Reading Resources for Additional Needs Groups

We now run nine reading groups for people with special or additional needs.Members of the groups range from people with mild learning disabilities to individuals who have severe physical and learning difficulties. We tend to use very bright coloured , tactile picture books,as well as books that emit sounds. We also use a wide range of multisensory artefacts which all tie into a central theme. For example, we may explore stories about the seaside and use a variety of shells, sand and seaweed, which stimulate a range of senses included small and touch.
We also have tactile seabirds which make realistic bird calls when squeezed. We can also introduce soundtracks of the seaside and explore the sense of taste using ice cream.
We tend to stay away from themes such as families or schools or books focusing on small children, as many members of the group cannot relate to these topics and are all adults. Books about general subjects such as animals, space, birds, rainforests and the seaside can be enjoyed by everyone,and can be interesting and informative without being too childish.


For groups with early onset Alzheimers we use a combination of poetry and short stories. These can range from classic stories to more contemporary poetry. We use material that we think will stimulate discussion (poetry is particularly good for this). People attending often talk about remembering a piece of work from earlier times, or what their interpretation of that piece is. Short stories also stimulate discussions about emotions, family, holidays, work etc. We never carry over a story to the following week, as the nature of Alzheimers tends to show that the perticipant will not have a clear recall of the previous weeks reading. We stop at appropriate points of the reading to ask for osbervations or ideas and always leave time at the end of the session to evaluate the story.


Groups for adults with challenging behaviour ,who also have have mild to moderate learning difficulties attend weekly reading sessions. We read ‘Quick Reads’ over the course of several weeks. We always read the book beforehand to ensure that that material is suitable. We have been running this group for over a year now and have always found appropriate material for them, although we may have to read three or four quick reads first before we find one that is suitable. We have also read a very abridged version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ which the group thoroughly enjoyed, so much so that they burst into spontaneous applause at the end. We also use Greek and Roman myths which prove popular and stimulate lots of ideas and discussion. We found that we cannot use any material that needs prior knowledge of the subject, such as ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, because the group where not familiar with the events WWII or the Holocaust. This group will often suggest stories that they would like to hear and often we give them a choice of material and they chose the type of story they would like to hear next (romance, thriller, mystery, supernatural, sport etc)