Resources

Web Sites

  1. AANE, the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity

    https://aane.org/

    AANE offers information, support, coaching, and training, as well as other services.

  2. Centers for Disease Control Essentials for Parenting Teens

    https://www.cdc.gov/parenting-teens/about/index.html

  3. Common Sense Media

    https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

    This website provides a wealth of information for clinicians and parents with regards to media for children and teens. It reviews all media (movies, books, television shows, apps, and podcasts) and provides a synopsis of the content. It has a “What Parents Need to Know” section for every review, noting the age the material would be appropriate for. It also indicates positive and beneficial messages in the media.

  4. Do2learn

    https://www.Do2learn.com

    Do2learn advertises itself as a “resource for individuals with special needs.” The site has games, activities, and resources for building social skills and developing emotion regulation , for helping with behavior management, and other issues. It can be used by clinicians, teachers, and families.

  5. Dougy Center

    https://www.Dougy.org

    The Dougy Center serves grieving children, teens, young adults, and families.

  6. Family Medical Coping Initiative (FMCI) of Children’s Hospital Boston

    https://www.childrenshospital.org/programs/family-medical-coping-initiative

    The Family Medical Coping Initiative (FMCI) is a multidisciplinary coping support educational program. Staff include a psychologist, social worker, and child life specialist. The website includes links to youtube webinars, brochures, and resources for a host of medical coping issues, such as needle phobia, bullying, and pill swallowing.

  7. Federation for Children with Special Needs

    https://fcsn.org

    The Federation offers support, services, and training.

  8. PFLAG

    https://plfag.org

    From the website: “PFLAG is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.”

  9. National Association for the Education of Young Children

    Resources for families with young children

    https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/for-families

  10. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

    https://www.Nctsn.org

    This website has valuable resources, trainings, information regarding treatment options and trauma-informed care.

  11. Sesame Workshop

    https://sesameworkshop.org/

    This website offers many resources for parents of young children.

  12. Stanford Medicine PDF of resources for parents of children with anxiety disorders

    ReadingListClinic.pdf

Books

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It is a list of books that we like to use and are accessible for many.

  1. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

    Faber and Mazlish’s (2012) classic parenting book teaches optimal communication skills for parents to use with their children, in an engaging format.

  2. Raising Human Beings: Creating a Collaborative PartnershipRoss Greene (2017) presents a useful and empowering way to think about parenting and discipline.

  3. Reviving Ophelia 25th Anniversary Edition: Saving the Selves of Adolescent GirlsPipher and Gilliam (2019) updated Pipher’s iconic Reviving Ophelia, addressing issues that adolescent girls face.

  4. Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less

    Leidy Klotz (2021) makes the argument that we often ignore removing something as a solution. Instead we solve problems by adding more in. We find this idea applicable to busy family lives.

  5. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

    This book, by Chip and Dan Heath (2010), discusses how we can use cognitions and feelings to create change.

  6. The Body Keeps the Score

    Bessel Van der Kolk (2015) addresses the impact of trauma on the body and brain and also explores treatment.

  7. The Parents’ Guide to Psychological First Aid: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Predictable Life Crises

    This volume, edited by Koocher, La Greca, Moorehead-Slaughter, and Lopez (2024), offers caregivers ways to manage everyday stressors and difficulties as children grow.

  8. The Way of Boys: Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Young Boys

    Rao and Seaton (2009) bring to the fore the issue of how boys’ behavior is interpreted, diagnosed, and medicated.

  9. Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents: How to Foster Resilience through Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (2nd ed.)

    Blaustein and Kinniburgh (2019) describe their approach, ARC, to helping traumatized children . Their approach includes caregiver guidance as a significant piece of the intervention strategy and they offer many tools toward that end.

  10. What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety

    Huebner and Matthews (2005) have created a series of “what to do when” workbooks, often utilizing CBT techniques, that parents can use to help children tackle common child concerns.

  11. When Your Child Hurts: Effective Strategies to Increase Comfort, Reduce Stress and Break the Cycle of Chronic Pain

    Rachael Coakley (2016) provides techniques and skills for parents to help their child dealing with pain.

Cooperative Games

Cooperative games are games during which everyone works together toward the same goal. All players either achieve the goal or do not together. The recommended ages for each game are listed, along with a link to the Board Game Geek (BGG) web page describing each one. Note that all of the ages are general recommendations. We have known families who have played the games with younger children than recommended, depending on the interests and capabilities of the individual child and family dynamics.