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The Sociology of Health Promotion: Critical Analyses of Consumption, Lifestyle and Risk
by Sarah Nettleton Robin Bunton Roger BurrowsPromotion of health has become a central feature of health policy at local, national and international levels, forming part of global health initiatives such as those endorsed by the World Health Organisation. The issues examined in The Sociology of Health Promotion include sociology of risk, the body, consumption, processes of surveillance and normalisation and considerations relating to race and gender in the implementation of health programmes. It will be invaluable reading for students, health promoters, public health doctors and academics.
The Sociology of Health and Healing: A Textbook
by Margaret Stacey Professor Margaret Stacey"...It is well-written and well-referenced...this is an important, innovative, enjoyable textbook which can be highly recommended for use in undergraduate and postgraduate sociology courses on health related subjects, and which will be of value in courses on women's studies and gender. It will also be of interest to inquiring health care practitioners of whatever persuasion." - Sociology "This book takes a bold step in pointing new directions for sociological and social-historical studies of health and health care." - Social History of Medicine Throughout the book, the division of labour in health care, especially as it relates to social class and gender divisions, is taken as central. Its particular characteristic, and one that distinguishes it from other texts in this field, is that feminist critiques of health care are considered alongside the mainstream writing in the social history of medicine, and in medical sociology. Part I takes an historical approach to the types of healing knowledge, the modes of treatment, and the organization of health care found in Europe over the last four hundred years. Part II is a sociological analysis of contemporary health care covering concepts of health and illness, the organization of the National Health Service, the division of labour, the impact of international capitalism, and the issues at stake in arguments about human reproduction.
The Sociology of Health and Illness: A Reader (Routledge Student Readers)
by Michael Bury Jonathan GabeA wide-ranging collection of both classic writings and more recent articles in the sociology of health and illness, this reader is organized into the following sections: * health beliefs and knowledge* inequalities and patterning of health and illness* professional and patient interaction* chronic illness and disability* evaluation and politics in health care. With a thorough introduction which sets the scene for the field as a whole, and section introductions which contextualize each chapter, the reader includes a number of different perspectives on health and illness, is international in scope, and will provide an invaluable resource to students across a wide range of courses in sociology and the social sciences.
The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness
by Gregory L. Weiss Denise CopeltonWith thorough coverage of inequality in health care access and practice, this leading textbook has been widely acclaimed by teachers as the most accessible of any available. It introduces and integrates recent research in medical sociology, and emphasizes the importance of race, class, gender, and sexuality throughout. This new edition leads students through the complexities of the evolving Affordable Care Act. It significantly expands coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care—topics that students typically debate in the classroom. Many new text boxes and enhancements in pedagogy grace this new edition, which is essential in the fast-changing area of health care. New to this edition: More text boxes relating the social aspects of medicine to students’ lives. Expanded coverage leading students through the complex impacts of the ACA and health care reform. Greater emphasis on sexual minority health and LGBTQ+ persons’ experiences in the health care system. Expanded coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care. ‘Health and the Internet’ sections are updated and renovated to create more interactive student assignments. New end-of-chapter lists of terms, with key terms as flash cards on the companion website. An updated instructor’s guide, with test bank.
The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness
by Gregory L. Weiss Denise CopeltonWith thorough coverage of inequality in health care access and practice, this leading textbook is widely acclaimed by instructors as the most comprehensive of any available. Written in an engaging and accessible style, with multiple student-friendly features, it integrates recent research in medical sociology and public health to introduce students to a wide range of issues affecting health, healing, and health care today. This new edition links information on COVID-19 into each chapter, providing students with a solid understanding of the social history of medicine; social epidemiology; social stress; health and illness behavior; the profession of medicine; nurses and allied health workers; complementary and alternative medicine; the physician-patient relationship; medical ethics; and the financing and organization of medical care. Important changes and enhancements in the eleventh edition include: Inclusion of material on COVID-19 in the main text of every chapter, with special sections at the end of each chapter exploring additional intersections of COVID-19 with chapter content. Expanded coverage of fundamental cause theory and the social determinants of health. New centralized discussions of how and why social disparities in race, class, gender, and sexual identity impact health outcomes in the United States. New “In the Field” boxed inserts on topics such as medical education and student debt, physicians’ use of medical jargon, and corporate greed. New “In Comparative Focus” boxed inserts on topics such as the 1918 influenza pandemic, infant and maternal mortality in Afghanistan, the patient care coordination process, drug prices, long-term care, and global health. A more in-depth look at both physician and nursing shortages. Expanded discussion of nurse burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curricular and pedagogical changes in medical schools. Discussion of continued changes in the financing of the US health care system. A more in-depth look at quality concerns in nursing homes. Increased attention to the health care systems in Norway, Germany, Cuba, and Mexico. An updated instructor’s guide with test bank and PowerPoint slides.
The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness
by Gregory Weiss Denise CopeltonWith thorough coverage of inequality in health care access and practice across the field it surveys, The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness is widely acclaimed by instructors as the most comprehensive of any available. Written in an engaging and accessible style, with multiple student-friendly features, it integrates and contextualizes recent research in medical sociology and public health to introduce students to a wide range of issues affecting health, healing, and health care today.This new edition links information on COVID-19 into each chapter, providing students with timely and familiar examples to deepen their understanding of the many social dimensions of health care, such as the social history of medicine, social epidemiology, social stress, health and illness behavior, the medical profession, nurses and allied health workers, complementary and alternative medicine, the physician-patient relationship, medical ethics, and the financing and organization of medical care.Important changes and enhancements to this eleventh edition include: A heightened focus on social disparities in race, class, gender, and sexual identity, addressing how these differences impact health outcomes in the United States and why Updates to the boxed sections that explore topics “In the Field” and “In Comparative Focus,” sparking readers’ curiosity and drawing their attention to topics such as medical education and student debt, as well as the continuities and differences in health care and public health issues across time and space Thorough examination of newer perspectives and developments in the field, including the issue of nurse and physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, quality concerns in nursing homes, and the inner workings of health care systems in other parts of the world Improved support materials for instructors, featuring updated exam questions and lecture slides that correspond to the book’s newer content Altogether, the new edition of The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness maintains the foundational coverage of the field that the book is well known for and enriches its presentation with considered attention to contemporary patterns, perspectives, and research – perfect for introducing readers to the important and tremendously meaningful issues studied by medical sociologists.
The Sociology of Health, Healing, and Illness
by Lynne E. Lonnquist Gregory L. WeissWith thorough coverage of inequality in health care access and practice, this leading textbook has been widely acclaimed by teachers as the most accessible of any available. It introduces and integrates recent research in medical sociology and emphasizes the importance of race, class, gender throughout. This new edition leads students through the complexities of the evolving Affordable Care Act. It significantly expands coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care—topics students typically debate in the classroom. ?Many new textboxes and enhancements in pedagogy grace this new edition, which is essential in the fast-changing area of health care. New to this Edition *More textboxes relating the social aspects of medicine to students' lives *Expanded coverage leading students through the complex impacts of the ACA and health care reform? *Expanded coverage of medical technology, end-of-life issues, and alternative and complementary health care? *'Health and the Internet' sections updated and renovated toward student assignments? *New, end of chapter lists of terms *Updated test bank
The Sociology of Medical Regulation
by John Martyn ChamberlainThis book provides a comprehensive examination of the complex issues surrounding the regulation of the medical profession. It offers up-to-date information on the current legislative framework and institutional arrangements surrounding the regulation in the United Kingdom. Well organized and written in an accessible way, it offers an insight into key sociological theories surrounding medical regulation. It gives a historically situated analysis of the contemporary relationship between medicine, the state and the public, and an overview of relevant social scientific research. Case studies highlight the practical or applied circumstances in which issues can occur. Readers will gain insight into possible future directions for medical governance.
The Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
by Allen FurrThe Sociology of Mental Health and Illness explains sociology’s key contributions to our understanding of mental health, and serves as a strong counterpoint to the medical approach to the subject. Using both micro and macro-level theories, particularly social constructionism, the text shows the subjective nature of mental illness and systems of diagnosis and treatment. It also emphasizes how social conditions and relationships create life pathways toward mental health and psychological struggles, and uses the concept of "patient career" to describe how individuals interact with mental health professionals. In addition, the text explores the connections between mental health and social problems such as terrorism, substance abuse, criminal violence, suicide, and domestic violence.
The Sociology of Mental Health and Illness
by Allen FurrThe Sociology of Mental Health and Illness explains sociology’s key contributions to our understanding of mental health, and serves as a strong counterpoint to the medical approach to the subject. Using both micro and macro-level theories, particularly social constructionism, the text shows the subjective nature of mental illness and systems of diagnosis and treatment. It also emphasizes how social conditions and relationships create life pathways toward mental health and psychological struggles, and uses the concept of "patient career" to describe how individuals interact with mental health professionals. In addition, the text explores the connections between mental health and social problems such as terrorism, substance abuse, criminal violence, suicide, and domestic violence.
The Sociology of South Asian Women’s Health
by Sara Rizvi JafreeThis contributed volume is the first-known collection of essays that brings together scholarly review, critiques, and primary and secondary data to assess how sociocultural factors influence health behavior in South Asian women. The essays are authored by working scholars or healthcare practitioners from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. In the chapters, the contributors acknowledge social, economic, and environmental factors to recommend improved interventions and health policy for women of the region.Studies on South Asian women’s health have targeted clinical evidence, with less attention on social and environmental factors driving health recovery and health outcomes. The South Asian region, more than any other part of the world, is driven by traditional and cultural forces that are possibly the most significant factors determining a woman’s health awareness and her rights to adopt healthy behavior or pursue health recovery. Women of the region share a common culture and political history, and there are benefits to understanding their problems collectively in order to design joint improvements in health policy for women.Salient, but neglected, socio-political areas that influence health behavior and health outcomes in women of the region are covered in the chapters including:Oral Narrations of Social Rejection Suffered by South Asian Women with Irreversible Health Conditions Women’s Role in Decision-Making for Health Care in South Asia Poverty, Health Coverage, and Credit Opportunities for South Asian WomenRefugee, Displaced, and Climate-Affected Women of South Asia and Their Health ChallengesThe Political Sociology of South Asian Women’s HealthThe Sociology of South Asian Women’s Health is a useful resource for students, researchers, and academicians, especially those interested in public health, gender, social policy, and occupational management, as well as healthcare practitioners, administrators, health and public policy-makers, government officers, and scholars of South Asian studies.
The Sociology of the Caring Professions
by Pamela Abbott; Liz MeerabeauThis text provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the sociology of professions. It covers social work, probation, nursing, midwifery and health visiting and looks at key topics such as control and legal relationships, the relationship of gender and care, and the 'new managerialism'.
The Sociology of the Health Service
by Michael Bury Jonathan Gabe Michael CalnanThe Sociology of the Health Service responds directly to the need to develop a sociological analysis of current health policy. Topics covered vary from privatisation and health service management to health education and the politics of professional power. Also included is an histroical review of sociology's contributions to health policy and proposals for an agenda for sociological health policy research in the 1990s.
The Soft Tissue Release Handbook
by Mary Sanderson Jim OdellFor practitioners of massage therapy, sports massage, remedial massage, and physical therapy, soft tissue release is a powerful tool in treating chronic pain conditions such as shoulder impingement, tennis elbow, and iliotibial band friction syndrome. Soft tissue release also aids post-surgical recovery and is used in the treatment of highly trained athletes, dancers, and musicians who wish to tackle those small but key tissue areas needed to maintain and improve their performance. The soft tissues consist of muscle fibers, myofascia, tendons, and ligaments. The all-encompassing nature of this connective tissue is becoming increasingly fascinating to bodywork practitioners of all kinds, including massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, orthopedic nurses and doctors, and sports therapists. Treatment of the soft tissues continues to gain momentum, and there are many exciting research developments that demonstrate how manipulation of these tissues can have profound effects on the structure and function of the musculoskeletal system. Skilled release of the soft tissues reduces the need for adjustments or joint mobilizations, because appropriate release improves joint movement. Freeing the joints and enhancing the health of the soft tissues also facilitates a superior and lasting response to rehabilitation programs. The Soft Tissue Release Handbook is aimed at practicing therapists who wish to address the soft tissues precisely and effectively, whether as an adjunct to existing bodywork techniques or as a treatment modality in itself. The skills presented in this book can be immediately applied in the clinic with existing and new clients. Graphic illustrations of the key muscles involved in movement, as well as over 200 full-color photographs of the technique in action, make this an easy-to-use and practical guide.
The Soldier She Could Never Forget
by Tina BeckettSome things you never forget... Your first time. Your first love. Your first broken heart. Or, in Jessi Riley's case, all three combined in one...as Clinton Marks. Bad boy extraordinaire, Clint left town the night of Jessi's graduation, after sharing one unforgettable night together. Now, two decades later, he's back in her life as the military doctor looking after her daughter! As shared memories float to the surface, Jessi and Clint can no longer deny their longing for each other. Could it be that second time around, one night will become forever?
The Somatosensory System: Deciphering the Brain's Own Body Image
by Randall J. NelsonExploring new and past research in the understanding of how the brain deals with its own body image, this book provides a review of pertinent literature and offers comprehensive descriptions of technical approaches. The material includes new frameworks for the conceptualization of the system's representations, scientific and clinical applications that stem from these approaches based on the new concepts, and a discussion of tools used to study the interface of the brain and the body. The book provides computational strategies for sensorimotor integration of the mammalian brain and includes algorithms for the design and implementation of haptic interfaces and tactile displacement.
The Song of Our Scars: The Untold Story of Pain
by Haider WarraichA doctor&’s personal and unsparing account of how modern medicine&’s failure to understand pain has made care less effectiveIn The Song of Our Scars, physician Haider Warraich offers a bold reexamination of the nature of pain, not as a simple physical sensation, but as a cultural experience.Warraich, himself a sufferer of chronic pain, considers the ways our notions of pain have been shaped not just by science but by politics and power, by whose suffering mattered and whose didn&’t. He weaves a provocative history from the Renaissance, when pain transformed into a medical issue, through the racial legacy of pain tolerance, to the opiate epidemics of both the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, to the cutting edge of present-day pain science. The conclusion is clear: only by reckoning with both pain&’s complicated history and its biology can today&’s doctors adequately treat their patients&’ suffering.Trenchant and deeply felt, The Song of Our Scars is an indictment of a broken system and a plea for a more holistic understanding of the human body.
The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human
by Siddhartha MukherjeeWinner of the 2023 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences and the 2023 Chautauqua Prize! Named a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Book of the Year by The Economist, Oprah Daily, BookPage, Book Riot, the New York Public Library, and more! In The Song of the Cell, the extraordinary author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Emperor of All Maladies and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Gene &“blends cutting-edge research, impeccable scholarship, intrepid reporting, and gorgeous prose into an encyclopedic study that reads like a literary page-turner&” (Oprah Daily).Mukherjee begins this magnificent story in the late 1600s, when a distinguished English polymath, Robert Hooke, and an eccentric Dutch cloth-merchant, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek looked down their handmade microscopes. What they saw introduced a radical concept that swept through biology and medicine, touching virtually every aspect of the two sciences, and altering both forever. It was the fact that complex living organisms are assemblages of tiny, self-contained, self-regulating units. Our organs, our physiology, our selves—hearts, blood, brains—are built from these compartments. Hooke christened them &“cells.&” The discovery of cells—and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem—announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. A hip fracture, a cardiac arrest, Alzheimer&’s dementia, AIDS, pneumonia, lung cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, COVID pneumonia—all could be reconceived as the results of cells, or systems of cells, functioning abnormally. And all could be perceived as loci of cellular therapies. Filled with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling, The Song of the Cell tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. Told in six parts, and laced with Mukherjee&’s own experience as a researcher, a doctor, and a prolific reader, The Song of the Cell is both panoramic and intimate—a masterpiece on what it means to be human. &“In an account both lyrical and capacious, Mukherjee takes us through an evolution of human understanding: from the seventeenth-century discovery that humans are made up of cells to our cutting-edge technologies for manipulating and deploying cells for therapeutic purposes&” (The New Yorker).
The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor
by Arthur KleinmanA moving memoir and an extraordinary love story that shows how an expert physician became a family caregiver and learned why care is so central to all our lives and yet is at risk in today's world.When Dr. Arthur Kleinman, an eminent Harvard psychiatrist and social anthropologist, began caring for his wife, Joan, after she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, he found just how far the act of caregiving extended beyond the boundaries of medicine. In The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor, Kleinman delivers a deeply humane and inspiring story of his life in medicine and his marriage to Joan, and he describes the practical, emotional and moral aspects of caretaking. He also writes about the problems our society faces as medical technology advances and the cost of health care soars but caring for patients no longer seems important.Caregiving is long, hard, unglamorous work--at moments joyous, more often tedious, sometimes agonizing, but it is always rich in meaning. In the face of our current political indifference and the challenge to the health care system, he emphasizes how we must ask uncomfortable questions of ourselves, and of our doctors. To give care, to be "present" for someone who needs us, and to feel and show kindness are deep emotional and moral experiences, enactments of our core values. The practice of caregiving teaches us what is most important in life, and reveals the very heart of what it is to be human.
The Soul of Medicine: Spiritual Perspectives and Clinical Practice
by John R. Peteet Michael N. D’AmbraTo what extent should spiritual information be part of a patient’s medical assessment? How should physicians respond when patients refuse life-saving care on religious grounds? Should doctors pray with their patients? Questions such as these raise deeper ones about the goals of medicine and the nature of healing. In a set of engaging and candid essays, The Soul of Medicine explores the role and influence of spirituality in clinical practice, professionalism, and medical education.The contributors to this volume approach this topic from their own spiritual perspectives—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, New Age / Eclectic, secular, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Scientist. Their thought-provoking essays provide rich insights not only into the needs of patients with various world views but also into how spirituality influences the practice of medicine.When their own spiritual issues arise in medical practice, physicians rely on their professionalism, ethics, and education. To better understand how various world views are incorporated into clinical work, doctors must ask themselves—as these contributors have—a series of important questions: What insights about life and healing does your faith provide? How does your faith challenge or reinforce contemporary medicine? How do you assess and address spirituality in clinical practice? How do your own beliefs influence your interactions with patients?The Soul of Medicine encourages medical students and practitioners to recognize the spiritual dimensions of medicine, to consider how these dimensions inform their own education and practice, and to be compassionate about their patients’—and their own—religious beliefs.
The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves
by Curt ThompsonThe Gospel Coalition Top Books of 2015 in Faith and WorkHearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, Applied Theology, Basic Christian Living, Whole Life DiscipleshipWe're all infected with a spiritual disease. Its name is shame.Whether we realize it or not, shame affects every aspect of our personal lives and vocational endeavors. It seeks to destroy our identity in Christ, replacing it with a damaged version of ourselves that results in unhealed pain and brokenness. But God is telling a different story for your life.Psychiatrist Curt Thompson unpacks the soul of shame, revealing its ubiquitous nature and neurobiological roots. He also provides the theological and practical tools necessary to dismantle shame, based on years of researching its damaging effects and counseling people to overcome those wounds.Thompson's expertise and compassion will help you identify your own pains and struggles and find freedom from the lifelong negative messages that bind you. Rewrite the story of your life and embrace healing and wholeness as you discover and defeat shame's insidious agenda.
The Soul of a Doctor: Harvard Medical Students Face Life and Death
by Jerome E. Groopman Gordon Harper Sachin H. Jain Susan PoriesTrue stories of transitioning from medical school classrooms to the realities of the hospital: “Moving, eloquent, and often unforgettable” (Atul Gawande, MD). After years of practice, doctors can sometimes seem aloof, uncaring, and hurried. What goes on in their minds? Were they always like that, or has their work changed them? And how do some physicians manage to retain their warmth and humanity over the course of a long career? This “thoughtful and illuminating” book takes us into the day-to-day lives of third-year medical students at an Ivy League school—just starting out in their profession and dealing with patients face-to-face for the first time (Publishers Weekly). In their own words, more than forty of them reveal what it’s really like to enter this field, having their principles of scientific rigor and idealism tested as they cope with real people and real crises in real time. This doctor’s-eye view of the dramas—and occasional comedies—of the world of health care offers fascinating insights about clinical medicine and a behind-the-scenes look at a job that can range from repetitive routines to life-and-death decisions at any given moment. These stories “offer a unique vantage on illness, life, and struggle—capturing in vivid glimpses that crucial moment in a doctor’s life when one transitions from outsider to insider” (Atul Gawande, MD, New York Times–bestselling author of Being Mortal). “Thoughtful and illuminating.” —Publishers Weekly
The Soul of the Matter: A Novel
by Bruce BuffA scientist's claim that he's found the secrets of the universe's origin encoded in DNA sparks a race against time to uncover the truth in this fast-paced thriller of science and faith, power and murder, loss and redemption.Dan Lawson, a former government cyber-intelligence analyst, is surprised to be contacted by his estranged friend Stephen Bishop, a renowned geneticist. Stephen says that he's discovered amazing information within DNA, including evidence of a creator, and needs Dan's help to protect his findings. Dan is skeptical and wonders whether he is being manipulated, or if the recent illness of Stephen's only child, Ava, has caused his childhood friend to fall back on religion for answers to questions best left to science. Spurred by his desire for proof that life has meaning, however, Dan puts aside his doubts and agrees to help. When an experiment goes terribly awry, Dan realizes he must get to the bottom of Stephen's discoveries. With the help of Trish Alighieri, a pediatric oncologist trying to save Ava's life, Dan desperately searches for answers--including whether the human soul can survive science's conquest of nature.
The Sound of Heaven: A Novel
by Joseph OlshanA powerful novel of family secrets, doomed passion, and the fragile love between a bisexual man and an emotionally damaged woman A talented musician, James arrives in Italy in 1983, just ahead of the panic in New York City caused by the burgeoning AIDS epidemic. In Rome, the Eternal City, he meets Diana. Their attraction is intense and immediate. A passionate relationship is born and soon they are inseparable, reveling in their shared love of art and Italian culture. But storm clouds hang over their union: dark secrets of abuse from his youth, her pain over her brother&’s death, and James&’s open admission that he has known other men sexually. Back in New York, their relationship falls apart. For James and Diana, it is time to move on; to come to terms with the ghosts that haunt their lives and family histories; to find new paths and new lovers. But the darkness of their relationship is inescapable and persistent even though their love is gone. James has received news that will impact both their lives in devastating ways: He is HIV positive. Joseph Olshan&’s The Sound of Heaven is an extraordinary novel, at once romantic and troubling, terrifying and compassionate.
The Sound of Hope: Recognizing, Coping with, and Treating Your Child’s Auditory Processing Disorder
by Lois Kam HeymannThere is more to listening than just hearing. A miraculous process that begins in the womb, learning to communicate is a vital part of expressing oneself and of understanding and interacting with the world. A child's ability to listen well affects every aspect of his or her life. But for some 1.5 million children in the United States who have normal hearing and intelligence, communication and language are blocked. Words are jumbled and distorted. These children have a hard time following directions and become frustrated in trying to make themselves understood, which often leads to unruly behavior, poor school performance, social isolation, and low self-esteem. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects the brain's ability to accurately process the sounds of speech, which in turn impedes the ability to communicate. Experts are just beginning to unlock the mystery of this confounding condition. As a result, APD is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. But hope is here. Now veteran speech-language pathologist Lois Kam Heymann offers the first practical guide to help parents dramatically improve the listening and language skills of their children, whether they have a diagnosed auditory processing disorder, slow language development--or simply need practice listening. Inside this reassuring, action-oriented book you'll find * easy-to-identify milestones to help parents pinpoint challenges that may arise during each stage of their child's development from birth to age eight* the tools and checklists needed to assist parents in recognizing APD early* tips to distinguish APD from other listening/learning disorders, including ADD, ADHD, LPD, and PDD* methods to encourage a child's natural listening abilities through books, stories, nursery rhymes, songs, lullabies, toys, and games * home techniques to hone a child's auditory processing--whether he or she has severe APD limitations or just needs to build listening "muscles"* specific suggestions on how to improve a child's listening skills outside the home--at school, during after-school activities, even when at a restaurant* an analysis of traditional classroom settings and effective ways parents can advocate for better sound quality* guidelines for finding the right professionals to work with your child With hands-on ways for improving a child's ability to listen to instructions, process information, and follow directions, parents can turn simple activities into powerful listening lessons in only minutes a day. The bottom line: Learning how to listen in our noisy, complicated world is the key to a happy and engaged child.