Book Review of Challenging the Story: A Surprisingly Simple Approach to Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviours

Blue book cover with an illustration of a woman who seems distressed and three small children surrounding her. The text on the cover is the title of the book -Challenging the Story:  A Surprisingly Simple Approach to Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviours. Written by David Jareb, Illustrated by Jules Faber.

By Sowmya Simhan

Challenging the Story:  A Surprisingly Simple Approach to Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviours by David Jareb offers practical and simple approaches to help neurodivergent children become their best selves with the right guidance and support. By creating a positive and nurturing environment and embracing empathy, children with behavioural problems can grow and flourish. The book's central theme revolves around transforming children with behavioural issues to bring out the best in them.

It tells the story of a teacher named Jenny, who has to handle three children with different sets of behaviours - Jesse, Emma, and Hendry. Jenny almost wants to give up teaching until she meets Mrs. Hoo, an expert at handling neurodivergent children. Jenny is greatly inspired by Mrs. Hoo and follows her methods of participating in the child's journey, leading to great results.

The narrative is simple and the book is a must-read for all those working with children whose behaviours are triggered by external factors. The illustrations are excellent, and the workbooks at the end of each chapter help clarify the given approaches. For those who cannot read long stories, there is a one-line summary at the end of each chapter followed by a reflection point.

The book's reach should not be restricted to only an English-speaking audience and should be translated into all languages across the globe.

I give this book five stars and look forward to sharing it with others in the future. 

Thank you to Sowmya Simhan, member of the Diversability Leadership Collective, for this thoughtful review.