Page 95 - Issue 112 May-June 2021

Book reviews by Mary Mountstephen Therapeutic Adventures With Autistic Children: Connecting Through Movement, Play and Creativity J. Torrance Jonas Torrance is a registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist and a behaviour consultant, who has worked with autistic children for over 30 years. He is also involved in training for teachers and parents. In the introduction, Torrance points out that the book is intended as a practical, stories based book, rather than a theoretical or academic text. It is aimed at a wide audience, including autistic people themselves. Chapters include: • Through the Swinging Door of Autism • In the Moment: Dancing at the Edges • Yoga: Going Inside to Get Outside Each chapter is based around a story/ illustration of a student the author has worked with and this helps to highlight the range of strategies that can be effective to support the individual. Practical Possibilities at the end of each chapter provide strategies and are based on his extensive knowledge and expertise. This is ‘a vivid exploration’ of working with children who can be challenging, and it covers many of the behaviours that are often associated with autism and then provides appropriate interventions such as drawing, dancing and martial arts. The key message is the transformative effect of developing the relationship between the therapist and the child. A super book that is highly recommended. Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78592-455-2 £14.99 Positive Body Image in the Early Years: A Practical Guide Dr R. MacConville Dr Ruth MacConville is an educational consultant and author, with extensive experience in a range of special and mainstream settings. She regularly contributes to national conferences on the subject of body image and on promoting social and emotional health and wellbeing in children and young people. In this book, her third publication, she aims to promote body confidence in young children, based on her understanding that very little practical advice and guidance was available to early years practitioners. In the opening chapter, the author outlines the key characteristics of positive body image, and these include aspects such as body acceptance and love, broad conception of beauty and listening to and taking care of the body. The resilient child who is body confident is characterised as one who can say: • I have (a strong sense of belonging, family and friends) • I am (character strengths and personal qualities) • I can (a sense of mastery because of a child’s skills, talents and abilities) MacConville also provides information about a number of initiatives to support healthy habits for positive self-esteem and body confidence. These focus on the importance of ensuring that children are encouraged to establish healthy lifestyle habits through exercise and a healthy diet. An excellent and well-researched book. Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78592-459-0 £14.99 95 senmagazine.co.uk SEN112