By Garyanna Stalick

There is a wealth of information written for children regarding death but very little information for a large number of children who have special needs. Even very young children experience grief. Understanding death at any age is difficult. Explaining death to a child with very little functional language is even more of a challenge. This book is designed to help parents and early childhood specialists give a child with limited language skills the information and support to deal with the death of a loved one. The goal of the book is to combine simple speech strategies with grief coping methods to assist a child who is functioning at or below the developmental age of three years. Using this information parents can create a social story regarding the circumstances facing their child.

Divided into two related parts, the first section of the book describes, through story, grief coping methods, and the second, using short phrases, demonstrates how simple stick figures can be used to create a social story. Simple languge is combined with tangible, non-abstract phrases to help the child find words to describe his or her actions and feelings.

Compassion Books is glad to have found this sensitive, intelligent book on this much needed subject.

Paperback, 36 Pages