Handbook
Available from the NCYPE Provided free to parents
This handbook was written specifically for parents of children who have been newly
diagnosed with epilepsy. It gives parents useful information that will help them
understand, and deal with, this condition. The handbook has been written in a style
that is easy to read and, as well as the relevant information needed, it directs
the reader to sources where further information may be obtained. There is a section
containing useful forms (that may be photocopied) so that parents can document the
necessary information (e.g. drug regimes, seizure charts, etc.) which will be of
value to the child’s treatment plan.
A Parent's Handbook - Complex Childhood Epilepsy
The NCYPE’s Childhood Epilepsy Information Service has just published their second
handbook for parents. This new publication Complex Childhood Epilepsy – A Parent’s
Handbook is aimed at parents whose children have added complications in addition
to their epilepsy. It explains some of the more serious epilepsies, often referred
to as epilepsy plus, difficult to control epilepsy or intractable epilepsy, and
it provides detailed information and help to identify extra services which may be
needed in order to support a child with more complex needs. If you would like a
free copy of either handbook, please ring 01342 832 243 ext 508 or email NCYPE
Anger Management Games for Children
by Deborah M. Plummer
Review
It is widely accepted among child healthcare professionals that anger in young children
and adolescents is a healthy, natural and normal emotion. Despite this, society
often teaches our children that expressing anger is shameful and wrong. As such,
our young people learn to repress their natural instincts and behaviour thereby
increasing their feelings of shame.
The term ‘anger management’ has been the dominant ideology for sometime
now, being widely and rather freely used both within the social care, justice and
professional system. In the case of children, it is the parents and teachers who
generally make the definition of the ‘anger problem’ or need for ‘anger
management’. As such, children are then referred to services with a tag of
having an ‘anger problem’ requiring treatment. It is my experience of
having worked in a children’s mental health service that those children who
turn up for anger management groups do so because their parents bring them to appointments
but all too often they rarely change their behaviour in the longer-term. Indeed,
these children frequently report factors residing outside of their control that
contributed to their anger, such as family dynamics. So, rather than ‘anger
management’, what is often required is a good understanding of the child’s
difficulties from their own perspective and within the context their family attachments.
“Anger Management Games for Children” by Deborah M. Plummer is a valuable
illustrated resource for parents and teachers who want to learn new ways of helping
children manage the emotion of anger. Deborah Plummer is an experienced Speech and
Language Therapist who specialises in image work with both children and adults. The
book is split into two parts, the first setting out detailed and useful information
about anger and the universal truth that anger is a ‘secondary’ emotion
and a response to an unmet ‘primary’ emotion such as fear or shame.
Plummer writes about this in a way that normalises anger while distilling the aim
of her book - to teach children to develop a healthy approach to anger management,
although I prefer the term ‘anger therapy’. Throughout, Plummer is sensitive
to the influence of environmental factors in shaping a child’s expression
of anger making her writing approach empowering and child-centred. Indeed, she writes
in a way that conveys an underlying constructivist approach to anger, seeing anger
in a child as inherently tied up with the family, school and social contexts they
are embedded within. However, she makes clear that managing anger requires a set
of complex executive skills including the ability to reflect (self-awareness), language,
self-control and self-compassion, problem-solving and the ability to show empathy
to others.
The above skills that Plummer talks about are intact within most of us, however,
some or all of these ‘higher order’ skills in children can become damaged,
delayed or lost altogether following neurological illness, depending, of course,
on the aetiology. In such cases, neurological damage can create a greater propensity
in the child towards anger and, coupled with cognitive deficits, render the child
unable to inhibit, manage or tolerate intense emotions. These are very specific
issues and not the focus here, instead Plummer writes from the perspective of a
child pre-morbidly and neurological intact. This is not to the detriment of the
book’s focus.
In part two, Plummer sets out a variety of imaginative games with names such as
“Giggle switch”, “Melting snowman” and “Blind walk”.
Drawing on her imagework and based on the premise that all children learn best through
the act of play, Plummer reports that games afford children a sense of safe containment
in which to explore their emotions - this is why therapy with children often revolves
around the therapist developing a play dialogue. Plummer makes clear that game playing
can foster social and personal development. She sets out her games with warm-up
and wind-down activities and there is adequate space for adults to note down any
reflections or learning that has taken place. The games all have a different learning
function e.g. identifying triggers to anger, learning about consequences, showing
empathy towards others etc. Plummer also adds a helpful checklist of the learning
opportunities involved in each game e.g. concentration, turn taking, memory, listening.
Importantly, each game identifies age appropriateness (5 years is the suggested
youngest age) and there is further guidance regarding the time required to play
the game and the number of participants required. Positively, games can be adapted
to suit the child’s level of verbal comprehension and some games are primarily
non-verbal, which is good for those children with impoverished speech due to illness
or learning disability.
Plummer has written a concise and helpful book that parents, teachers and some healthcare
professionals could benefit from drawing upon. The games are imaginative and designed
to both benefit the child but also the facilitator. It is important to make clear
that although this book is a useful resource it should not be misused as an assessment
tool to diagnose children who may have complex emotional needs or difficulty managing
anger due to a mood disturbance. Indeed, where displays of anger are persistent,
extreme and a probable consequence of some other underlying pathology (neurological,
mood disturbance, anxiety or perfectionism) professional opinion should be sought
first. The author makes clear that her book is not a substitute for professionally
led anger therapy programmes, such as those sometimes run by Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Teams (CAMHS), which can accessed via your child’s General Practitioner
(G.P.).
Dr Stephen Bainbridge
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
Trustee of the Encephalitis Society
Buy via our Amazon Link
Children with Emotional
and Behavioural Difficulties and Communication Problems. There is always a reason.
by Melanie Cross
Children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) are
far more likely to have communication problems than their peers. Exploring the ways
in which children's language and emotional development are linked, Melanie Cross
considers the reasons why behavioural and communication difficulties often occur
together.
Identifying the common causes of these problems and the reasons why they often go
undetected, she provides practical guidelines for assessing communication skills
and the complexities of identifying communication problems in children, including
children in public care. She shows how improving children's communication can also
improve their behaviour and that speech and language therapy is an important, although
often absent, service for children with EBD. With a range of strategies to help
children and young people to develop their emotional and communicative skills, this
accessible guide is an invaluable resource for speech and language therapists, social
workers, teachers and other health professionals working with young people with
emotional, behavioural and communication problems.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Paperback 1-84310-135-1, 2004, 192 pages, £15.95 $26.95 ss
Special Offer for Encephalitis Society members. £1 discount and free
postage. Quote The Encephalitis Society Special Offer when you order through the
website, phone, post or fax.
Visual Perception Problems in Children with AD/HD, Autism, and other learning disabilities
- A guide for parents and professionals.
by Lisa A. Kurtz
Reviewed by a parent of a child with visual difficulites following encephalitis.
The primary focus of this book is to help children who are able to see clearly but
have subtle visual difficulties that impact on their learning and behaviour. It
is written for parents, teachers and other professionals working with children with
developmental delays.
The book is neatly divided into logically progressing chapters starting with a very
clear explanation of the anatomy and structure of the visual system. This leads
into the early development of visual skills and associated problems and is followed
up with advice on how to find professionals who can help. There are suggested activities
for improving visual skills and strategies for coping with this disability.
The book finishes with a useful glossary, a recommended reading list as well as
a list of supporting organisations. Unfortunately, as the book is North American,
very few of these organisations are based in the UK.
The book is easy to read and understand and many helpful definitions as well as
explanations of the extensive range of tests that children may be subjected to.
The book is primarily written for children with subtle rather then severe visual
difficulties. In the first chapter, cortical blindness and optic nerve atrophy are
described as conditions caused by infection resulting in severe visual impairment
as well as other developmentally disabling conditions. Therefore, this book may
have a limited use for helping children who have cortical visual impairment as a
result of contracting encephalitis. Having said that, the book is full of useful
general advice on how to help children with visual impairment as well as providing
a good understanding of how visual impairment can impact on daily life and I would
recommend this book to anyone with a child with visual impairment.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ISDN 1 84310 826 7
Information for Parents Boklet – Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for both adults and children. If parents have concerns about their child’s sleeping habits they might find this booklet useful. It was developed by the Early Support programme in partnership with a number of organisations and individuals, including: Scope (Sleep Solutions), Face 2 Face parents groups, and the Handsel Trust.
It was developed in response to requests from families, professional agencies, and voluntary organisations for a better standard of information about sleep issues. Families were consulted about the content and the text reflects what parents who have ‘been there before’ say they would have liked to have known.
The booklet provides information about sleep and its importance, explores how sleep deprivation might affect the whole family, and examines why sleep problems may occur. It also gives ideas to try at home to help children have a better night’s sleep and provides advice on the support and services that can help.
Go to Early Support website to download a free document
So Young, So Sad, So Listen
Author: Philip Graham & Carol Hughes
Illustrated by: Christine Roche
ISBN 1-904671-23-3
Gaskell publishers
Reviewed by Yvonne McGahren for Contact a Family www.cafamily.org
The aim of this book is to help those involved recognise the signs of depression
in children and to understand the possible causes. It is intended to help parents
and teachers of depressed children as well as social workers, health visitors and
family doctors. The introduction outlines some accounts of depression described
by a mother, a teacher, a psychiatrist and a fourteen year old girl. This is interesting
to get different perspectives. It also indicates some symptoms such as changes in
appetite, disturbed sleep and self-blame. The book also looks at various forms of
depression and at what types of treatment are provided. There are brief outlines
of Group therapy, Family Therapy and Medication for example. This book does not
go into lengthy detail but it’s a useful guide for anyone concerned about
someone they suspect may be depressed. It highlights that sometimes depression strikes
when young people are going through an already confusing and stressful period as
it is and there is a useful section on aspects of listening and an Action sheet
for parents and teachers.
Helping Children Cope with Pain
The Charity, Action for Sick Children has produced a series of booklets, including
this one, specifically designed to help parents, help their children deal with pain
when sick, either in hospital or at home.
1: Pain explained:
- What is pain?
- How can you know your child is in pain?
- Why is it important to manage pain properly?
- Can I do anything?
2: Pain control with drugs:
- Is there any such thing as perfect pain control?
- Do some children need more pain relief than others?
- Pain jargon explained o What are the different options?
- How are these drugs given?
- What about pain-killing injections?
- What about severe pain?
- How is long-term pain dealt with?
- What about a long-term problem with sudden attacks of pain?
3: Pain control without drugs:
- How you can help your child cope
4: Questions and Answers on Pain for young patients
This booklet can be purchased as part of the Parent Pack series (top Link) or viewed
from the lower link
www.actionforsickchildren.org/parentspain.html
www.actionforsickchildren.org/parentspack.html
People Skills for Young Adults
by Márianna Csóti
People Skills for Young Adults is a complete course in social skills training for
students in their teens, and is particularly appropriate for those with mild learning
difficulties.The book is practical in emphasis, and comprises a series of lessons
accompanied by teacher sheets. Examples of scenarios are given, and students are
encouraged to act them out and discuss the issues raised in them. There are also
role plays and student help sheets, which develop the areas covered in the lessons.
The areas include:
- friends and relationships
- personal development
- self-confidence and shyness
- assertiveness
-
counselling and listening skills.
Full guidance and practical suggestions are included, so that teachers do not require
any previous experience of teaching this subject.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Paperback 1-85302-716-2, 1999, 192 pages, £17.95 $29.95
Special Offer for Encephalitis Society members.
£1 discount and free postage.
Quote The Encephalitis Society Special Offer when you order through the website,
phone, post or fax.
Social Awareness
Skills for Children
by Márianna Csóti
Children, particularly those with special needs, can require considerable help in
learning how to relate to other people and how to behave positively and appropriately
in social situations. In this practical and helpful book, Marianna Csoti emphasises
the benefits that learning communication and social skills can have for these children,
including better friendships and increased self-esteem. The numerous detailed tasks
and practical examples enable parents, professionals and carers to work with children
on improving their social skills and social awareness, and respecting themselves
and other people. Topics covered include: Helping children with special needs; making
and keeping friends; social rules; body language; feelings, including shyness and
anger; listening skills and social safety.
Suitable for use with children aged 7-16, on a one-to-one basis or in small groups,
this practical and comprehensive book will be an invaluable resource for anyone
wanting to help children to increase their social understanding and awareness.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Paperback 1-84310-003-7, 2001, 320 pages, £19.95 $34.95
Special Offer for Encephalitis Society members.
£1 discount and free postage.
Quote The Encephalitis Society Special Offer when you order through the website,
phone, post or fax.
Last modified: April 2011