Developmental-disabilities Books

This is a very detailed book and is good except that it would be nice if it showed cause and effect of some abnormal hand functions. It strictly pertains to normal function.

"Developmental & Functional Hand Grasps" is the most valuable book on this topic published in recent years. First, it has certainly met the objectives stated in the introduction. I found it to be an exciting but easy read, with logical organization, comprehensive inclusion of theoretical approaches, and exactly the right kinds of photos and drawings. How great that the photos gave examples of so many different Activities of Daily Living, common in our lives, but seldom depicted. I especially enjoyed the Descriptions, Interesting Information, and Functional Uses. The presentation of the hand from physiological, developmental, and functional perspectives has not been done as fully but simply by other authors. Finally, the book will be useful as an important resource to students, clinicians, and researchers alike.

Excellent. Title isn't introductory level, which is what I was looking for. I have several other books on neurology and this title is well written and informative.

The Handbook of Clinical Child Neuropsychology provides an excellent review of the various patterns of neuropsychological impairment seen in children with various medical disorders (i.e., Diabetes, Seizure Disorder, etc.). This book is an excellent resource!

This book was very useful. It is a simple handbook and the last person's review was very precise. Good handbook for starting research.

The Handbook of Neurodevelopmental and Genetic Disorders in Children, edited by Sam Goldstein Ph.D. and Cecil Reynolds Ph.D. is a well written, in depth discussion of the impact of genetics on the neurodevelopment of children.

The book is divided into three parts. The first addresses the role of neuropsychology in the assessment and treatment of children with neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders. The second part concerns five disorders with genetic etiologies that primarily affect learning and behavior: learning disabilities, ADHD, Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorders and autism. The final part deals with 14 less common disorders which have genetic etiologies and physical/medical manifestations, as well as effects on learning and behavior: Turner Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Mucopolysaccharidoses, Noonan Syndrome, Neurofibromatosis, Sickle Cell Disease, Down Syndrome, Klinefelter Syndrome, Phenylketonuria, Rett Syndrome, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Seizure Disorders, Prader-Willi Syndrome and Williams Syndrome. Each of the chapters on specific disorders discusses the current understanding of the genetic etiology of the disorders, behavioral and developmental manifestations, and guides to assessment.

The book will serve the purposes of many people. Those wanting to do research on a disease can find a quick history on the research and the issues which remain outstanding. Those interested in clinical issues can find clear descriptions, diagnostic considerations and treatment recommendations. All will benefit by learning about the genetic bases, incidence and comorbidity of the various diseases.

This guide provides important insights and practical strategies for teaching and supporting higher functioning students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school. The examples used focus on high school situations, but the strategies can also be applied to students in other grades. This manual was written to help teachers increase awareness, and it also offers ideas that teachers can use to encourage academic and vocational success in students with ASD. Please visit our website to obtain a copy of this resource at the actual list price.

This is the first guide I have ever found aimed at educating teachers about higher functioning autism and asperger's syndrome. Aimed primarily at Junior High, High School, and College teachers. As a parent I found it accurate and full of extremely helpful ideas for educators. I am making sure each of my daughters teachers read it as it sheds light on the education problems that follow my daughter. This book will give educators information they can easily use and incorporate into their classrooms to help these adolescents be successful. Even includes social interaction information. I loved it.

It was very friendly written to make it easy to read. I was disappointed in that the book favored one organization over another.

As a parent of a blind 7 year-old, I will use this book to help me to encourage my daughter to become an independent and confident traveler. I can help her learn the skills of blindness. This book would also be extremely helpful for a parent with a baby or toddler who is blind including those with multiple disabilities. Mr. Cutter suggests a partnership between parents and O&M teachers. This book would be invaluable in a O&M teacher preparation program and for current teachers. An in-depth discussion of cane use, selection, and teaching is discussed including the use of a "teaching cane." I was encouraged by the positive attitude of this book toward blindness.

Pauc's "the Learning Disability Myth" is fast, clear and easy to read. Using all the latest neurological research, he cuts through the educational jargon that gives a name to your child's difficulties, but would not get rid of what is actually causing the symptoms.
Taking a health history of the child, and looking at the symptoms, he shows how to design an exercise program that will change the function of the brain. Combined with restructioning the connections in the brain he urges providing the chemical support the brain needs by the simple method of changing the child's diet.
Unlike most books on the subject which fail to take advantage of the research by neurologists that the brain is plastic, he suggests methods to give your child the best organized brain possible.
Pauc lets you know that a label is not a life sentence and that you can help your child.

This is a 'must read' for parents and all professionals who have contact with the young.
Of particular signicance is the section dealing with the importance of nutrition. Food for serious thought as well as for the brain !

and provide more insight. Temple Grandin (HFA) and Liane Holliday-Wilson (Aspergers) have done good jobs with their books both in explaining their particular problems and in providing strategies that may work with children.

For a mere professional, he didn't do to bad of a job. I only caught him in a couple of what I would consider minor errors. The one that bothered me the most was our suppossed "lack of imagination".

I would like to correct that to lack of ORIGINAL material in our imaginations. I had a very lively fantasy world when I was a child, mostly based on Tolkien. But as I grew older, instead of simply redoing the scenes from the books over and over again in my head, I completely redid the world and took it in new directions. What we lack in originality, Aspies and HFAs make up fore in having a different set of "rules" our logic works by, so that even out of old, familiar material we can create things that look completely unfamiliar to neurotypicals (those not on the autistic spectrum).

As for his refusing to diagnose a woman as Asperger's just because she had a career, a husband, and seemed relatively content... I just don't see it. Now, I don't really have a career (I'm not very good at the social stuff to build one, but I'm strong academically), and my marriage to a neurotypical has basically fallen apart and is awaiting its official burial in the court systems, so I'm not a great example either. But I know of at least two people in the local Asperger's group who I consider to be of a similar functional level to myself who have successful relationships and careers. I don't really see what either have to do with diagnostics.

If you have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, buy this right now!! It will help you gain insight into your childs head! Dr. Szatmari actually shows you the beautiful side of the disorder, while never forgetting how difficult it can be. Excellent, excellent book!!!!!!

The book was in great condition and really helped me. It had all of the information I needed to successfully pass the class.

Gary Greene and Carol Kochhar get right to heart of youth transitioning from school to adult independent life. This book starts out with eye opening stastics about youth with disabilities and young adults with disabilities in the employment and community world. It goes on to suggest solutions for the issues related when trying to assist youth with disabilities in their transition to adult life. I would highly recommend this to all current and future educators as well as parents and service providers working with youth with disabilities.

Having a child with special needs, it was comforting to read a memoir of what another has gone through dealing with this situation; the ups, the downs, the good, the sad. Also loved the last chapter. It is written by her daughter. That was very moving. When I finished the book I was encouraged for the future!

As the mother of a 10 year old with learning differences -- and yes, that IS what we refer to them as in 2007 -- I felt as if I was reading my own story. Denial. Fear. A drive to *cure* my child, who cannot be cured. Sometimes describing him to others in terms of his disabilities, instead of as the incredible, talented person that he is. Buchman doesn't have any answers; there ARE NO ANSWERS. But it is tremendously helpful to read about her feelings and her journey, to know that we're not alone.

Some comments have criticized Ms. Buchman for using her considerable financial resources to help her child, or have indicated that her story cannot be universalized because of her wealth. That's simply not true. Buchman points out that she had her daughter evaluated by the NYC Dep't of Education, and that she was receiving resources from them. In fact, Charlotte's high school, Churchill, accepts DOE funding, and I believe that a substantial percentage of its students are placed there with tuition paid by the DOE. The LiPS program that Charlotte took in California is also now available throughout the world. Finally, one poster criticized Buchman for not insisting that her daughter be mainstreamed. While my son is mainstreamed, its not one size fits all. Most of the parents I know who have children with more extreme learning differences, like Charlotte, prefer a special school, where all of the teachers know about learning differences, and are specially trained to deal with them.

This was an inspiring ,and eye opening exploration of the problems of children with special needs. It's a "must read" for both the parents of such children, and all who need positive inspiration during these troubled times!

I could relate to Buchman's experience as a mother, as a mother of a disabled child. I think all of us have gone through similar emotions and struggles. What was distracting for me - and perhaps I missed the point of the book because of it - was how easy it is for wealthy people like Dana Buchman to get prompt and expert help for their children. In fact I am resentful of the fact that I can't afford THE BEST therapy treatments for my daughter at this time, and we have no nanny, specialists, or private schools TO CHOOSE. So you see it is not really a choice at all. While learning disorders and disabilities can effect ALL children, SOME parents and children have MORE OPTIONS to deal with it. The rest of us have that much more suffering to go through.

Although I found this to be an interesting book, even with all of the assets behind these parents, they never discovered the importance of creeping and crawling for brain development.

The rich resource of The Institutes For The Achievement of Human Potential near Philadelphia that would have shown them how to better help their daughter was missed.

I believe Dana said her daughter did not crawl, but she never seemed to find out or understand how critical creeping and crawling are to brain development.

The Institutes would have taught her that, either though direct benefit of their program at the Institutes or doing the program at home, and making use of their many books and other educational materials, specifically Glenn Doman's superb book What To Do About Your Brain-Injured Child, which was published for the first time in January 1974, with several updates since then and available here on Amazon.

It sems that an intensive search trying to help her child would have turned up this world renowned Institute, which has programs not just for the brain-injured child, but also for the well baby. If you want to help your child or grandchild, please see these resources I have mentioned and read their books.

The Institutes books, programs and materials will help by far more than this book, which really seemed to show the parents in a better light than they probably deserved.

They didn't seem to make an all out effort to help their daughter because they were so busy with their careers and head in the sand approach.

The most unfortunate thing then is that Dana's book about Learning Disabilities was written without being able to point parents and educators to this rich resourch of The Institutes For The Achievement of Human Potential. (see [...])

Please look [...] up on the web and here on Amazon, their founder Glenn Doman for all of his superb books, which I can't recommend enough----especially over this one which offers little concrete help for the parent, grandparent, or educator who needs all the help available.

I came across this book at the time when I was struggling with my boy who was exhibiting severe symptoms of Autism. I spent all my time and energy trying to 'fix' or 'rescue' what I felt was a 'broken' child and we both end up deeply frustrated and totally miserable.

Then I came across this book by accident at a cookbook section of the library. This is truly god's miracle cos my boy has the SAME NAME. After reading this book I cried and cried and cried for days and then came the great awakening which totally transformed my life and my rel'p with my child.

In this book you will not find secret ways or recipes to healing your child. Only one simple, powerful and life changing way - ACCEPTANCE. This book taught me how to embrace my child's uniqueness and focus on his strengths instead of his weaknesses.

Today, with my acceptance and love, my Ben (age 5) who has SEVERE autism symptoms is doing so well in school and everyone we know tell us he's the happiest, smartest and sweetest little child they've ever met. I'm forever grateful to god and to the writer for this book.

This is a book that everyone especially parents with special children should read. I wish this book would transform your life like the way it did for me and my family.

Reads like a novel. Very honest. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.
I bought this book because my daughter suspected her child of having Asperger's syndrome. I knew nothing of the disease. This book not only helped me understand it, but it also gave me much insight into my own grandson's world.
I liked the way it was written. Simple and honest. Much better than reading a lengthy, technical book on the disease.
Read it, you'll gasp, laugh and cry.

The book certainly was depressing but I kept reading it because the cover had promised a 'happy ending'. I'm sorry, but I did not see the happy ending. All I read about was Ben who had to struggle much more against rigid expectation than with his developmental disability. And his mother who went from "why is my son so different, I am disgusted by him" to "it is not my fault but he still disgusts me" to "look-at-me I can interact with my son without feeling disgusted and I am a 'tireless advocate for people with dissabilities'". I am sorry, but she needs to get over herself in the worst way. I know that is probably not entirely fair of me to say. I can accept Ben as a person with Aspergers and maybe I should accept that his mother is who she is. I would think that she is a Type A and going from trying to fix her son to 'I m an advocate - let's write a book about it', might be a huge improvement, but it is still the flipside of the same coin.
I have a son with high functioning autism and I can related to having your heart sink every time you realize how different your child ticks. I am awake at night worrying how his life will be. But I always knew that my job was to love and protect. Parenting will teach you about yourself but at the end of the day it is about your child not you.

Finally, a resonant voice in the mire of books on special needs that isn't overloaded with technical detail. What distinguishes this book from others is that Barbara La Salle lets her anger, regret, and fury fly forth --an honest voice amid the cries by everyone else to "hush up, be strong, compassionate, and a veritable pillar of strength" even though deep inside you are cracking up.

Anyone with a special needs child faces frustration. Unfortunately, most of the books out there demand that you either take the countenance of Oprah Winfrey or Dr. Phil. Everything isn't okay, and Barbara LaSalle, who is both the mother of her son Ben and also a therapist, let's that old stereotype take a pounding. She talks about her regrets, her failures, and her slow acceptance that not everything about her son is her fault. Her son Ben also writes part of the book. His voice is important to show that people with Asperger's struggle, but have a conscience worth hearing and learning from.

Her story is moving, and it is also honest and shocking. I'd recommend this to all parents, spouses of Asperger's patients, as well as Asperger's patients because they have to understand that until you can identify your own anger, you can never move beyond it.

Nicely told, the only regret I have is that a bit more attention to editing and structure from a writing standpoint would have made it move a bit quicker and avoid some of the repetition that befalls it.

I have a high-functioning autistic son who is very like Ben in many ways, and I was horrified at this mother's attitude! While I applaud her for her honesty in admitting all her faults, I can't help but feel that Ben's life would have turned out very differently if she had accepted him as he was. This is the story of a great tragedy, the loss of 33 years of this young man's life.

I was a "goody-two-shoes" when I was a child, always trying to please the "grown-ups" and fit their expectations. But as I grew up, I realized that I would have to make my own decisions, ESPECIALLY when it came to my child! Obviously, this mother did not. No matter what my family said, no matter that the doctors accused me of being an "overly protective Mom", I knew my child was this way because of something internal to him, and that his behavior was not his fault!

When I finally found a doctor who recognized his autism (at age 4), I realized that the truism is correct; "a mother knows best." But even if I had not received the diagnosis, I would never have behaved the way this mother did. She betrayed her son because SHE wanted to fit in, to be a "good girl." This story broke my heart for the sake of Ben, and I am still depressed after reading it several days ago.

I believe that most mothers will love and accept their chid, no matter how strange he is. And I believe that is one of the most important things we can do for them! If you want to see what NOT to do, this is the book for you!