From ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) to ZS (Zellweger Syndrome)-there seems to be an alphabet disorder for almost every behavior, from those caused by serious, rare genetic diseases to more common learning disabilities that hinder children's academic and social progress.Alphabet Kids have disorders that are often concurrent, interconnected or mistaken for one another, for example, the freguent combination of ASD, OCD, SID and ADHD-hence, 'Alphabet Kids'. If a doctor only diagnoses one condition, he or she may have missed others. As the rates of these disorders dramatically rise, "Alphabet Kids" explains it all. Robbie Woliver covers 70 childhood disorders, providing information on causes, cures, treatments and prognoses. Chapters include a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms, and the disorders are illustrated with often heartbreaking, but always inspirational true-life stories of a child with the particular disorder.This comprehensive, easy-to-read go-to guide will help parents to sort through all the interconnected childhood developmental, neurobiological and psychological disorders and serve as a roadmap to help start the families' journey for correct diagnoses, effective treatment and better understanding of their Alphabet Kids.
Alphabet Kids - from ADD to Zellweger Syndrome
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"I wish I'd had Robbie Woliver's book to guide me in the early days of my journey with my daughter - it provides valuable practical information and advice from a wide array of impressive experts that can very well make the difference in the quality of your child's life. Alphabet Kids should be in every household; it is an essential guide for all parents and should be required reading for all teachers." --Cathy Moriarty-Gentile, Academy award-nominated actress, child's health advocate, and parent of a daughter with special needs
"Robbie Woliver has written a very accessible and thorough guide to the proliferating neurological, learning and behavioral disorders that afflict an ever growing number of children. Parents of a newly diagnosed child, or those who suspect that something may not be quite right, would be well served to begin with Alphabet Kids. Refreshingly, Woliver delivers useful information without condescension, or a particular axe to grind." ---John Gilmore, executive director, Autism United
"What a valuable resource to help parents find their way through the bewildering vocabulary of psychiatric labels. An easy-to-read, quick way in to what is known and how to get help. Books like Alphabet Kids are essential if we are to bridge the gap between professionals and families." --Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
"Robbie Woliver has written a very accessible and thorough guide to the proliferating neurological, learning and behavioral disorders that afflict an ever growing number of children. Parents of a newly diagnosed child, or those who suspect that something may not be quite right, would be well served to begin with Alphabet Kids. Refreshingly, Woliver delivers useful information without condescension, or a particular axe to grind." ---John Gilmore, executive director, Autism United
"What a valuable resource to help parents find their way through the bewildering vocabulary of psychiatric labels. An easy-to-read, quick way in to what is known and how to get help. Books like Alphabet Kids are essential if we are to bridge the gap between professionals and families." --Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
About the Author
Robbie Woliver is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning journalist and editor who was a columnist for Newsday, senior editor at Village Voice's suburban edition, and writer for The New York Times. He is currently the editor- in-chief of the Long Island Press, where he also helms the newspaper's award-winning series "Our Children's Brains." He has freelanced for such diverse publications and media outlets as the Village Voice, Rolling Stone, CBS Market Watch, Salon, BankRate, San Francisco Chronicle, American Demographics, New York Post and numerous others. He taught college-level English and writing and is also the author of several books: Wyoming & March, Bringing It All Back Home, Hoot! and If I Knew Then, which won the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Awards for "Outstanding Book of the Year" and "Most Inspirational to Youth." He lives in New York with his wife, Marilyn, son, Cory, and daughter, Emma.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Let me preface this by stating that I am a veteran special educator, and I've worked in special education in the public and non-public settings for many years. I have worked with both self-contained and co-taught classes, individuals in crisis, and I have worked as an administrator.
This book is AMAZING. It is simply written, and easily accessible. It lists in alphabetical order an exhaustive number of the different disabling conditions a special educator or co-teacher, or even an educational administrator might encounter. It explains the etiology of the condition, the behaviors that might be associated with the condition (invaluable for manifestation determinations), implications for academics, socialization, and general growth of the student.
If you have a student with a particular condition, you can look it up here and get a clear, concise explanation of what it means to the special or general educator. It is mercifully free of jargon, and what terms it does use are clearly and cleanly defined.
OK, having praised this book as a resource for special educators, general educators, and administrators, I need to be fair. This is NOT a book for clinicians. There are no decision trees, there is no differential diagnosis. The conditions are not grouped by similarities in etiology or symptom logy. For those things, you need a DSM (Descriptive and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses.) The DSM is huge, expensive, and akward, but an invaluable tool for the clinician.
It is difficult for the special educator, and nearly incomprehensible to the layman. This book was aptly described by a co-worker as a 'reader's Digest DSM.'
Further, if you need in depth information on a condition, this is not your best bet. That would be found in a book on that particular condition. This book is thorough, but it is neither complete nor authoritative. This is a collection of research designed for use as a reference.
For that purpose, this is an incredible book. I am amazed that it wasn't written decades ago.
I strongly recommend that every special educator, co-teacher, and educational administrator buy a copy of this book.
This book is AMAZING. It is simply written, and easily accessible. It lists in alphabetical order an exhaustive number of the different disabling conditions a special educator or co-teacher, or even an educational administrator might encounter. It explains the etiology of the condition, the behaviors that might be associated with the condition (invaluable for manifestation determinations), implications for academics, socialization, and general growth of the student.
If you have a student with a particular condition, you can look it up here and get a clear, concise explanation of what it means to the special or general educator. It is mercifully free of jargon, and what terms it does use are clearly and cleanly defined.
OK, having praised this book as a resource for special educators, general educators, and administrators, I need to be fair. This is NOT a book for clinicians. There are no decision trees, there is no differential diagnosis. The conditions are not grouped by similarities in etiology or symptom logy. For those things, you need a DSM (Descriptive and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses.) The DSM is huge, expensive, and akward, but an invaluable tool for the clinician.
It is difficult for the special educator, and nearly incomprehensible to the layman. This book was aptly described by a co-worker as a 'reader's Digest DSM.'
Further, if you need in depth information on a condition, this is not your best bet. That would be found in a book on that particular condition. This book is thorough, but it is neither complete nor authoritative. This is a collection of research designed for use as a reference.
For that purpose, this is an incredible book. I am amazed that it wasn't written decades ago.
I strongly recommend that every special educator, co-teacher, and educational administrator buy a copy of this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After 36 years of teaching I am still excited to find resources in the market place that I can use to expand my knowledge and benefit the students in my classroom. ALPHABET KIDS From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome is one of those must have resource and reference books for every teachers' personal library.
Every classroom teacher can benefit from Robbie Wolivers guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals. The information presented for each disorder is in a format that allows for quick access of the material. It is compiled in section subtitles: Sounds Familiar, Did You Know? Signs and Symptoms, Cause, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis and Sources and Resources. This repeated organization for each disorder makes the reading very clear. The real-life accounts presented for each disorder underscores the need for ALPHABET KIDS, so parents and teachers can help with the challenges that face their children and students.
ALPHABET KIDS will be the book I will recommend to the parents-caregivers of those children in need in my classroom.
Every classroom teacher can benefit from Robbie Wolivers guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals. The information presented for each disorder is in a format that allows for quick access of the material. It is compiled in section subtitles: Sounds Familiar, Did You Know? Signs and Symptoms, Cause, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis and Sources and Resources. This repeated organization for each disorder makes the reading very clear. The real-life accounts presented for each disorder underscores the need for ALPHABET KIDS, so parents and teachers can help with the challenges that face their children and students.
ALPHABET KIDS will be the book I will recommend to the parents-caregivers of those children in need in my classroom.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I really thought I would like this book. I have an autistic daughter and a son that at one point was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, so I am a little familiar with what this book called Alphabet Kids---kids with diagnoses that run the alphabet gambit. However, I was quite disappointed with it.
First of all, like many survey books like this, it really doesn't have a clear use. If your child has one of the syndromes talked about here, you want much more in depth info. If you don't know WHAT your child has, this book is quite useless in figuring it out. It's just in alphabetical order and seems to include disorders mainly based on whether they are often referred to by initials. Even then, I think some were included just to have things starting with certain letters, like Zellweger Syndrome--I am sure there were other more common disorders that didn't make the cut.
Once you find a topic you want to read about, you still don't get much help here. Most topics start with a first person or third person account of someone with what is being talked about, like ADHD. These accounts are very uneven. Some are long and meandering and include details about small things that seem quite unimportant, some describe very untypical presentations of the disorders, and way too many describe adults, not kids. Often the accounts don't mention until near the end the main feature of a disorder, like with hyperlexia---the early reading. Another part of each section is a long list of signs and symptoms. These are totally unweighted---signs that are ALWAYS present are given just as much weight as signs that are rarely present. I think reading a list like this would be totally overwhelming if it was all the information you had.
I do think there is a need for a book parents could use as a reference source to various disorders. However, they need one that is more organized and less general than this one. With the internet, most of us can find out basics on-line. I don't know why people would buy a fairly expensive book to read the few pages that were relevant to them, when even those few pages aren't terribly helpful.
First of all, like many survey books like this, it really doesn't have a clear use. If your child has one of the syndromes talked about here, you want much more in depth info. If you don't know WHAT your child has, this book is quite useless in figuring it out. It's just in alphabetical order and seems to include disorders mainly based on whether they are often referred to by initials. Even then, I think some were included just to have things starting with certain letters, like Zellweger Syndrome--I am sure there were other more common disorders that didn't make the cut.
Once you find a topic you want to read about, you still don't get much help here. Most topics start with a first person or third person account of someone with what is being talked about, like ADHD. These accounts are very uneven. Some are long and meandering and include details about small things that seem quite unimportant, some describe very untypical presentations of the disorders, and way too many describe adults, not kids. Often the accounts don't mention until near the end the main feature of a disorder, like with hyperlexia---the early reading. Another part of each section is a long list of signs and symptoms. These are totally unweighted---signs that are ALWAYS present are given just as much weight as signs that are rarely present. I think reading a list like this would be totally overwhelming if it was all the information you had.
I do think there is a need for a book parents could use as a reference source to various disorders. However, they need one that is more organized and less general than this one. With the internet, most of us can find out basics on-line. I don't know why people would buy a fairly expensive book to read the few pages that were relevant to them, when even those few pages aren't terribly helpful.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Resource for Parents and Educators
This book is packed with useful, practical information. As an added bonus, it's written in an engaging style that invites a cover-to-cover read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Dora L. McAlpin
Alphabet Kids book
This book is a good resource for anyone working with children with exceptionalities. It provides information to help with the communication and with program planning for children.
Published 22 months ago by N. Lush
good resource
This is a great book to give you a sample of many of the common disabilities that affect kids today. I got this to share with a support group and we all love it. Read more
Published on November 6, 2009 by mustang
A 'must' pick
ALPHABET KIDS provides a range of explanations on disorders for almost every medical condition, from learning disabilities to rare genetic diseases. Read more
Published on August 20, 2009 by Midwest Book Review
Too much for me.
As soon as I clicked "order" I realized I had made a terrible mistake.
The book is well written enough, and has lots of valuable information, but as the parent of a very... Read more
The book is well written enough, and has lots of valuable information, but as the parent of a very... Read more
Published on July 24, 2009 by Patrick Gavin
brilliant and fascinating
This is a brilliant and fascinating exploration that will be invaluable to parents, siblings, teachers, doctors and social workers. Read more
Published on July 12, 2009 by Susan Shapiro
Easy to Read Resource for Teachers and Parents by Debra Bruno
As a Special Education Teacher, I found this book invaluable to teachers and parents. It is written in a no-nonsense, easy to read style that aids anyone, who has the pleasure of... Read more
Published on April 2, 2009 by Debra Bruno Doscher
Invaluable Resource
What an invaluable resource. It is well organized, easy to understand and accesible. A great resource for parent's trying to make sense of their "Alaphabet Kid".
Published on April 2, 2009 by Mom of "Special Needs" Child
What an incredibly thorough resource tool.
My sister's child suffers from a form of Autism. It has been a long and difficult road in diagnosing my nephew's problems; heartbreaking, painful, confusing, frustrating, the list... Read more
Published on April 2, 2009 by Jeanne Spellman
Invaluable reference
I am a counselor in a k- 8 school. Many of the students I meet with have a learning disability. As part of my work I try to help the students and their parents understand their... Read more
Published on March 31, 2009 by Tracy Gresser
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