Abstract

This engaging colour illustrated book explores the difficulties faced by 'frogs with a different croak'. Aimed at children with autism and related spectrum conditions, Teacher Toad's lessons pick up on social and physical difficulties and the kind of behaviours that can get young frogs into trouble. Each lesson gives practical advice on issues covering everything from hard-to-break habits to physical coordination difficulties.

Without using `labels', Midori Ochiai writes about a range of conditions in a child-friendly, non-threatening way that encourages a positive and fun approach to understanding, accepting and accommodating difference.

A helpful appendix provides background information. Ideal for reading with children, this book will be helpful to parents and professionals.

Ochiai aims to use the book to help children who are 'a bit different' to identify their differences in themselves in order to help them more easily figure out how to get by in the world. She also clearly states that it is all right to be different or unique.
Children, Young People & Families
This engaging color illustrated book explores the difficulties faced by 'frogs with a different croak'. Aimed at children with autism and related spectrum conditions, Teacher Toad's lessons pick up on social and physical difficulties and the kind of behaviors that can get young frogs into trouble. Each lessons gives practical advice on issues covering everything from hard-to-break habits to physical coordination difficulties.
Link, Autism-Europe, December 2006
My son Scott (8yrs) couldn't wait to get his hands on this book! He was very pleased to be asked for his opinion and said 'I liked everything about this book, because it is interesting and easy to read. I liked the pictures because they are brightly coloured and they show how I can be sometimes. I really like frogs so I liked this book also.
Dyspraxia News
A delightful book that discusses how to allow children with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome to be different and how to explain their differences to them. As well as being helpful to parents of children with pervasive developmental disorders, the book would also be suitable for parents and siblings of children with special needs, such as dyslexia or hyperactivity, for example. It could also be a useful resource aid for teachers at pre-school/nursery as well as those in mainstream primary schools. The book is nicely illustrated, sensitive and full of humor. Examples are given of how to do things and there are explanatory notes with more detail. All in all, this is a lovely little book that would make learning about autism fun and could be used as a bedtime story.
www.youthinmind.net
This colourful illustrated book, by Midori Ochiai, is populated by frogs, toads and tadpoles, and is aimed at children with autism and related spectrum disorders. It explores the difficulties faced by 'frogs with a different croak', as Teacher toad takes readers through lessons that pick up on social and physical difficulties and gives practical advice.
Children Now
Midori Ochiai lives in Japan and was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) at the age of 41. Based on her experiences of raising two sons - the elder also has AS and the younger has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - she wrote Different Croaks for Different Folks and initially published it on her website, attracting the attention of parents of children with autism and other developmental disorders. She assisted the authors of The Manual for Special Supportive Education for Autistic Children and continues to offer support to parents of children with developmental disorders through her website. She currently writes about the education of children on the autism spectrum.
Aimed at children, this book provides a way of tackling some common difficulties experienced by children with autism and related spectrum conditions. It is fun and beautifully illustrated and uses characters such as Teacher Toad to give the messages. One message is that if we try a different approach to something difficult, we can find our own way to make it easier. The book focuses on social and physical difficulties, and provides practical advice on everything from breaking habits to problems with physical coordination.
Learning Disability Practice
This is a lovely book aimed at children. It explores the difficulties faced by 'frogs with a different croak'; the frogs are examples of just a few of the different types of children in the world and that some of us learn things in a different way from those around us...This book can be read with children or on its own. The images are incredibly sweet yet illustrate entirely how confusing certain situations can be. I think this book would be informative to any reader who would like to learn more about social and physical difficulties. It is based on the authors experience of raising two sons (she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) at the age of 41;her elder has AS and the younger has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Share an Idea
Different Croaks is a beautifully written and clearly illustrated book that makes children who may often have low self esteem feel much better about their difficulties. It uses clear but not over-simplified language, which it makes it useful for the gifted child who does not want to be patronized. It would be a great resource to use in schools and at home, helping other children, friends and siblings, to understand both the child with difficulties and also themselves a little better. As a basis for personal, social and health education lessons (PSHE) teachers could use it to help explain a great deal about valuing difference and supporting each other.
The National Association for Gifted Children
Lovely book aimed at children with autism and related spectrum conditions, for the parents to read to them to help them understand their differences socially and physically.
Education Otherwise
In simple language and using tadpoles and frogs as examples, we learn a basic truth: that each child is different and will learn in different ways...This book will be a valuable tool for children, parents, teachers and carers of all sorts who must deal with 'different croaks.
www.healthybooks.org.uk
This book would be good for all those involved with children and parents/carers. It would suit any setting especially where there is a child with special learning needs. Having said that I think that all of us have our differences and so it could be a useful tool to promote diversity and individuality in any setting.
National Childmind Association
This is an excellent resource for professionals with limited experience of ASD, parents of children with ASD, who are becoming increasingly confused with social interaction and for increasing awareness in peers/siblings. My colleague concluded that, 'She clearly understands how children with ASD think and feel and comes up with simple ideas to help'. The book helps to address the balance between altering our environments/attitudes and the need to equip these children with skills to survive happily in our socially complex world.
Naplic Newsletter
Ochiai's method of using storytelling to teach lessons harks back to the traditional parable but with a modern twist.
Foster Care