Five of our bloggers reviewed two different social-skills DVDs aimed at children on the autistic spectrum. Skill Building Buddies: Handling Transitions and Change focuses on coping with routine changes and other unexpected disappointments. Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse, Volume One: Expressing Yourself teaches greetings, “using your words,” identifying emotions, and saying goodbye. Both DVDs emphasized the need [...]

New parents are showered with gifts such as alphabet blocks and activity mats with bright colors and alphanumeric graphics. Simple puzzles to learn shapes and colors abound, as do every product imaginable with letters and numbers. Television shows, DVDs, electronic toys, and activity cubes aimed at infants through preschoolers all center around the “basics:” ABC’s, [...]