Little did Limerick-based Avril Webster know when she created books at her kitchen table to help her disabled son Stephen cope with everyday activities, that they would lead her publishing a series of six books. In just over a year from those homemade versions, her first series is now published, with another six to follow later in 2008.

Seeing the benefit Stephen was getting from the homemade books, Avril set about adapting them to be suitable for Stephen’s classmates. With the help of illustrator David Ryley, whose close family friend Christia attends the St Vincent’s Special School, Lisnagry, Limerick with Avril’s son Stephen, Avril created the Going Swimming book. Things took off from there. With the first edition published by Speechmark Publishing in the UK, Avril has now setup Off We Go Publishing and is publishing the books herself.

With invaluable input from Avril’s two other ‘able-bodied’ children, Michael, age 6 and Rachel, age 4, together with other parents, teachers and speech & language therapists, Avril’s books are now available! The Off We Go! storybooks explain ‘what comes next’ on an everyday outing, like going to the dentist, and therefore reassure the child and encourage cooperation in each situation. By reading the book together at home and preparing a child for a new task or event, they can manage the stages more easily, ultimately reducing stress for themselves and those around them. The books can also be taken along to use during the event. The first series include Going to the Dentist, Going to the Doctor, Going to the Hairdresser, Going to the Restaurant, Going to the Supermarket, and Going Swimming.

Each book contains colourful illustrations and is 12 pages long, a length recommended by speech & language therapists. The multi-ethnic characters appear in all six books, so readers can ‘get to know them’. Each picture is clear and uncluttered, and a clock has been used in all the stories to represent a period of waiting or that it is time for an activity to finish. The simple text uses basic vocabulary which can easily be made more complex if needed, but together with the pictures will help to give structure and routine to children of different ages and abilities.

The Off We Go! series provides an invaluable resource for professionals, parents and carers of children aged 3-7 of all abilities, and particularly children with intellectual disabilities or autism. The books have also proved very helpful for children where English is a second language.

OFF WE GO!

Avril Webster

This series of storybooks prepare children for a particular event, like going to the dentist. The books explain ‘what comes next’ on an outing, and therefore help children to get through the task or situation more easily, and ultimately reduce stress for themselves and those around them.

Due to the success of the first six titles in the series, six more are planned for publication later in 2008!

Each book is a simple, clear uncluttered analysis of a task; it can be used to prepare for an upcoming event and to support the child during the event.

Each book has the same look and feel, and uses the same multi-ethnic ‘family’ of characters, some of whom have a disability, which promotes familiarity and learning.

These books are particularly useful for pre-school children, children for whom English is a second language, and children with intellectual and learning difficulties.

The books can be used as part of a child’s Individual Education Plan to help them to experience new activities and to achieve developmental milestones.

RRP €8.99 each / €45.00 for set of 6  

Each book is 16pp, 210 x 210mm

AVAILABLE NOW

Going to the Supermarket                 ISBN: 978-1-906583-00-2

Going to the Dentist                            ISBN: 978-1-906583-01-9

Going to the Doctor                             ISBN: 978-1-906583-02-6

Going to the Hairdresser                   ISBN: 978-1-906583-03-3

Going to the Restaurant                     ISBN: 978-1-906583-04-0

Going Swimming                                 ISBN: 978-1-906583-05-7