Mr Nguyen, the Vietnamese Community in Australia NSW chapter vice-president, said there were many times during his teenage years when the book would have come in handy.

``When I first went to high school a number of teachers were confused because we rubbed our skin when we had colds,'' Mr Nguyen said.

``The method of skin rubbing with a coin or spoon can cause welts and is also used to treat headaches and fever. The teachers thought it was some form of child abuse and called the police in some cases.''

The book was launched by Cabramatta MP Reba Meagher at Bonnyrigg's Vietnamese Community Cultural Centre last month.

``For Vietnamese parents, their children grow up in Australia and obviously some of the children were even born in Australia, and sometimes it's not easy for them to understand their own culture, background and way of life,'' Mr Nguyen said.

``I think the book will help them communicate with their children, to break down the language barrier.''

It was put out by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), and compiled by Tiep Nguyen, Hien Lu and Huong Kieu.

Details: STARTTS, 97941900.