Further reading
For those of you who might be interested in reading more about learning difficulties and how our thoughts and feelings effect how we understand and learn, from infancy to old age, here are some books that I have found useful and interesting:
Sinason, Valerie, Mental Handicap and the Human Condition. New Approaches from the Tavistock. Free Association Books 1992
An excellent book detailing some of the many complexities of cognitive and emotional growth and functioning, and how the two work together in everyday life. She describes secondary handicapping, behaviour a learning disabled person might adopt to help cope with their difficulties, but ultimately even more hindering.
Youell, Biddy, The Learning Relationship. Psychoanalytic Thinking in Education Karnac Books 2006
How we learn, beginning in infancy and then in school. It looks at the origins of learning in the infant's early relationships and how these later influence how the child relates to teachers and others in the school environment. Bullying, change and separation and special needs are a few of the subjects dealt with in this insightful and readable book.
Greenspan, Stanley. Engaging Autism. Using the Floortime approach to help children relate, communicate, and think. Da Capo Lifelong Books 2006
The author describes how parents and professionals can engage and draw children and adults with autism into more meaningful relationships. He provides many examples of how families can help their child and provides support for his approach from recent neuroscience writing and research.
Acquarone, Stella. Signs of Autism in Infants. Karnac 2007
Gives examples of very young infants showing signs of pre-autism and how treatment at this stage can help infants get back onto a healthy developmental trajectory.
Simpson, David and Miller, Linda. (editors) Unexpected Gains. Psychotherapy with people with learning difficulties. Karnac 2004
Papers by psychotherapists in the Learning Disabilities Service at the Tavistock Clinic detailing the work they have done with children and adults with learning disabilities.
Stroh, Katrin. Every Child Can Learn. Sage Publications 2008
A look at the early activities done spontaneously by normally developing infants and toddlers, based on the work of Piaget. When the child's development is delayed, the authors show how their method can help set the child back on track. This is a manual for parents/carers and professionals.
Gerhardt, Sue.Why Love Matters. Routledge 2004
Details how early interactions between babies and their parents affect how their brains grow and develop and how these relationships have lasting consequences.
