Understanding Katie [Paperback]

Elisa Shipon-Blum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Understanding Katie is a hands-on storybook written especially for children between the ages of 3-12 years of age who suffer from Selective Mutism and/or social phobia.

Selectively Mute/socially anxious children ‘cannot speak’ and feel afraid when they are in various social situations, such as school. This can be a very isolating feeling. Understanding Katie will help these children realize that they are not alone and there are others in this world who feel as they do. The goal for this book is to help Selectively Mute/socially anxious children identify with Katie’s feelings by reading about her trials and tribulations in ‘a day in the life of’ Katie. Children can color and draw on the illustrations as a means of expressing themselves and personalizing Katie.

Editorial Reviews

Review

My daughter loves the book! She colored every page and reads it every day! -- Sara Dilmer, Phila. PA

Well written and a beautiful story! -- K. Garber, NYC

About the Author

Elisa Shipon-Blum DO is the CEO and Executive Medical Director of the Childhood Anxiety Network, Inc (CAN) and the Selective Mutism Group Childhood Anxiety Network. (SMG~CAN). Dr. Shipon-Blum is the President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (SMART-Center) located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In addition, Dr. Shipon-Blum is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology and Family Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is a board certified family physician with a subspecialty in Selective Mutism.

Dr. Shipon-Blum, or "Dr. E" as her patients refer to her, has dedicated years to studying, researching and treating individuals with Selective Mutism. She consults worldwide with families, treating- professionals and educators, and has helped hundreds upon hundreds of children from around the world overcome Selective Mutism. In addition, Dr. Shipon-Blum lectures throughout the country on the topic of Selective Mutism, and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the treatment and understanding of the childhood anxiety disorder, Selective Mutism.

Dr. Shipon-Blum prides herself on being 'down to earth' and 'easy to speak to', and resides with her four young children and husband in the NE suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971480036
• ISBN-13: 978-0971480032
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for parents, teachers and child, April 12, 2005

By 

KMM (Lowell, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Katie (Paperback)

I have found all of Dr. Shipon-Blum's materials to be very helpful in the treatment of SM. It is hard sometimes to explain this condition to others in the family, school, etc....this book gives a basic story of a little girl with SM, how she feels, how she acts and how her parents and teachers work to help her. My SM 6-yr-old and his sisters enjoy reading this story, too, and although he does not experience all of the same symptoms, he does relate to Katie, which I think has been helpful. It is a good springboard for discussion with your child.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very helpful for my daughter, March 24, 2006

By 

R. Reid (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Understanding Katie (Paperback)

This book was very helpful for my daughter with selective mutism. She realized for the first time that she was not the only kid with this problem. When we received it she read it every night and started to talk about how she felt. We shared this book with her teacher and her best friend, they too had no idea that this was how she felt. My daughter is 8 years old and this book was maybe a bit on the young side for her. It would be great for younger children with selective mutism and for those who need to understand how they feel.

3.0 out of 5 stars More appropriate for GRADES 4 to 8., February 19, 2010

By 

Lisa Crumpton-murray - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Understanding Katie (Paperback)

While this book is an easy read and provides good insight into SM for older readers, it is not appropriate for children as young as 4 (as indicated in the product information provided). It is too long, contains too many references to the title character's behavior chart system, and fairly uninteresting pictures to engage the attention of youngsters. I have used it to a limited degree with some kindergarten girls, but I had to adapt the verbiage and skip some of it completely in order to hold their attention. In the end, they voted more for When My Worries Get Too Big! A Relaxation Book for Children Who Live with Anxiety.

Understanding Katie might be somewhat useful for a young child with SM who is already on a chart or token system, but not really a good read for other youngsters. The treatment guide available as a separate purchase is great information, but too expensive for what it is, in my opinion.