Page 87 - SEN114 September/October 2021

Book reviews
by Mary Mountstephen
Observational Drawing for Students with Dyslexia: Strategies, Tips and Inspiration
Q. Rankin and H. Riley
Qona Rankin is Dyslexia Coordinator at the Royal College of Art and delivers specifically designed drawing workshops with Howard Riley, who is Professor Emeritus, Swansea College of Art and his drawings have been exhibited internationally.
Chapters include:
• Dyslexia and the creative sector
• Observational drawing
• Drawing as a five step process
• Step back and reflect
• Examples of dyslexic artists’ creativity
The authors explain that they have produced the book as a practical resource to demonstrate how to structure perceptions of the world through a kind of language of drawing. The techniques and advice are developed from the drawing workshops they run and they have invented the word ‘visualcy’ to indicate being articulate with images ( in line with the terms literacy and numeracy).
This is essentially a practical guide to improving drawing, with many examples of creative ideas that students have come up with and blank spaces to draw and sketch. It will be of great value to students who are struggling to work around issues associated with their dyslexia and is full of encouragement and wisdom.
Jessica KingsleyPublishers ISBN: 978-1-78775-142-2
£ 16.99
The ESSENCE of Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Condition: Rethinking Co-Morbidities, Assessment, and Intervention
C. Gillberg
ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations) refers to the group of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, ADHD, and tic disorders, as well as some other conditions. Professor Gillberg has spent over 45 years conducting extensive clinical and research work in this field and has published over 700 scientific papers and many books. He makes a case for recognising that syndromes are rarely ‘pure’ and that, for example, 85% of school children with ADHD meet the criteria for at least one other learning/ communication. Psychiatric, neurological or medical disorder diagnosis.
Gillberg proposes that ESSENCE should be considered a public health problem and that families should have access to ‘one-stop shops’ where they can come into contact with specialists across the entire ESSENCE field, and with close collaboration with paediatric and school health services, as well as social services. Whereas he agrees that a main diagnosis can be made, it should almost always be framed
by additional diagnoses that then inform interventions and support. He also recommends strategies for informing children and teenagers about their diagnosis,with the aim of developing self-awareness about individual difficulties, as well as strengths.
This book demonstrates the author’s belief in whole-person assessments and interventions, and he makes a strong case for this approach.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78775-439-3
£ 18.99
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