Part IV – References and Resources

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

References

Adcock, D., Segal, M. (1983) Making Friends, (ways of encouraging social development in children) Prentice-Hall.

Aftel, M. (1996) The Story of Your Life, (becoming the author of your experience), Fireside of Simon & Shuster.

Allen, P. (1995) Art is a Way of Knowing, Shambala.

Armstrong, T. (1987) In Their Own Way, (discovering and encouraging child’s personal learning style) Tarcher.

Aspinwall, L., Staudingr, U. (2003) A Psychology of Human Strengths, (fundamental questions and future directions for a positive psychology) American Psychological Assoc.

Black, Evan, Roberts, J. (1998) Rituals for our Times, (celebrating our health, changing lives and relationships) Jason Aronson Inc.

Brooks, R. (1991) The Self-Esteem Teacher, AGS.

Burns, G. (1998) Nature Guided Therapy (brief integrated strategies for health and wellbeing) Brunner/Mazel.

Capacchione, L (1989) The Creative Journal for Children—a guide for parents, teachers and counselors (lots of exercises in writing and drawing to foster creativity, self-esteem and learning skills) Shambala.

Carnegie Corp. of NY (1992) A Matter of Time (risk and opportunity in the non-school hours).

Combs, G., Freedman, J. (1990) Symbol Story and Ceremony (using metaphor inindividual and family therapy) W. W. Norton.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997) Finding Flow (promoting creative abilities from engagement with the everyday life) Basic Books.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996) Creativity (flow and the psychology of discovery and invention), Harper Perennial.

Davis, D. (1993) Telling Your Own Stories (family and classroom journaling and storytelling) August House Pub.

Desetta, A., Wolin, S. (2000) The Struggle to be Strong (true stories by teens about overcoming tough times) Free Spirit Pub.

Driver, BL. (1991) Benefits of Leisure, Venture Pub. Co.

Hesley, J. and J. (1998) Rent Two Films and Let’s Talk in the Morning, John Wiley Pub.

Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences (theory in practice) Basic Books.

Gibbs, J. (1995) Tribes (new ways of learning and being together) Center Source Systems.

Goleman, D., (1995) Emotional Intelligence, Bantum Book.

Gottman, J., (1997) Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child. (what the heart of parenting is all about) Simon Schuster-Fireside.

Haggerty, R., et al., (1994) Stress, Risk, and Resilience in Children and Adolescents, Cambridge Press.

Hamilton, M., Weiss, W. (1999) How and Why Stories, August House Pub.

Institute of Medicine (1994) Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders, National Academy.

James, J. (1988) The Grief Recovery Book (moving beyond loss) Harper Periennal Press.

Kagan, R., (2004) Real Life Heroes, The Haworth Maltreatment and Trauma Press, NY.

Kagan, R., (2004) Rebuilding Attachments with Traumatized Children, The Haworth Maltreatment and Trauma Press, NY

Kast, V. (1991) Joy, Inspiration and Hope (the emotions of elation), Texas A&M Pub.

Keyes, C., Haidt, J. (2003) Flourishing, (positive psychology and the life well-lived), American Psychological Association.

Koot, H. (2001) Quality of Life in Child and Adolescent Illness, Brunner/Routledge.

Levick, M. (1998) See What I’m Saying(what children tell us through their art) Islewest Pub. through Carlisle Communications, Dubuque, IA.

Lieberman, A., Van Horn, P., (2005) Don’t Hit My Mommy (a manual for enhancing relations among caregivers and witnesses of family violence) Zero to Three Press, Washington, D.C.

L’Abate, L. (1990) Building Family Competence (primary and secondary prevention strategies) Sage Pub.

Luckner, J., Nadler, R. (1997) Processing the Experience, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co.

Malchiodi, C. (2005) Expressive Therapies, The Guilford Press.

Marner, T. (2000) Letters to Children ( how to supplement talking to children, using stories by summarizing and by writing a letter) Jessica Kingsley Pub, Phil.

McCombs, B. (1994) Motivating Hard to Reach Students, American Psychological Assoc.

Pennebaker, J. (1990) Opening Up (the healing of expressing emotions by telling, writing and journaling), The Guilford Press.

Pillemer, D. (1998) Momentous Events, Vivid Memories (how unforgettable moments help us understand the meaning of our lives) Harvard Univ.

Pope, A. et al., (1988) Self-Esteem Enhancement with Children and Adolescents, Pergamon Press.

Powell, T. (1985) Brothers and Sisters—a Special Part of Exceptional Families, Brookes.

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (1996) Coming Up Taller (arts and humanities programs for children and youth at risk).

Seligman, M. (1990) Learned Optimism, Pocket Books.

Seligman, M. (1995) The Optimistic Child (building resilience) Houghton Mifflin Press.

Shames, S. (1997) Pursuing the Dream (a picture portrait of what helps children and their families succeed) Aperture Foundation.

Smith, S. (1991) Succeeding Against the Odds (how the learning disabled can realize their promise) Tarcher.

Youngs, B. (1991) How to Develop Self-Esteem in Your Child, Fawcett.

Werner, E., Smith, R. (1992) Overcoming the Odds, Cornell Press.

Willis, D., et al., (1992) Prevention of Child Maltreatment, Wiley Interscience Pub.

Wright, L, Watson, W, Bell, J., (1996) Beliefs—The Heart of Healing in Families and Illness (comprehensive family model of understanding the role beliefs, values and assumptions play in illness stories and wellbeing outcomes) Basic Books.

Most importantly, since Part IV is about coping and high-level adaptation, we want to emphasize the high degree of stress and strain, pressured lifestyles and hectic schedules to which our children and families are subjected from many sources as described in the above texts.

Educational and Psychological Perspectives on Stress in Students, Teachers and Parents, by B. Phillips, Clinical Psychology Pub. Co., Inc. (1993). Identify ways to make them feel more at ease and comforted. This may involve referral to food, housing and transportation services, or to assessment of basic safety needs. It may also entail assessment of schedules and routines, but we continue to assuage stress, teach relaxation, visualization and breathing techniques to help with stress reduction. Student Stress Manual: Management for Adolescents, A Cognitive Behavior Program, by Diane de Anda, (2002), and The Power of Relaxation, by Patrice Thomas, (2003), explores Tai Chi and visualization as stress reducers. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, by Martha Davis, et al., or similar compositions, (check bookstore) should be in every household. Helping Children Cope With Stress, by Brenner, and Coping Skill Interventions for Children and Adolescents, by Susan Foreman, are two compendiums appropriate for classrooms.

The model we want to present in this section in a very small way is how to create a little child-family experience, usually as part of the Family Health and Promotion Plan, where the family already is showing a step toward the intervention and we use that as a strength. We try to keep things interactional and build on potential for relationship. We constantly survey safety needs, regulatory abilities, relations, discovery and creativity, and ways to promote context outside of our visits. This is what is behind our idea to have the child “pick out a book” from our collection, which was donated by a benefactor. Yes, we’re interested in promoting literacy, but primarily we are attempting to build routine, affection, transition and a sense of belonging. We feel if the child is motivated to get a book in the presence of the parent, we just might also get them sitting down together near bedtime. The words from children’s literature are not just for kids, but important for adults too and when shared, there is a resonance between both. In Crow and Weasel, Badger says that stories have a way of taking care of people: “We need to take care of our stories and give them away when needed—sometimes they are more important than food.” People care for themselves by sharing memories of mutually valued ideas such as ways to nurture hope, commitment and resolve.

Two sources for this idea come from Hancock, M., (2004), A Celebration of Literature and Response, Pearson;. and Jacobs, J., (2004), Children’s Literature Briefly, (genres of children’s books and examples), Pearson. Again, we’re interested in having the child narrate their experience in words and/or pictures. Caldecott and some Honor Books are a must (see your library) and offer vivid stories and pictures for kids to readily identify and become absorbed in sharing in the experience. Such titles as, Where the Wild Things, The Wave, Frog and Toad, Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, The Polar Express, Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest , and of course, The Ugly Duckling. Newbery Medal books represent the most distinguished of children’s literature and include titles such as, Hope Was There, Ella Enchanted, Moonchild, What Hearts, and Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind. A children’s librarian may offer books with story themes about areas the child is currently dealing with, such as divorce, loss, birth and sibling rivalry.

We may also give out a disposable camera, and the family pays for developing the photos. We recommend the child take pictures of those things they like as well as things they dislike. Each snapshot a child takes is a type of self-portrait, a sort of a mirror with memory that reflects moments and people that are special enough to photograph. Photos may offer an opportunity to grapple with ambivalence, contrast, and tension in child’s life. We are interested in photography as communication rather than as art. Photos may also be taken of friends and those events that describe identity and how family and friends fit together. Again, between parents and ourselves we query what motives are behind each photograph, with who, what, when, where and what is its story? Another suggestion: what about a memory book or picture album? These can give more of a lifeline and help get a better picture of the child’s life. Click on this link for www.phototherapy-centre.com/home.htm.

Another transition activity for the purpose of children’s learning—not just about their disability for which there is much published—but to have them find out about themselves, and who they are beyond their condition. Sometimes this becomes very specific to freckles, a special birth mark, color of eyes, food enjoyed, or favorite music and activities. We promote the completion of one of the three following journals (if there is a problem with writing—ask the parent to make the entries.) These keepsake journals are fun, colorful and motivating for the children to complete over time. All About Me and More About Me as well as Through My Eyes—a Journal for Teens are all by Linda Kranz at http://www.lindakranz.com/books_journals-kids.php. Also, Real Life Heroes—A Life Storybook for Children 9-12, who, with help, complete exercises in a workbook that when complete is an autobiography of their life. (Order it through Sidran Traumatic Stress Institute, 410-825-8888 or www.sidran.org/). Check out on a webserver “Children’s Journaling.” We like www.scrapbooking101.com (some marketing here, but neat ideas). Also, see www.dosomethingimportant.com, especially the kids’ section.

Finally, following through on our emphasis of securing meaning and purpose for child-family experiences, Martin Seligman, et al., has for several years emphasized positive psychology, looking for positive strengths, virtues, and evidence of character or signature development, all of which promote resiliency and are in keeping with the themes of this section. Check it out on the web at www.authentichappiness.org. Seligman’s book and website includes checklists and surveys as personal assessment tools for the adult and for the child with adult guidance. Parents can complete the surveys/checklists about themselves and the children and use them as a basis for family re-focus. In his book, Authentic Happiness, Seligman provides a framework to restructure one’s life (both adult and child) through strength identification, utilization of signature strengths and resiliency-happiness building. One’s thinking (family thinking) is shifted from a position of weakness, depression and even despair to a new vitality, in order to look at the past with satisfaction, the future with optimism and the present with happiness. As important as Seligman’s The Optimistic Child for building lifelong resilience is C.R. Snyder’s The Psychology of Hope and an important chapter on nurturing hope in children and includes keeping a child’s will and desire alive toward “waypower” or believing in many pathways toward their goals.

We continue to look for ways to both generate and measure the effects of resiliency resources. Dr. Reuven Bar-On has many years of experience developing a research-based child self-reporting of perceived emotional-social intelligence ( EQ-I ). These are the non-verbal, early development skills leading to healthy attachment, communication, problem-solving and the basis for academic symbol acquisition, also toward health, wellbeing and a sound body. Check out Dr. Bar-On’s website as well as two web sources discussing these concepts, www.eqtoday.com./ and www.eq.org/. Have parents read Dan Gottman’s Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, (1997), and ask how their parenting experience changed as a result of reading and talking about it.