Child Development Media » Health and Disability 

According to the authors, "the main focus is always on the practical work, techniques and activities used to enable children to develop their learning, and to be able to play and communicate.”

The authors describe in detail, Functional Learning, a unique intervention approach that is based on the play and learning of typically developing children. In this approach, early play with objects is described as Learning Tools, the cognitive tools used by all children, cross-culturally, to learn and solve problems. The Learning Tools include placing, piling, banging, pairing, matching, sorting, sequencing, and brick-building.

In the book, a chapter is devoted to each one of the Learning Tools. Included are extensive step-by-step instructions and detailed drawings of practical activities that can be used to help children with developmental delay. This in-depth information enables parents and practitioners to set-up and provide Functional Learning sessions.

Organization of the book:

• Section I introduces the historical background of Functional Learning, describes normal play and development of learning based on the concept of Learning Tools, and outlines how to set-up Functional Learning sessions. Click here to read Every Child Can Learn: Chapter 3 of this Section.
• Section II and III explain how to facilitate individual Learning tools and how to use the Tools to encourage independent learning.
• Section IV addresses the development of language and communication, parent and family support, and feeding as a therapeutic tool.
• Section V describes Functional Learning in different settings and a workshop program to introduce Functional Learning.

The following comments about this book were given by professionals who treat developmentally delayed children with autism and other severe learning disabilities.

“Thank goodness there is now a clear and practical guide to this groundbreaking technique. The unique teaching approach described in this book helps children – even those with severe learning difficulties – to learn how to be ready to learn, spontaneously, from all their daily experiences. It is so well presented and explained here that I’m determined to recommend it to all the professionals and parents I meet. The originality of the approach is startling and the results fascinating both for students and teachers. This is the ultimate way to teach open ended thinking and problem solving skills to children whose emotional and developmental difficulties make it hard for them to learn'”- Richard Brooks, Advanced Practitioner, Oxfordshire Service for Autism

“Every Child Can Learn provides a wonderfully clear account of how children with a developmental delay can be helped to gain communication and problem-solving skills by exploring and using a range of 'learning tools'. The book and accompanying CD-Rom are highly unusual in being immensely practical, well adapted to what children like to do, and deliberately focused on learning through success. The authors' approach is based on a wealth of experience over many years. It is highly distinctive in having a well thought-through conceptual approach that involves a recognition of the need to tailor interventions to individual needs and particular family circumstances. Most of all, it provides a way to help children move on step by step as they progress in their development. Anyone working with children who experience developmental difficulties will learn an immense amount from this splendid guidebook” - Professor Sir Michael Rutter, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London

Children across a broad spectrum of diagnoses and age groups will benefit from the concepts within this book-and-video set. Together they provide the means to unlock a child’s potential through interactive learning, directed exploration, and basic problem solving.

The Authors:

KATRIN STROH trained as a speech and language therapist and has worked as a social worker and developmental therapist.

THELMA ROBINSON is clinical psychologist, Montessori teacher and developmental therapist

ALAN PROCTOR is a teacher working with emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and young adults, a child and family therapist and a developmental therapist.

Published by Sage Publications

232 Pages

Includes Book, Video CD, and PDF Guides within the CD