Books for someone with development delay

[Linenpickle]

I’m participating in a scheme where you buy Christmas gifts for kids who are sick/ill for all sorts of reasons - Post Pals. I’ve chosen to get books for a girl aged 18 who has development delay. That is all I know aside from the subject but can anyone help as to what sort of age range I should go for?

That’s really hard as you don’t know how delayed her development is. So if you can’t find out more info, I’d go for something that would appeal to a wide age range. How about something like the Strictly come dancing annual, or maybe something else related to pop/tv culture https://www.waterstones.com/book/official-strictly-come-dancing-annual-2026/alison-maloney/9781785949685

just realised you said you’ve been given the subject of the books , if you let us know that maybe we can help more specifically. But generally I stand by something that appeals to a broad age range, doesn’t look babyish but has lots of pictures, especially photos as these don’t look like illustrations for a young child’s book but would still appeal to someone who may well not be able to read

I think @Christmasisaroundthecorner has a good suggestion there of an annual. Other annuals could be pokemon or animals.

If it doesn't have to be books I'd try bath bombs or shower fizzers maybe?

PS It’s a lovely thing to do!

Perhaps graphic novels? My DC who is dyslexic really like Heartstopper. The kids in the books are from y10 up to uni age.

Good for you! I am familiar with PostPals, if there's no further info on the pal's profile I think you can join the Facebook group and ask for more details of what is suitable.

Thanks you everyone. The annuals is a great idea, as is a book with photos rather than little kid style pictures.

I’d look at books listed as “middle grade” - which is year 5-8 age range.

If you give us the subject/theme we could recommend some books/authors to look at.

Is the subject something that would lend its self to comics or annuals that have pictures in naturally?

Barrington Stoke (an imprint of Harper Collins) publish books for children with learning difficulties/ dyslexia. So the interest level might be listed at 14, but the reading age only needs to be 8. This might not work for your pal, but worth knowing about! They’re all written by established authors too, so children / young people feel like they’re still accessing the same names as their peers.

Another vote for Barrington Stoke..... amazing publishers, great age appropriate books but written at a lower reading age, they work with some fantastic authors

Can she read?
Check out hi-lo books. High interest low vocabulary books.

@FlorenceAndTheVagine I was going to suggest Barrington Stoke too. They are great aren't they :)

This is a dreadful idea - tv like that is a taste. I would avoid hobby books and instead get a book with broader appeal. Much better with Roald Dahl or a comic style book.

You do need more information, my dsd has developmental delays (adult) and it would be need to be brightly coloured picture books or books with animals in, her comprehension is around 3 years old

Are you able to ask what her learning age is to give you some idea where to start? You have no idea if you are looking for something that a 3, 8 or 15 year old would enjoy.

I have a very dyslexic DC. We found Barrington Stoke books ghastly. One memorable, for all the wrong reasons, was an early 1970s Michael Rosen. Literally the only dyslexic -supposed friendly editing to an all ready old -fashioned story was to cut out great chunks of text so the actual story, still in old-fashioned words, was un-intelligible. And tedious as shit. I do wonder and have genuinely wondered for years if MR is the Prof Dr Boyd of supposed great children's literature. I have always thanked to fuck that my own reading literacy levels were beyond his books when they appeared in the 1970s. I cannot understand the appeal. Yet supposedly he, and James Patterson, do a lot for children's literacy in this country. I avoid like the plague.

I would have suggested some classics like the Narnia series or Anne of Green Gables. They're children's books but not childish. If she can't read them herself they're wonderful for reading aloud.

I think Narnia is a good call, I enjoyed them as a 10 year old but I reread them as an adult and still enjoyed them. The works do a box of all of them.

I also think Beatrix Potter might work, the books are beautiful one their own.

100% what I came on to recommend - these books are great!

But ideally you probably do need more info.

Can you find out anything about any special interests she has? She might like non-fiction - an easy crafts guide or a book about pets or an annual for her favourite football team?

Books are so hard to buy when you don't know the person.

Or what about The Mole, the Horse and the Boy? My friend bought me that so even some adults are into it, but it's really just cute illustrations and a very simple story. And people must find the messages inspiring, as it's so very popular (not massively my thing but I am not knocking it when so many people love it).

I just saw you do have a subject for the books? If you could share that it would really help us to help you - I assume however you are worried that would be outing? Your call, obviously, and you are right to protect her privacy and your own of course.

It very uch depends on how the learning disability presents. For my youngest DD who is profoundly dyselexic with dyspraxia I purchased Barrington Stoke books by Collins as these are easy to read but are also age appropriate. Sharing in case this may be useful.
collins.co.uk/collections/books-for-ages-13

That’s interesting. I guess I’m thinking that developmental delay as a descriptor is shorthand for global developmental delay, and often used about people who would previously have been described as having at least moderate to severe learning difficulties. It would be highly unlikely to be used for a child with a specific (eg dyslexia) rather than broader learning difficulty.

I think the cognitive resources needed for understanding most Roald Dahl is pretty high (barring perhaps The Twits). And also, most kids for whom Dahl would be suitable would probably already have read them by 18. Interpreting line drawings is also harder whereas colour helps.
I think Beatrix Potter might look young to an 18 year old who wants to feel grown up, and the language is not as simple as the books look, language levels in Anne of GG and Narnia also high, much as I love all of these. (I’ve taught in mainstream and special schools, and also thinking of families I know with young people with significant cognitive impairment; for various reasons relating to disability it’s pretty common to be in on a Saturday night watching something like Strictly.

So, again, if OP can’t find more info, I’d recommend perhaps annuals covering a few topics as they don’t look too young, can be enjoyed at various levels and as they are newly published the young woman is less likely to already have them.

I haven’t actually posted on here before so hope I do it right but anyway, I happened to see your thread on Facebook and wanted to comment as I volunteer and send lots of post to the kids supported by Post Pals so perhaps I can help. If your pal is 18 with a developmental delay, I think I know which Pal it may be. Did they give you a link at all to the Pal’s page on the website? That will give you much more info about the Pal you are sending to. If its who I think it may be, then an annual may not be an ideal choice as if it is who I am thinking of, it says to aim stuff at around 5-6 years old developmentally wise.