Usborne Books & More

The many outstanding features of Usborne books make them perfect and worthwhile for children with special needs.

"Talk About" Realistic Illustrations - Usborne books are filled with action, detail and visual stimulation.

Interactive - this important feature of Usborne books encourages communication and participation in the reading experience.

Step-by-step - all Usborne activity books and cards have step-by-step instructions and illustrations. This is ideal for sequencing, breaking things
down into parts, and increased understanding.

Problem-solving tasks - many Usborne books, such as the lift-the-flap books, puzzle adventure books, slot books and sticker books, encourage problem-solving skills at many levels. These same books are activity-based which is optimal for children with special learning needs.

Text in Bite-size chunks - the information in Usborne Books is arranged on the page in manageable bite-sized pieces, to increase attention, understanding, and comprehension.

Multi-functional - the books are applicable to a wide range of students for a variety of goals

High quality - Usborne books are durable and inexpensive. They are made to last, with sturdy bindings and acid-free pages.

See Suggested titles for
Speech and Language
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)
Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)
Autism/Asperger's
Learning Disabilities

Top 10 Series for LD

Easy Words to Read - phonics, hi/lo, find the duck
What’s Happening? - language development, find the duck
First Experiences - dual reader, find the duck
First Encyclopedias - bite-size pieces, hi/lo
Learning Wrap-Ups - kinesthetic, self-correcting
Cooking - step by step, activity based
Fantasy Adventures - hot topic, activity based
Spotter’s Cards - activity based, success built in
Also check out these 2 spotter's guides Rocks & Minerals, The Night Sky
Discovery Series - I-L, hi/lo
True Adventure Stories - non-fiction, action


To find the books in the online catalog, click here and enter the words in bold. For example, to search for Discovery Series books, type in Discovery Series in the search box.

Top 10 Series for Autism and Asperger's

First 100 Words – “Talk-about” pictures of everyday activities for use with language, articulation, and phonology goals. Sticker book version also available.
Everyday Words – Detailed claymation like scenes, appropriate for all age levels and language goals. Also ideal for written language with key vocabulary provided in margins. Book can become a game board or even more interactive with a sticker book.
First 1000 Words – Includes pages categorized by scene, as well as, pages about opposites, seasons, actions, sizes and more. Perfect for vocabulary, articulation, and language goals for pre-K through adult. Also available in a Sticker book
Very First Words/First Picture Word Books - Life-like clay models of everyday objects. Language development, vocabulary.
Touchy-feely board books - Descriptive words, predictable language structures. Each book has patches of different textures that may be soft, rough, bumpy, smooth, furry, etc., depending on the title.
Phonics Readers - Phonemic awareness, pre-reading skills, rhyming.
First Experiences - Rehearsing and talking about real life situations
1001 Things To Spot - Categorization, independent activity, visual-based
Puzzle Adventure Books - Problem solving, predictions, cognitive activities
Great Search books - Highly detailed illustrations; visually stimulating, independent activity, bite-sized text.
First Encyclopedias - Visually stimulating, information in bite-sized pieces
Art/Drawing books - Independent, repetitive motion activities

For catagories without a link, click here and enter the words in bold. For example, to search for First Encyclopedia books, type in First Encyclopedias in the search box.

Top Ten Series for AD/HD and ADD

ABC, 123 - constant practice, hi/lo, find the duck
Slot Books - visual tracking, activity based, hi/lo
1001 Things To Spot - activity based
Puzzle Adventures - activity based, hi/lo
Great Searches - activity based, hi/lo, bite-sized text
Activity Cards - step-by-step, activity based
What Shall I Draw - activity based, step-by-step
Spotter's Guides - activity based, success built in
Fantasy Adventures - activity based, hot topic
Everyday Words - language development, activity based
Beginners Series - hi/lo, interesting non-fiction
Discovery Series - hi/lo, Internet-linked
Young Reading Biographies - hi/lo, interesting non-fiction

To find the books in the online catalog, click here and enter the words in bold. For example, to search for Discovery Series books, type in Discovery Series in the search box.

Top Ten Series for SID

Sticker Learning - Fine motor skills, activity based learning
Touchy-Feely (Hypo) - Provides stimulus for CNS
Slot Books - Fine motor skills, activity based learning
Playtime - Fine motor skills, encourages varied play
See Inside... - Explains body and CNS
What Shall I...? - Fine motor skills, activity based
Cooking - Fine motor skills, encourages working with texture
Book of the Seasons - Activity based play, textures
Science Activities - Activity based learning, textures
Science for Beginners - Explains body and CNS

To find the books in the online catalog, click here and enter the words in bold. For example, to search for Sticker Learning books, type in Sticker Learning in the search box.

Top 11 Series or Books for Speech and Language

First 100 Words – “Talk-about” pictures of everyday activities for use with language, articulation, and phonology goals. Sticker book version also available.

Everyday Words – Detailed claymation like scenes, appropriate for all age levels and language goals. Also ideal for written language with key vocabulary provided in margins. Book can become a game board or even more interactive with a sticker book.

First 1000 Words – Includes pages categorized by scene, as well as, pages about opposites, seasons, actions, sizes and more. Perfect for vocabulary, articulation, and language goals for pre-K through adult. Also available in a Sticker book

There's A Mouse About the House and A Squirrel's Tale – Both slot books are perfect for the interactive nature of therapy. They elicit language through actions of moving the character, are filled with concept vocabulary, and make books come alive for children who are not book-lovers. Turn-taking and social gestures also reinforced.

Lift the Flap – Interactive stories with rhyming, predictable text. Action-filled illustrations elicit language, questions, and the hidden characters are perfect for reinforcing prepositions. Titles include: Creepy Crawlies, Flip Flap Farm, and Animal Homes. See more titles

Easy Words to Read – Rhyming text is perfect for phonemic awareness. Also, ideal for simple narratives, prediction, artic and phonology, etc. Titles include: Big Pig on a Dig, Fox on a Box and Shark in the Park. See more titles

Touchy-Feely – Perfect for negation, descriptive words, turn taking, and predictable language structures. Titles include: Animal Hide and Seek, Puppies and Diggers See more titles

Farmyard Tales – Perfect for early sequencing of stories, narratives, articulation carryover, and early literacy. Each story is told at 2 language/reading levels. Titles include: Camping Out, Hungry Donkey and Naughty Sheep plus many more. Search Farmyard Tales on the online catalog to see more Farmyard Tales titles.

What’s Happening? - Detailed illustrations elicit questions and answers, predicting, descriptions, storytelling with one picture, and more. Titles include: At the Seaside, At the Zoo and On the Farm

Puzzle Books – Problem-solving, predicting, attention to detail, auditory memory, and sequencing are just a few of the skills in these series. Books for all ages. Titles include: Puzzle Ocean, Puzzle Pirates and Puzzle Dinosaurs

What Shall I? And Playtime – Step-by-step projects are perfect for extension activities, sequencing, and retelling. Titles Include: Big Book of Playtime Activities, I Can Cut and Stick, I Can Draw Animals, I Can Draw People, What Shall I Draw? and What Shall I Make