Unfortunately, I could not get this file to open correctly. All of the text overlapped, and was so big that it didn't all fit on the page. I download this file type all the time, so I know it wasn't my ereader. I also tried using Adobe Digital Editions, and I had the same problem, so I was not able to read this title.

First and foremost, I could not have any more praise for this book - it's simply brilliant. It offers special needs children a way to communicate with those around them (particularly school staff and their peers) whilst at the same time providing explanations as to why their communication needs are different to others. It can be personalised, meaning that a young person can adapt it to their needs and share with teachers and suchlike. I love this book because it empowers individuals with special needs to be more independent and better understood. 5*!

I found this book to be useful. I have worked with autistic children and this fits them perfectly. Very good read for those who are around autistic kids.

One of the challenges of having a child with disabilities is introducing him or her to a new teacher or caregiver. This is especially challenging if the child is nonverbal. Out of this type of experience, Cindy Best and Joyce Shor Johnson have written Meet Me Where I'm At. Best notes that this book is based on a "guidebook" she made for her son when he was young "in order for his teachers to understand him." She "wanted to have a way to inform each teacher, coach, or adult he encountered along his journey that this is how he is wired."

Throughout, the plea is to "Meet me where I'm at." If the child runs away, can't sit still, doesn't seem attentive, or has trouble understanding, Best and Johnson offer some explanations and solutions. Even better, they leave space for your child to fill in his or her own needs. For example:
What works best for me is _________!
To learn best, sometimes I need to _________.
To quiet myself down, I _________.
In fact, these fill-in-the-blank sections have the greatest potential to make this book useful for each child or family. Some of Best's descriptions may fit your child's behaviors exactly. But every child is so different that you will want to add plenty of your own content. The best use for Meet Me Where I'm At is probably as a model. Use it as a template for writing your own personalized book, with pictures of your child, descriptions of his or her behavior and needs, and input from the child. This is what my wife has done, and all of my daughter's caregivers and teachers have been delighted to know exactly how to meet her where she's at.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

*thank you to NetGalley and Future Horizo­ns for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 stars.
What an excellent book! It is such a good idea and an important little book. This book is desigined for people to understand a child with mental disabilities and for the child to help others understand them. Written in an interactive way, the book says how a child will be reacting to a certain situation or question, and what that reaction really means. It teaches us that when a child behaves a certain way, they probably are not trying to express something the way that we might think but instead something much different. Patience is needed for children with disabilities, and this book translates what the child is really trying to say. Id definitely recommend this for anybody, but particularly parents,teachers and for other children who have a sibling with a disability or know of a kid in their classroom who does. Its quite a helpful book.