Disabilities Books

This is my favorite book. I read it in less than a day wich is rare for me. Some other books I love are Catcher and the Rye, and The Sound and the Furry. Donna Williams is amazing. This book is amazing.

This is my favorite book. I read it in less than a day wich is rare for me. Some other books I love are Catcher and the Rye, and The Sound and the Furry. Donna Williams is amazing. This book is amazing.

At the age of four Donna's main carers are gone when her grandfather dies and her grandmother is sent away. Now, with her surreal and eccentric father basically banned from contact with her, she becomes the possession of a disability-phobic, obsessive, disturbed and alcoholic mother who is determined to play out her own lost childhood and make her seemingly deaf, somewhat 'psychotic' and disturbed idiot daughter a pretty and perfect dancing doll.

But inside of Donna there are other people she has collected along her road to survival; Willie who is like a civil rights activist on steroids and the smiling facade of Carol.

Carol plays the mother's doll to protect the soul of the real Donna. Intertwined with Willie's violent and defensive outbursts and paranoic protection and Donna's often bizarre and quite Autistic responses and behaviours, Carol, behaving like people on TV sit-coms, goes to school,even goes through the motions of 'friends', and develops a broad range of mimicked speech, stored phrases and charicatures, saving Donna from a life in an institution and often from the very real threat of death.

As the teenage years approach Carol and Willie fight it out for control of the body with the real Donna on the sidelines as the lot of them drift into homelessness, poverty and domestic prostitution passed from stranger to stranger.

After an attempted suicide she falls into the care of a psychiatrist and goes on to get a university education. But knowlege is not wisdom and without independence skills, Donna follows a stranger across the ocean where, on arrival, he abandons her to an itinerant bag-lady existance throughout Europe. This second journey begins with a man who will change her life and sense of self forever as she meets and falls in love with a real life 'mirror'with the same challenges as her own and, later faced with the loss of this first deep love, goes on a desperate and dangerous quest to find out 'what kind of mad' she is in the hope there is hope she can change it and as a result finds out she is Autistic; a realisation that ends up changing the entire field of Developmental Disabilities forever.

An international bestseller, in over 17 languages throughout the world, Nobody Nowhere is a moving, gripping, surreal, myth-shattering, sometimes hilarious but ultimately uplifting book and one that will stay with you as one of the most moving and exceptional works you will ever read.

Life, normality and reality will not be the same after you read this book.

I think Donna Williams is one of the world's greatest authors. Although she suffers from pervasive developmental disorder, (autism related), she has shown great courage and will be of great benefit in the future for other people with disabilities.

I suffer, myself, from Asperger's Syndrome (I am 23 years old) and I have benefited from Donna's three autobiographies written.

I am trying hard to find information and correspondence with other autistic people like myself; but the process has not been a walover. I recommend reading of the books, from "Nobody Nowhere"(first) to "Like Color to the Blind" (third) because all three books run in sequence.

I have rated Nobody Nowhere a perfect 10!

Adrian Pooley

I have just finished reading this book. I have read it cover to cover twice and I will return to it from time to time when I'm working with hearing impaired clients. I have placed it on the shelf with my nursing journals and texts for future reference. I strongly recommend that Health care and education professionals read this book as it is a great reference and learning tool for anyone who works with hearing impaired clients. I would like to see it be required reading for nurses and teachers before graduation. Patricia Ann Morgan Candlish is not only the author of this book but has lived with a child who is "not deaf enough". She tells her story of how it is and was to raise a hard of hearing child. She discusses her personal diffculties in obtaining a diagnosis and her future roadblocks in achieving satisfactory therapy in rural Ontario post diagnosis. This book describes numerous personal experiences from a parents' point of view and would be a wonderful asset to any home or school library. The author portrays in detail, and with humour,I might add the challenges of day to day living with a hard of hearing child. The book is well laid out; each chapter is full of material starting with the stages of grief, incliding denial and anger at being blessed with a "not so perfect baby." As the book progresses she describes the formal and informal testing, the anatomy of the ear, hearing aids, financial stresses and sign languages versus speech reading. She describes the symptoms of hearing loss and indicators for hearing testing from the US National Institute of Health. It goes on to depict the management of temper tantrums, difficulty with education, schools, and basically how to deal with health care and educational professionals. Updated information is also available on teaching aids such as toys, books phones and computers. I would recommend this reading material not only for those working with a child who is hearing impaired, but for those working with the hard of hearing of any age. The information in this book is invaluable to all professionals of heal care and education.

A very worthwhile book. I had a chance to reread your book this summer and I found myself learning even more the second time around.(Actually the third time if you count the manuscript.) I always knew your life was not easy but I didn't know just how difficult it has been. You have not only coped beautifully but managed to produce a very worthwhile work out of all your difficulties that will benefit others. Congratulations. I'm lucky to be your older sister. Your book is so easy to read, even the technical parts. I think it should be required reading for everyone in the education field. I loved the way you interspersed it with pictures. I have always been amazed at how you taught Reid to talk. You done great SIS!

"Not Deaf Enough" (the title is devastating in itself,can be read on at least two levels. The first is obvious. The author, mother of a child with hearing deficiencies, gives the reader an account and the benefit of her and her famly's experiences with the system proved deficient. The advice is practical and focussed and comes from an intelligent, tenacious, loving, resourceful and articulate woman. Candlish pulls no punches and does not pussyfoot around the problem. If you are fortunate enough not to have had a major challnege of this sort in your family, then read the book from the perspective of someone who felt that the outside world should get a return on her and her family's investment. With any luck, this book will inspire others to give help and support to others less fortunate. There should be more books written such as this written so clearly. A third level, of course, is that the book is also a character sketch of someone who is playing the hand that she has been dealt without whining and without asking for a new deal.

This no-nonsense book is filled with practical, useful information. I highly recommend this book to all parents of hard of hearing children.

As the parent of two hard of hearing children, I have read my share of books about deafness. This is one of the best.

Amazon says the book is out of print, but I checked with the publisher ...and they say they have just reprinted it and it should be available soon.

This delightful book covers the full gamut of emotions. A myriad of topics ranging from flatulence to world events are covered in this book. This is Donna Williams, uncensored and ready to disclose her brilliant insights and gems of wisdom and humor. Gems like this should put to rest the misperception that people with autism are incapable of seeing beyond the literal and are incapable of using metaphoric language. If you want to climb the mountain into the world beyond the neurotypical, then join us in reading this treasure.

From surreal to hilarious, the collection in Not Just Anything is as diverse and disclosing as all of Donna Williams' autobiographical collection put together. From farting to terrorism, from merging with objects to mania, from explorations of psychopathy to celebrations of eccentrics, Donna Williams holds back from nothing here. For anyone who likes to dip into another world, here is the dipping pool.

These poems affected me, touched me, sometimes made me chuckle. They are full of the creativity and inspiration for life that is Donna Williams. In other words, they are another installment in the Donna Williams autobiography series though told episodically, and more sensingly. The book is a journey of feeling, quite an experience.

If you can get your hands on this book, and if you read only one book by Donna Williams, read this one.

This is a collection of poems, stories, paintings, and photographs. It's very uneven -- some of them are great, and some of them are just kind of there. Some of them are silly and humorous, others are serious and frightening or uplifting.

My only complaint, if I had one, would be that some of the poems -- like "The Loft", and "The Mountain" -- contain ideas of a sort of compartmentalized nature that I find unfortunate, especially since she applies some of these hierarchies of understanding to all autistic people in her later books. But the other poems more than make up for this.

My personal favorites include "Cat's Cat", "Simply Be", "Chortle", and "Enemy Lines", among others.

"Cat's Cat" is a combination poem/short story about a cat. What I like about it can be summed up well in the last line -- "'Cat's Cat,' said Cat, in Cat." The cat's perspective on the "blob" who lives with and takes care of him is both amusing and real. "Simply Be" reads almost like a prayer or a plea. "Chortle" is a funny poem about the arrogance and snobbery of a person going on about his fancy toilets. "Enemy Lines" is a darker poem about living in a hostile environment.

These poems show the variation of topics in this book, but really you'd have to read it. It describes emotions and experiences I've yet to see described so clearly elsewhere. Some people seem to love this book and some seem to hate it, but I like it a lot, despite its flaws and unevenness. It's definitely, in my opinion, her best book, and possibly the best (or close to the best) book of poetry by an autistic person. It's about a whole lot more than autism, but many autistic people find it speaks to us directly.

Excellent delivery and well worth for the money very good presentation will deal again highly recommended

As an occupational therapy student currently assigned to a physical dysfunction site, I have found this text to be the most valuable. I advise any student taking the NBCOT exam or begining a affilitation in physical dysfunction to purchase this text!!

As an OT student, I've used this book more in clinic (rehab settings) than any other text I own. It is an invaluable reference for manual muscle testing and goniometery. Trombly carries over from class to clinic with ease, and I've even had OTRs borrow it during my fieldwork.

OT for Physical Dysfunction proved to be indispensible both in school and in practice. This text has practice skills in assessment and treatment organized for use in problem-based and in evidence-based learning courses. Treatment principles are outlined with actual therapy techniques, sample documentation and specific information to treat different diagnoses with photos. Absolutely my most-used text.

I can't say enough about how informative this book is for parents of LD kids who are just about to turn 18. A great source of info that is hard to find. Her other book, "Laughing Allegra", is also an incredible read for those with younger kids, especially those who live in New York.

Such a crucial, scary time..."on their own." You wonder if it can ever happen successfully. Very knowledgeable, ungarnished yet helpful and hopeful.

This is the book every parent of an adult child with LD should read, especially in those times when you feel so hopeless and that no one truly knows what you are going through. As the parent of an adult son with learning disabilities I can honestly say that On Their Own has changed the way I think about my son and his future. Most of all it has given me hope that he has a future at all! The book helped us see the whole person with all their strengths and weaknesses. Nothing is sugar-coated here, and parents of adults with LD will find many points where'll they'll nod in agreement and realize that yes, after all someone truly does understand what we are going through. I absolutely loved Anne Ford's previous book Laughing Allegra. In that book, I felt she spoke to me personally as we followed her step by step while raising a child with LD. On Their Own continues the story, but it is a much more hands-on approach and with a great deal of practical information. Even so, I found it as readable as Laughing Allegra, with many insights and anecdotes that separate it from so many other dry academic books in this field. Parents of adult children with any disability will benefit greatly from On Their Own

I was worried that I would be bored by all the language specific jargon so commonly used by professionals in books like these, but the insight and personal account of dealing with learning disabled adults kept me totally engrossed for the entire book. I wish more books about dealing with disabilities were written with such a human voice.

I grew up next door to Jim and moved away many years ago but reading the book from thousands of miles away brought back a flood of memories of Jim and his family who were all so kind and patient. This book should give hope and encouragement to families with children of any physical or mental challenge. There are lessons to be learned about the amazing things that can be accomplished by extremely loving and talented people with disabilities. If you haven't read this book and are thinking about it, you won't be disappointed. Mary really brings Jim's life into a light that mostly only "locals" were able to appreciate. It is a testament to his parent's love as well. The definition of family can be found here.

This is a truly inspring tale of a family that not only homesteaded in Alaska, but raised a child with Down's Syndrome with little help from anyone else. The Haakensons had 6 other children, but managed to raise them all, including Jim with Down's Syndrome, to be contributing citizens with strong Christian values. The book was written by their daughter, Mary, after Jim died in 2001. This is a book anyone should read, and especially anyone with a Down's child in their family.

Beside being a wonderful account of the life of Jim Haakenson and his family, this book sets the reader into the lives of homesteaders in Alaska and their unique lifestyle. It leaves one in awe of what these folks accomplished in their daily life as well as the raising of Jim into a very capable employee, and responsible adult who was well known and loved in the community.
Jim is a rich character and fun to read about. This is a well written, very interesting book, and definitely encouraging to any family raising a child with these kind of challenges.

This book was recommended by our daughter, mother of a Downs son, who knows the author. I expected to read a knowledgable, thoughtfully written book -- what I hadn't expected was top-grade writing, humor and a wonderful witness to family acceptance and faith. A truly inspiring story.

The revised edition of Partners in Independence by Ed & Toni Eames is a welcome addition to literature of how dogs touch and enrich our lives. The Eames' have given us an informative and entertaining look at the lives of those who have chosen to be partnered with an assistance dog. This book has appeal not only to those interested in the disabilities rights movement or the assistance dog movement, but to all dog lovers.

The second edition of "Partners in Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled," by Ed and Toni Eames, will be of interest to those who want to understand more about dogs partnered with people who have disabilities. This edition is published by Barkleigh Productions, Inc. The Eameses are activists for the rights of people with disabilities, including the right to be accompanied by a trained and well-behaved assistance dog in public places.

The book covers a wide range of information about assistance dogs to people with disabilities. You'll find legal information, insights into life with various disabilities and how dogs can help, and a great deal of the history of dogs assisting people with disabilities. You'll also read warm stories, travel tales, some of the politics of the disability rights movement, and etiquette of how to help (and how not to try to help) a person with a disability you encounter in public.

The Eamses estimate there are about 20,000 assistance dogs--that's the total of guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs for disabilities such as mobility--working in the United States. Compared to even therapy dogs, this is a relatively small number, and many people have encountered few if any assistance dogs in their lives. It's no wonder that the legal rights of disabled people to have their assistance dogs with them in public are not well understood by most people--not even otherwise dog-savvy people. This book will clear up a lot of confusion, and it's fun to read in the process.

As someone who suffers from a disability (epilepsy), it was a pleasure to learn that not only wasn't I alone, but that my seizure alert dog is part of a greater whole. The assistance dog movement is growing and through this book more people will learn of its benefits.

I am a legally blind former Dairy Herdsnam. I was enthralled by the stories in this book, and grateful for the info given about the different guide dog schools. It helped make my choice of which school to apply for a dog easier. I think this book should be required reading for anyone entereing the special needs/education professions!

PRIOR TO THE TTY DEAF PERSONS WERE ALMOST TOTALLY ALONE UNLESS THEY
HAD A HEARING PERSON AROUND TO MAKE CALLS ETC-THE BLIND DID NOT HAVE THIS---WE HEARING PERSONS WILL NEVER KNOW HOW THEY PERSISTED
PERSISTED PERSISTED TO BECOME EQUALS IN A HEARING WORLD--IS MY GOOD FORTUNE IN LIFE TO KNOW (SINCE 1948) ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS
OF THIS WONDERFUL BOOK... JAMES C MARSTERS DDS--THATS CORRECT DDS
WE WERE CLASS MATES-AND THE IDEA WAS COMING AROUND IN HIS HEAD
AS EARLY-IN MY KNOWLEDGE--AROUND 1950---sooooooo read on THEY CLIMED
THE MOUNTAIN.................................................

Less than one percent of the 85 million telephones in the U.S. and Canada in 1964 were used regularly by the deaf. That's when Robert Weitbrecht (physicist with the Stanford Research Institute), James Marsters (orthodontist), and Andrew Saks (businessman) started the process that led to deaf people around the world possessing an affordable phone system that they could use. All three of these enterprising men were also deaf. Harry Lang's A Phone Of Our Own: The Deaf Insurrection Against Ma Bell is the fascinating story of how these three diverse men collaborated to solve the technical difficulties of developing a coupling device for a teletypewriter that would translate sounds into discernible letters. With the help of an expanding corps of deaf advocates, ATT and FCC resistance to this technological innovation was overcome and a portable, fully accessible, and affordable telephone system came into being for the deaf community. A Phone Of Our Own is a remarkable and enduring story of innovation and the enduring human spirit.

A phone of our own. From the very first sentence of the introduction "For nearly a century after the advent of the voice telephone, we deaf people were without a phone of our own". Author Harry G. Lang takes the reader by the hand and brings the very personal struggle of the Deaf people to the reader. He brilliantly brings to the public eye not only the Deaf persons responsible for bringing us the TTY that we enjoy so much, but also the countless numbers of Deaf people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. It is not a book about one Deaf person but many Deaf people in their ongoing struggle to communicate. This book is a masterpiece of writing and brings a renewed pride within the Deaf community. I highly recommend this book for everyone, Deaf and hearing.

As always, Dr. Harry Lang writes about topics pertaining to the Deaf world and its ongoing attempt to make their way in a hearing world. This book is a magnificent story about the battle between big corporations and a small group of people who were striving to find a way to communicate with each other and with the hearing world. It is very ironic that Alexander Graham Bell was attempting to find a way to assist the Deaf (his own wife was Deaf) when he started developing the phone, yet his creation became the bane of our existence. Until the development of the computer and email, the phone was the ultimate barrier for those with hearing impairments to participate in the 'normal' world through education, employment, and necessaries such as calling the doctor for an appointment.

Dr. Lang tells the story of 3 courageous and very different men who wanted to rectify this communication deficit for the hearing impaired community. What started out in homes and garages much as the history of PCs did in the San Francisco Bay Area, spread throughout the U.S., and much of the effort had to be spent trying to get corporations such as AT&T to cooperate. It is unbelieveable the amount of obstacles raised by the very group who would benefit (in increased revenue from a priorly non-using community) were the ones who made things so difficult for these men. Yet persistence from all of them led to an invention/tool which is much used now and taken for granted by all of us who became deaf later in life.

This history is well-written and well-documented, and it should be required/recommended reading for those in communications, as well as those who are deaf or who work with the deaf. Changes in the TTY, increased private/public computer use, and changes in federal laws such as the ADA and rulings by the FCC have led to increased use of this method of communication, and the increasing availability of TTYs in public places. It has also led to innovations in computer use, and prompted attitudinal changes which were much needed. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

As an educator, I am impressed with the ability of the author to explain how various types of disabilities affect the ability of a learning diabled person to learn. It is done in a way that is understandable to the general population. Her dedication to aid citizens with special needs to reach their potential is apparent. Her techniques for teaching individuals with special needs are simple and easily implemented. I would highly recommend this book for music teachers and parents of a person with special needs.

If you have a student with a special need or are considering teaching one, this book by Kowalski is a must-read. Kowalski, a pediatric occupational therapist and classically trained pianist, draws on her wealth of medical and musical knowledge to create an innovative approach to teaching music students with special learning needs. By giving a concise, easy to read "crash course" in several common disabilities and the body systems affected, Karen Kowalski prepares her readers for the extremely practical and applicable teaching strategies that follow. Heartwarming and inspirational, the testimonials given at the end of the book are a tribute not only to students who have persisted in music despite their personal challenges, but also to the music teachers who have encouraged these students to "[play] it their way".

This book is enjoyable to read and provides creative, multisensory strategies for teaching piano to all types of learners.
The strategies are made clear through wonderful illustrations. I especially enjoyed the last chapter where several accomplished musicians with disabilities are described. I highly recommend this book to occupational therapists and music educators alike!

This book is essential for today's piano instructor. More and more individuals with special needs are taking piano lessons, and their unique situations require a unique approach. Karen Kowalski has a proven track record, having brought the joy of playing music to students in situations where the traditional methods don't apply. This book is a great way to tap into her experience and effectiveness. Highly Recommended.

Very complete school resource. Simply look up the unwanted behavior and get numerous suggestions to try.

This is a must have for all teachers. It is filled with lists of observable behaviors that teachers and see and then match them to 30+ suggestions. I teach at the University level and make this book a mandatory purchase. I could not recommend this book any higher. It has a wonderful table of contents that make it easy to find what you need and a solid number of helpful checklists in the back. IT IS A MUST.

My book arrived in excelent condition, even thought it was used, it seemed like new! It came in 2 days!!

This book is extremely helpful in making accommodations, modifications and interventions. It should be required reading for all college students who are getting a teaching degree. The Table of Contents is written so that you can look up the weakness of the students (academic, behavioral, psychological, physical) you are concerned about, and then when you turn to that section, there are lots of appropriate and effective strategies for helping the student. I used this book almost every day when I taught Junior High reading.