Disabilities Books

This is an excellent book. ...I would recommend this book to those suffering from an eating disorder, or to the friends and family of a sufferer as it gives great inssight.

I read the novel 'Catherine' a few years ago, and it deeply saddened me. 'Catherine' is written by the mother of a twenty-two year old girl who died of anorexia nervosa in 1984.

The testimony is a brave and frank account of Catherine's terrible illness which gripped her from the age of fifteen years old. It intersperses extracts from Catherine's diary, which show the tragic mental and physical effect this illness had on her. Her diary records her food intake, and her weight, which tragically plummets to 3 stone when she dies.

It touches on her childhood days, where Catherine was a happy and bubbly child, and continues throughout the development of her illness.

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially young girls considering dieting. It shows how out of hand dieting can be, and certainly a great help to those suffering from anorexia. I myself suffered from this illness, and this book gave me some strength to battle with it. I didn't want to die like Catherine, and the many other girls who die each year from this horrifying condition.

eating disorders are often romanticised; few know of the realpain which they cause, and courage which they demand, in both thesufferer and the family members and friends. this touching documentary of a young girls struggle with, and eventual defeat by anorexia nervosa is openly told by her mother and accompanied by excerts from her diaries. as the book so truthfully details catherine's behaviours, it may be disturbing to the unaware, tear-wrenching to those directly/indirectly affected but yet also so critical to the understanding of the seriousness of these psychological disorders.

This book tells of the reality of anorexia nervosa. The stress on the family; the ineffectiveness of treatment (which still goes on today); the states of the Catherine's mind. It's one for the parents of eating disorder children.

I thought that I would be shocked by this book, and touched to a new level. I was. I was shocked by how any person could ever feel the way Catherine did and also shocked that there was a book written by a Mother about her daughter dying. Howvever, it was so incredibly moving and it reduces me to tears every time I read it. Bettered only by Love Story (Segal).

While the author does an excellent job of expressing her emotions in dealing with her child, this book also provokes thought and brings up emotions for someone who is facing the challenges of any loved one. Ms. Hartman inspires one to accept the challenges and look forward with optimism.

This is an inspiring and endearing book for someone with our without children. Carrie's words and detailed illustrations help to describe the challenges, emotion and hope that go along with raising a challenging child. I loved it!

This is a wonderful book that will touch your heart and make you smile. The author does a great job of portraying all the emotions parents feel not only if they have a challenging child, but also a normal child who's just going through a rough time. The straightforward text and vivid illustrations make it my first choice to read to my children when they're having a bad day. Ms. Hartman's perspective gives us all hope and reminds us of how important it is to let your child know you believe in him/her and celebrate what makes them special. It would make a great gift for any parent!

This book is a great medium for expressing the cares and concerns a parent has for their child. Carrie Hartman has put into words and images that which so many people struggle to say themselves. It's written and illustrated so sweetly and captures that tenderness at the center of our relationships with children. Great book!

I recently came across "Child of Mine" and I thought it was more than worthy to pass on. It is really honest to the core about the relationship between a challenging child and the parent. I was really moved by the genuine emotion of the content and how subtley it helps the reader process his/her emotions. I think people who are experiencing this firsthand want honesty, not fluff. In my professional opinion, anyone who works with children and families may want to order in a copy for your school, agency, or support group. If any of you have friends or have a challenging child yourself, this book will probably bring you to tears. Great for families with kids who have ADHD, Autism, or struggle with emotional disorders and pertinent to grandparents, parents, the child, and sibilings alike. P.S. The illustrations are really beautiful too! I give it a 5!

This book was the answer to my prayers. If you want to learn more about how we can improve communication skills, it all starts here. We were concerned because our grandson was not speaking yet (2.5) and was frequently avoiding eye contact. This book gives you easy to understand principles and exercises to help increase interaction with a child, and WOW - he has made tremendous strides in communicating with sounds, gestures, eye contact and big smiles. Great Great book!

I am the owner of a private practice that provides speech and occupational therapy services to children with special needs, many of them falling on or near the autism spectrum. Communicating Partners is the book that my speech therapists consistantly recommend to parents of young children looking to support their child's language development. It is also a good book for professionals and my therapists have used it as the basis for ongoing discussion about therapy provision.

After reading this book, and I have previously read other books by Dr. MacDonald, I must say that the techniques in it are the most family friendly ideas I've ever heard of! The viewpoint is so refreshing, to think that we as families CAN be the most influential people in our child's social development is a new approach. This book has shown me how to incorporate very do-able ideas into our everyday life. The techniques included in it are something the entire family can learn and can supplement any professional's course of therapy. Professional therapists would also find this valuable...it concentrates on the social aspect of development, and really, that is the basis for all communication. To get into the child's world and to be able to match his abilities, without judgement or correction, has unbelievable, immediate results! I highly recommend this book, to families, educators, therapists, and physicians!

If you like Stanley Greenspan's DIR/Floortime approach, but need help applying it to teaching your child communication and language skills, this is probably the book for you.

Dr. MacDonald's approach is a developmental approach, where you get down on the child's level and try to get him/her up onto the next step with you. (For anyone who has read any Greenspan, this should sound familiar). Unlike ABA, it does not teach skills in isolation, and does not skip developmental steps to reach a desired "eventual" goal, something I've seen harm children many times.

To give a fairly common example, a lot of schools push children from crawling into walking before the child is ready. Just because a child is 5 physical years old does not mean they are developmentally ready to walk, and most of these children suffer from problems with trunk stability and fine motor control that are directly linked to this skipping of developmental steps. I've seen ABA programs that push for language too early in the child's development leaving kids knowing a lot of labels for things, but still having no idea of how to use words to communicate with others. Saying "red truck" doesn't mean anything if all the child is doing is labelling an object, that is, it is not COMMUNICATION. It may be somewhat meaningful if it is used as a request (for example, the child wants to actually play with that toy).

As a person with High Functioning Autism myself, I believe in Floortime and Communicating Partners as developmentally sensitive alternatives to ABA that are more meaningful to the child. As a Habilitation worker and Speech Assistant, I use a combination of these approaches with most of the children I work with.

Good luck helping the children in your life, autistic and otherwise, learn how to communicate better.

When we started doing the things suggested in this book our sons language and communication started to grow much more than before. The method is very easy, and yet so hard. The point is that to help our son develop, we have to change to fit him. This book covers all you need to get started right away (without even reading the whole book). It's great both for parents and professionals. My son has Down syndrome.

"A guide to diagnosis for parents and professionals". That's an accurate description of what this book is all about.

The book is divided into 9 chapters. The introduction tells us why diagnosis is important - not so much to label the child but to empower parents with the knowledge to seek proper treatment.

The next chapter highlights some of the early signs that make parents suspect if their child may be autistic. Chapter 3 deals with the history and theories or the causes of autism. Even the experts don't know everything and new insights into ASD are gained every day.

The couple of chapters will turn an uninformed layman into an informed one. Most of us think of autism as a single disorder with its classic signs. It is more accurate to view autism as a spectrum of disorders that can vary from individual to individual. The 5 ASDs are namely:

1. Autistic disorder
2. Asperger's disorder
3. Pervasive developmental disorder
4. Childhood disintegrative disorder
5. Rett's disorder

The author explains each disorder within the spectrum in great detail. Even though a lot of jargon is used, concise explanations are provided. The curious reader has much to gain from all this.

The next couple of chapters deal with the diagnostic process. The author emphasises on a multi-disciplinary approach. However, parents would know that the ideal diagnostic team is seldom possible. Most children are diagnosed by a lone psychologist. The final chapters deal with treatment. The author discusses the pros and cons of drug treatment, various teaching methods, inclusive schollong etc. Many real life experiences of parents with children with ASD are briefly mentioned in the book. I find it useful to let the reader know about what other parents are doing and have gone through. I have no problems digesting all the information in the book, but some of the less curious readers may want a book more suited to "dummies".

As the parent of a son with Asperger's Syndrome, I've read many books on autistic spectrum disorders (ASD's). I found this book to be a detailed, clearly-written overview of ASD's. The book contains a wealth of information regarding how to decide whether your child may have an ASD and if so, which diagnosis might apply. The book also provides an overview of various treatments, but the main focus is diagnosis.

As the mother of a little boy with PDD-NOS, I found this an excellent, comprehensive read. The author seemed to cover the characteristic "quirks" seen in these kids in greater detail than I've found in other introductory books. For example, she mentioned an obsession with the mechanization and movement of objects, something I'd noticed in my son from an early age. I'd highly recommend this to someone just starting out on their journey to understand their child.

Did you ever wonder if something with your child was slightly amiss? Did you ever wonder if your child's behavior was developmentally on par with other children? This book discusses the autism spectrum in detail. It is not overly complicated to read and is perfect for those who want things broken down simply and succinctly. When people think of autism they tend to think of Rain Man. In reality, autism has many different levels - the spectrum. This book contains very helpful charts for parents (particularily first time parents) who wonder if their child is developing normally. It is helpful for parents who don't even know what questions to begin to ask their child's doctor. Fascinating subject matter even if you do not have a child that is affected by an autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of those childhood development conditions that responds best when diagnosed and treated earlier. There are five types of autism collected under the category of ASD: Autistic Disorder; Asperger's Disorder; Childhood Disintegrative Disorder; Rett's Disorder; and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Demystifying Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Guide To Diagnosis For Parents And Professionals by ASD therapist and diagnostician Carolyn Thorwarth Bruey (Managing Partner of Developmental Disabilities Resources, Lititz, Pennsylvania) is an ideal introduction for non-specialist general readers such as parents and family members with autistic children, and has much to commend it to the attention of students of Developmental Disabilities as well. Basic, comprehensive and comprehensible information is provided on the history, myths, features, diagnosis, and treatment of children with ASD. Enhanced with a Resource Guide and Recommended Readings for further study, Demystifying Autism Spectrum Disorders is a perfect addition to community library Parenting Resources as well as Psychology reference collections as well.

If I ever get the chance to provide services to children in need (who do not have appropriate health care support), this book would be the first thing I'd pack. Plenty of useful lnformation in this book. Haven't tried to fashion any of the equipment, but I'm sure they all work wonders for kids and their families.

A good heart is essential but not enough in rehabilitation work. This book thus gives readers the basic understanding of people with different kinds of disabilities, enabling us to work well with them. What's more, the numerous heartfelt photos show us that if we can get things right, people with disabilities can enjoy a joyful life.
What's more, the author is so kind that he even encourages readers to xerox the content if necessary provided that not everyone can afford buying a book.

I'm a pediatric physical therapist who works with many people from Mexico and Latin American countries. This book (I often use the spanish version, also on Amazon.com) contains very useful information that I can share with families to help them better understand their disabled child's conditions. It has many creative methods of building equipment for little to no money that are important in our days of managed care.

There are some conditions, like polio, that are uncommon here in America. However, some of my imigrent families have children that have had polio. I used this book to make up for gaps in my own training. In fact, I've learned something useful from almost any page. This book belongs in the car of any therapist, (PT, OT) or person who works with disabled imigrent children. I highly reccomend it.

As a former PCV in The West Indies, I used this book for ideas to share with families who had special needs children. It has many low cost alternatives to equipment that is often too costly for families without resources. The book also addresses the need for a handicapped child to do useful work in the family unit, something that is often forgotten. Self esteem can be taught if a child is given tasks, however small. I had to leave the book at the PeaceCorps Library when I left, and think that no Early Interventionist, OT or PT should be without a copy. A copy in Spanish and a copy in English would be a great asset.

I spoke with an Occupational therapist who says this book was like a bible to her when she did a fieldwork session in rural India~ It was highly recommended!

This book is a very easy to read and understand guide for parents and teachers. It clearly states the signs of Autism and the importance of early intervention in a nonthreating way for parents. The end of the book gives tips for teachers and parents to help their children deal with this condition.

I read this book when our state EI specialists told us that our son had developmental delays, but they weren't sure if he was autistic or not (he had symptoms both ways). It was a great place to start for me and helped me formulate questions for the therapist and the developmental peditrician (our next stop). I really liked the chapter on how to help your child at home. I also enjoyed the real examples and advice from parents.

I work in the field of developmental disabilities and am a follower of recent studies and books that come out on various disabilities. Dr. Stone's book is not only educational, but is to-the-point. It is full of figures/tables to help explain the difference of the different spectrum disorders, frequently asked questions, and examples from parents with a child with autism or PDD-NOS. I would highly recommend this book if you are just trying to educate yourself about autism, or if you are truly wondering if your child does, indeed, have autism. The book is well-written and easy for the "lay person" to understand and interpret.

An excellent book to get you started down what could be a very long road. It might be helpful to know ahead of going to see a developmental pediatrician that your child might have a developmental disorder. However I would not use this book as the end all and to diagnose (and I don't think the author would either).

Once you know for sure (after getting the diagnosis from your Doctor) try "Overcoming Autism" as a next step book. And settle in for a lot of reading. Stay away from the "simple cure" books too. There is a lot (too much) information out there. Take it one step at a time and talk to other parents too.

I am an employee of the school system and work with many youth who have autism. I frequently look for resources to recommend to parents so they can educate themselves about Autism and better help their child in the home environment. Wendy Stone's book would be very helpful for parents who suspect possible Autism in their young child (Under 4 years of age). It discusses what goes into the diagnosis, and emphasizes the point that parents and practitioners can't dwell on one unusual behavior or deficit when considering a diagnosis (as it involves a cluster of behaviors displayed to a certain degree). The book also discusses strategies for parents to help their children in the home environment. A strength of the book, is that it has accounts from a family as they go through the process of diagnosis and treatment. Also, the book informs the reader of what to expect during the evaluation process, and includes frequently asked questions.

purchasing through Amazon was breeze. Got product quickly. Purchased new. Product obviosly new and in perfect condition. Book itself is superb. All in all it's a 10 on a 0 to 5 scale, with 5 being best!

Eda Goldstein does a great job of describing, in detail, Ego Psychology from a historical, theoretical, and practical perspective. I was particularly fond of Part II dealing with the ego and its functions and defenses. She writes with a clarity that is difficult to find when reading books dealing with detailed theoretical perspectives. I would highly recommend this book to socials workers and pyschologists alike. It is a wealth of information that you will find yourself referencing again and again.

This book is an excellent primer for clinical social workers working with volatile populations as it addresses ego functioning and deficits in depth. It additionally provides invaluable insight into borderline and other personality disordered individuals, as well as a survey of other noted theorists, besides Dr. Goldstein in the areas of ego functions.

Hot-n-hulky Eda Goldstein has written a classic for mental health practitioners. A skillful integration of Ego Psychology practice and treatment.

Dr. Goldstein's book provides students with a survey of the major contributors to ego psychological theory. To her credit, she manages to effectively communicate sometimes difficult material without resorting to the complicated jargon that one often finds in similar psychoanalytic texts. Ego Psychology and Social Work Practice 2nd Edition enables beginners to appreciate some of the insights of the ego psychologists without having to read and interpret the original texts. This would be a daunting task and unnecessarily laborious for a beginning student. It also provides more experienced clinicians the opportunity to review material germane to clinical practice or as an accompaniment to more advanced reading.

Donna Williams is already one of the most famous people diagnosed with Autism in the world and people look up to her achievements and particularly perhaps, the fact that as an Autistic person, contrary to all existing stereotypes at that time, she has married and, of course, an iconic writer of heterosexual romance.

But all is not what it seems. Agoraphobic, outside of her public face, Donna is actually a relative recluse on a farm in the middle of nowhere, completely controlled by her obsessive rather Autistic-Spectrum and somewhat multiple-personalitied husband, Ian. She is beginning to discover that not all 'Auties' are nice at all and the one she's married is a doosie.

Now, on the day of their second wedding aniversary, only one week after the death of her eccentric rather bipolar father from cancer and in the middle of the filming of a documentary about her life, Donna is falling deeply 'in like' with one of the crew, Mick who himself lost the father he loved. Now Ian boldly de-masks and announces he wants to run off with the male producer!

The de-masked Ian clinically announces how he has now qualified for being two years in the marriage and, hence, is entitled to half of everything she ever made from her internationally bestselling books. To boot, she has only a few weeks before flying to America to give a talk about being happily married and on the Autistic Spectrum before a massive US audience!

As Ian packs up the furnishings and strips their house bare and the cameras keep rolling, Donna's 'in like'with Mick has turned to being in love and after she starts a smart drug she finds herself developing lust for the first time in her life at the ripe old age of thirty-two.

But Mick has his own challenges with love, sex, identity and alcohol and with the help of a colorful hippy eccentric dance teacher, Margo, Donna finds herself on the road again. More alone as famous than she would ever have been otherwise, and deeply traumatised by the death of her father, she confronts her sexual orientation and attraction to women, going to a gay club specifically to meet 'someone'. She ends up in a torid sexual relationship with an alcoholic lesbian, Shelly. Then her best friend, Margo, goes suddenly into a coma, then dies from a brain haemmorage, and soon even Donna's beloved cat Monty joins the 'other side'.

It's like everyone is dying and she is surrounded by their 'ghosts'. But among the ghosts awaits an angel named Chris who in rescueing him from his own messy love triangle, she rescues herself from the edge of breakdown.

Everyday Heaven is a humorous, moving, riveting, roller-coaster of a book.

Thank you, Donna. I am an avid fan of Donna Williams' autobiographical and other scholarly writing on 'autism'. She is a true peacemaker. In her previous book, Like Colour to the Blind, I found tremendous insight into the kinds of problems that many of us encounter when we expand our world to include that of another in an intimate partnership.

Similarly, reading Everyday Heaven inspired me to continue to understand and deepen my relationship with myself. Donna's style is ever fresh and impeccably precise. She continues to charter the borderlands of differences in thinking, feeling, perceiving and behaving that have been labeled 'autistic'. Perhaps with so eloquent a mapmaker as our guide, the rest of us can learn greater tolerance for all of the individual 'autistic' realities that we each bring to bear in the creation of this thing that we think we share called 'consensual reality'. Maybe then there will be peace and Everyday Heaven on earth.

Those who have read Donna Williams' other three autobiographies will continue to find ideas and insights that will stretch anybody's understanding of autism far beyond textbooks and what professionals have published. But more than that, even if you aren't especially interested in autism, this book is about the zest for and love of life. Considering how gloomy and bitter Williams could be if she chose, "Everyday Heaven" really serves as an inspirational memoir. In spite of the very real hardships she describes, this book filled me with joy.

Of all Donna Williams' books, "Everyday Heaven" is one of my very favorites. The fourth in her autobiographical series, this part of her story invites us to be a fly on the wall while she navigates life and love in her thirties. Donna's unbridled candor draws you in, and her clarity and insight hold you fast. When you read it, you'll want to have a box of tissues near by, and also a friend to share some of her humorous anecdotes with. What strikes me in this book, is that in spite of the horrific circumstances she survived in her early childhood, and to whatever extent her Autism continues to impact her daily life, there is never a moment of blame or bitterness. She personifies resilience and a lust for life. If you dare to read any of her books, Donna Williams is someone who will take all of your excuses away. "Everyday Heaven" is a heavenly read.

Donna is changing the way that, hopefully, millions of people think about 'Autism'. Everyday Heavan gives a wonderful insight into the world of a fantastic lady on the Autism spectrum. In this fascinating book Donna shares the ups and downs of relationships, exposure anxiety, information processing, connection, tolerance, contol, dietary difficulties and many more experiences that she has had. You will be captivated by the warmth and passion that Donna brings to the Neuro -Typical world of Disabling barriers.

...after reading countless books on ADHD...this book was the first thing that made any sense at all, and finally gave me the information I needed to get my stepson diagnosed properly at age 12.... This book would be the quickest and best way, other than through years of living with someone with FAS, to try to understand the complexities of this condition. MOST people cannot understand it until they either have lived with it for years, worked with it for years, or at the very least read this book. Highly recommended. Dont raise, teach, or work with a FAS child and thier family without this kind of knowledge.

On a personal level this book has been a godsend!.Our child was recently diagnosed with FAE and this book has been our bible. You can refer to any section of this book at any time for helpful information. From reading this book, I now see my child as a child with special needs and not as a monster child! . My child didn't ask to be born this way,it is not my child's fault! . I see hope where once there was despair. I would love this book to be part of all teachers curriculum! .

I am the adoptive mom of two great kids with fas/fae and I found this book to be a Godsend. When I feel discouraged about my kids, or frustrated by their behavior, I read Fantastic Antone and I regain my sense of hope. I have lent it to all of my kids' teachers and have used it at trainings and seminars. Looking forward to reading "Grows Up"! Thank you Judy!!

Fantastic Antone Succeeds is a wonderfully informative book full of true-to-life stories from parents of FAS kids and helpful advice from educators who have worked with them. I came away with a greater all-around knowledge of the condition and a reasuring feeling that I wasn't the only one out there 'in the trenches'. If you are the parent of an FAS/E child or an educator, this is an invaluable handbook to take with you on your journey. e-mail brownla@midstatesd.net

This is a wonderful positive book for parents and caregivers of FAS/FAE children. I have read so much negative and disheartening material on the subject of fetal alcohol syndrome which gave me little hope for the future for my son. This book gives me hope and guidelines for enhancing his life. The chapters written by other parents are especially helpful. I thank the authors for their research and sincerity in their work. We, as parents, need assistance and guidelines in heading off some of the secondary disabilities which often come with fetal alcohol syndrome. This book offers some real answers! I keep it on the kitchen table so I can refer to it often.

My friend Bev gave this book to her daughter, a Special Ed teacher who teaches 6th grade middle school. She is going to use it for her classroom to increase inclusive education opportunities. She has already incorporated some of the strategies and it has been a useful tool in evaluations.

My daughter Tracy is an occupational therapist who works with many children including those with autism. She has formed a library in her clinic for parents and many have purchased the book for their own libraries.
They both feel this book is invaluable!

Dr. Schwarz has done an outstanding job of outlining the unquestionable benefits that inclusive education provides for not only for students (both with and without special needs), but also for faculty, families and society as a whole. From Disability to Possibility, which is written in an easy to read, conversational manner, goes on to provide detailed information about how to implement inclusive education into our classrooms along with specific tools and practices to accomplish this, often using real life stories that warm the reader. Many of the tools and practices are easily utilized and very helpful at home. This book is sure to be helpful to all educators and parents, particularly those with children with special needs. It was a tremendous help to me and my family! I am so looking forward to Schwarz's next book, Just Give Him the Whale, co-authored with Paula Kluth. Kluth and Schwarz and ground-breakers in special education today!

Patrick Schwarz may have written THE most important book regarding inclusive classrooms. Always questioning our attitudes and assumptions we have regarding individuals with disabilities, From Disability to Possibility, is filled with poignant stories about children and adults of all ages struggling to live their life in an "able" world. Interestingly, this book isn't so much about educating children, although this is accomplished, but more about identifying strengths of individuals no matter what their ability.

Gavin, a kindergartener, with pervasive developmental challenges, was pegged a behavior problem when observed by a team who would educate him the following year. During his kindergarten year, he was allowed to run around the room carrying a large Tinkertoy stick and received goldfish cracker reinforcements every few minutes (Schwarz questions what they were trying to reinforce!). The following year, Gavin wasted no time at his new school to fall into old habits. However, Schwarz was a consultant to the school and quickly helped the staff see Gavin in a new light "... Gavin has a brand new home and also a new school. I don't see him as a student with behavior issues. I see him as a scared little boy." Herein lies the beauty of Patrick Schwarz - he takes situations teachers are terrified of and makes them manageable by looking at a child's true strengths and applying them in the classroom successfully. What happened to Gavin during his 1st grade year? Teachers met his sensory needs through rhythmic motion, messenger duties, "brushing" his arms and body pressure which all helped him to organize internally and be successful.

This book is filled with stories about Sam, Andrew, Marco, Zach, Jenny, Anthony, Ben and Mick. But, that's not all. Schwarz does a thorough job of breaking down our insecurities and concerns about children with disabilities in our classrooms, analyzing individual child needs and applying it to real situations. Helping teachers to realize that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Many teachers in this book admitted to not knowing what to do with children who had disabilities as they were included in their classrooms. Sometimes this attitude was due to not being properly educated about specific disabilities and sometimes it was fear that including them would take too much time or take away from the education of the rest of the "regular" education children. Quite the contrary! Teachers realized true acceptance of diversity in their classroom and true partnerships with colleagues as well as parents by embracing children as children into their classrooms. As one parents shared with a teacher, "All I ask is that you believe in him; this will take you far in educating him."

Perhaps the most powerful statement Schwarz makes in his book is that "Attitudes are the worst disability." Change yours by reading this book.

I am a new special education teacher struggling with conflict of expectations of my role. My undergraduate work included classes on coteaching, collaboration, and inclusion. But, in the schools I find most of my coworkers (general educators who earned their degree prior to inclusion of students with disabilities) have a different idea of what my role is. I have been told by general educators that I have to pull students out of the classroom for that time to count as IEP time...is that the least-restrictive environment or in the best interest of the student? I have seen general educators group students in their classroom by abilities...the smart table, average table, and dumb table. Bottomline - there is a difference in paradigms. I enjoyed reading Schwarz's book and would recommend it to all (special and general educators). It is a quick and inspiring read...a great book for a book study. My paraprofessional also read the book. We both agree that some teachers in our building need to have a copy put in their mailbox.

This is a small book with a big and very important message. I immediately bought ten copies and passed them to everyone I know who is seeking social change in schools and communities. Dr. Schwarz's book is part story, part philosophy, and part how-to manual. In this very hopeful text, the author challenges us to dream of what might be and to take practical steps to make those dreams into reality. Buy one for your principal, your teachers, your therapists, your advocates and for yourself!