Woodbine House

What Woodbine House does

Woodbine House is a privately held, Bethesda, Maryland-based book publisher founded in 1985 that specializes in nonfiction titles addressing developmental and learning disabilities in children. The catalog spans Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD/ADD, and related conditions, with more than 100 titles positioned for parents, special educators, clinicians, and therapists. Core products are trade books authored by subject-matter experts in disability, education, and behavioral health, with individual pricing in the $10.95-$29.95 range. The publisher has accumulated industry recognition including ForeWord, Moonbeam, IPPY, NAPPA, IBBY, iParenting, and About.com awards across multiple titles.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model, supplemented by traditional trade distribution, and runs with a small staff of 1-10 employees. The author base consists primarily of clinicians, special educators, and disability specialists who provide recurring content. Catalog management activity between 2014 and 2019 included multiple new editions of flagship titles (e.g., "Teenagers with ADD, ADHD" third edition), new behavioral and curriculum-focused titles, and a Spanish-language edition of "Babies with Down Syndrome," indicating selective vertical and language expansion within the disability niche.

No external funding rounds, partnerships, M&A transactions, or AI/technology capabilities are disclosed. The company appears to be a founder-owned micro-publisher, organized around a mission-driven editorial focus rather than scaling economics. The competitive position rests on three decades of niche specialization, an expert author network, and an award-validated catalog serving a fragmented consumer base of families and professionals.

Name

Woodbine House

Legal name

Woodbine House

Website

https://woodbinehouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woodbine House is a Bethesda, Maryland-based independent book publisher, founded in 1985, specializing in nonfiction titles on developmental and learning disabilities in children for parents, educators, and clinicians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special-Needs Educational Book Publishing

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)

Keywords

• Special needs publishing
• Disability books
• Educational publishing
• Parenting guides
• Children's books

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Direct retail sales of physical and digital books to parents, educators, and professionals. One-time purchase model for individual books. Sales conducted through company e-commerce website, phone orders, and mail orders. Includes catalog download option for browsing full collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Woodbine House is an independent book publisher that produces and sells the "Special-Needs Collection" — a specialized catalog of books for parents, children, teachers, and professionals dealing with developmental and learning disabilities including Down syndrome, autism, ADD/ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities. The company publishes individual book titles on parenting, education strategies, behavior management, ABA teaching methods, communication skills, motor skills development, sibling support, and children's picture books featuring characters with disabilities, selling them direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce website, phone, and mail orders.

Product overview

Woodbine House is a specialized publisher of the Special-Needs Collection, offering books for parents, children, teachers, and professionals. The portfolio includes comprehensive guides covering Down Syndrome, Autism, ADD & ADHD, and related developmental disabilities. Key products include parenting guides like 'Babies with Down Syndrome' and 'Down Syndrome Parenting 101'; educational guides such as 'Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome' and 'Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome'; behavior management resources including 'Supporting Positive Behavior' and ABA-based teaching programs like 'Off to a Good Start'; and children's books featuring children with disabilities such as 'I Can, Can You?' and the 'Kids Like Me' series. The company also publishes sexuality education guides, sibling support resources, and professional resources for educators and therapists working with individuals with special needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whole Child Reading: A Quick-Start Guide A quick-start guide offering strategies and recommendations for using high-interest, individualized materials to teach beginning and struggling readers, designed for parents, tutors, and teachers of students with Down syndrome and other developmental delays.
• Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On Learners: Strategies and Materials (Second Edition) Comprehensive second edition guide providing concrete, hands-on strategies for teaching math to children and adults with Down syndrome, covering counting through fractions with over 150 photocopiable activities for parents and teachers.
• Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives (10th Anniversary Edition) Collection of over sixty essays by mothers sharing their experiences raising children with Down syndrome, including 10 new stories and updates in the 10th Anniversary Edition.
• Teaching Essential Discrimination Skills to Children with Autism Evidence-based curriculum for teaching foundational discrimination skills to children with autism, covering instruction delivery, prompting strategies, assessment, and remedial approaches, written by researchers from The New England Center for Children.
• Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome: The Respond but Don't React Method Guide for parents on proactive behavior management using visual schedules, token reward charts, and consistent disciplinary techniques for children and teens with Down syndrome.
• Teenagers with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Third Edition) Award-winning, best-selling third edition guide for understanding and helping teens with attention deficit disorders, covering academics, dating, driving, socializing, and independence with latest DSM-5 criteria, written by Chris A. Zeigler Dendy, M.S. Priced at $26.95.
• Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents' Guide (Third Edition) Trusted third edition guide covering best practices for raising children with Down syndrome through age five, winner of 2009 IPPY Award Silver Medal in Parenting/Family category.
• Bebés con síndrome de Down: Nueva guía para padres (Spanish Edition) Complete Spanish translation of the Babies with Down Syndrome guide covering medical care, daily care, family life, development, early intervention, and legal rights for Spanish-speaking families.
• Gross Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Second Edition) Second edition cornerstone resource explaining physiological reasons for gross motor delays with step-by-step instructions and over 400 photos for teaching skills from head control through running and jumping for children with Down syndrome.
• Fine Motor Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Third Edition) Third edition revised guide covering building blocks of fine motor development from infancy through adulthood including scissor skills, writing, keyboarding, and daily living skills for children with Down syndrome.
• Early Communication Skills for Children with Down Syndrome: A Guide For Parents and Professionals (Third Edition) Third edition guide based on 30+ years experience supporting speech and language development from birth to age 6, with expanded apraxia information and online supplement of 30+ forms for children with Down syndrome.
• Boyfriends & Girlfriends: A Guide to Dating for People with Disabilities Hi-lo reading level guide for teens and adults with intellectual disabilities covering dating dos and don'ts, relationship skills, and sexuality education.
• Off to a Good Start Book 1: Foundations for Learning First book in a 2-volume set explaining Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methods and how to apply them to teach foundational skills to children with Down syndrome.
• Off to a Good Start Book 2: Teaching Programs Second book in a 2-volume set detailing how to teach hundreds of essential skills using proven discrete-trial ABA methods for children with Down syndrome.
• When Down Syndrome and Autism Intersect: A Guide to DS-ASD for Parents and Professionals First comprehensive guide covering unique profile of Down Syndrome-Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, screening, treatment, and caretaking through the lifespan for parents and professionals.
• Targeting Language Delays: IEP Goals & Activities for Students with Developmental Challenges Gold winner of ForeWord Review's INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards providing 100+ goals and activities for teaching listening, language, and reading skills sequentially for educators and parents.
• Down Syndrome Parenting 101: Must-Have Advice for Making Your Life Easier Winner of 2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards covering practical advice for parents, grandparents, and teachers sharing life with a person with Down syndrome.
• Visual Supports for People with Autism: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Second Edition) Second edition practical guide on making and using low-tech and high-tech visual supports for teaching academic, daily living, and self-help skills for people with autism.
• A Picture's Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies in Autism (Second Edition) Second edition guide introducing PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and other AAC strategies for children and adults with autism.
• Activity Schedules for Children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior (Second Edition) Second edition guide on using activity schedules to help children and adults with autism engage in self-directed and purposeful activities.
• Solving Sleep Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Guide for Frazzled Families Finalist for 2014 ForeWord Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards providing behavioral interventions for sleep problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Broccoli Boot Camp: Basic Training for Parents of Selective Eaters Comprehensive guide using behavioral interventions to expand diet variety for children with or without special needs including autism or Down syndrome.
• My Friend Isabelle Children's picture book about friendship between two friends, one of whom has Down syndrome, winner of 2004 iParenting Media Award, designed to promote inclusion and friendship.
• Kids Like Me...Learn ABCs Board book featuring children with Down syndrome learning the alphabet with sign language, winner of 2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Bronze Medal.
• I Can, Can You? Board book selection for IBBY 2007 Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities exhibition featuring babies and toddlers with Down syndrome swimming, eating, playing, and reaching milestones.
• Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs Collection of 45 essays by siblings ages 4-18 sharing experiences as brother or sister of someone with a disability, Woodbine House's first identified publication.
• The Sibling Survival Guide: Indispensable Information for Brothers and Sisters of Adults with Disabilities Finalist for ForeWord Review's INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards covering concerns of siblings of adults with disabilities including guardianship, benefits, and future planning.
• Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality: A Guide for Parents and Professionals Award-winning guide for teaching children with Down syndrome about puberty, sexuality, boundaries, and personal safety with practical activities for parents and professionals.
• Gifts 2: How People with Down Syndrome Enrich the World Follow-up to Gifts featuring 70+ essays by siblings, grandparents, friends, teachers, and professionals sharing experiences with people with Down syndrome. NAPPA Honors Award winner and National Best Books 2009 Finalist.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Publisher of professional and educational resources for early intervention, special education, and developmental disabilities. Comparable in audience (SLPs, special educators, parents) and product type (evidence-based guides, curricula, workbooks) to Woodbine's Special-Needs Collection.
• Brookes Publishing (division): Same publisher as Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. (listed separately for emphasis on its age 0-5 and early-intervention division most directly comparable to Woodbine's "Babies with Down Syndrome" and early-childhood titles).
• AAPC Publishing: Specialized publisher of autism, Asperger syndrome, and special-needs titles aimed at parents, educators, and self-advocates. Direct overlap with Woodbine's autism and ADD/ADHD categories and shared distribution model through conferences and direct sales.
• Future Horizons: Independent publisher focused on autism and Asperger syndrome resources for parents, educators, and individuals on the spectrum. Strongly overlaps with Woodbine's autism catalog (29 products) and parent/professional buyer segments.
• Jessica Kingsley Publishers: UK-based publisher specializing in autism, special education, social work, and disability-related professional and parent titles. Most direct global competitor in the special-needs publishing niche, with overlapping author profiles and catalog structure.
• Teachers College Press: Publisher of practitioner-oriented books for teachers and educators, including significant output on special education, literacy, and developmental disabilities. Comparable in target buyer (educators, school psychologists) and practical-curriculum format.

Regional players

• Crown House Publishing: UK-based independent publisher of educational titles including special educational needs (SEN), coaching, and cognitive development. Comparable in audience (educators, parents) and many overlapping author contributors, but primarily serves the UK/international market.

Broad incumbents

• W. W. Norton & Company: Independent publisher with significant education, psychology, and neuroscience lists. Includes books on autism, ADHD, and developmental disabilities that compete with Woodbine's professional and parent titles but as part of a much broader trade catalog.
• Rowman & Littlefield: Large independent publisher with deep education and disability-related lists under imprints like Rowman Education / Lexington Books. Provides broader commercial scale and library distribution that competes with Woodbine at the institutional level.
• Guilford Press: Established publisher of professional and academic books in psychology, education, and disability-related fields. Broader portfolio than Woodbine but competes head-to-head on clinical references, school psychology, and special education titles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodbinehouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/Woodbine-House-302582227115

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woodbine House