Disabilities Books

I received this book as a gift when my daughter was born without the ability to swallow and everything that went into her mouth drained into her lungs. This book really helped me overcome alot personally with being a mother of a special needs child. You always dream as a little girl your babies are going to be "normal"--But Maddison was the Special gift and just what I needed in my life and so was this book. Realizing that God gives these special children to special parents/people really helped change my attitude

If you are a parent struggling with your special children this book is for you. It gave me so many heart warming stories to remember and share. I also know that Carrie, the author, goes and visits families all over the US that are struggling. I have been priveleged enough to have her come and visit me and my son, who has a cleft lip and palate.

This book brought me through a very difficult time. My youngest daughter was born with a cleft palate and club feet, and it threw me into post-partum depression. I am a Christian believer and I trusted in God's Word and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit to help me through...and the book was definitely a gift from Him! It is very encouraging, yet deals with reality. The author truly understands the gamut of emotions that parents go through when facing the challenge of raising a child with special needs. I would highly recommend this book to ANY parent though, because it will help you to see your child through God's eyes.

I just finished reading A SPECIAL GIFT by Carrie T. Gruman Trinkner, a book that addresses the parents and relatives of special needs children. This is not the sort of book that I would choose to read, but it came highly recommended, so I took a shot. I'm so glad I took that shot because A SPECIAL GIFT turned out to be a great deal more than a devotional for parents and relatives of children with unique challenges--it speaks to every individual about life and how we choose to get the most out of living. I came away feeling spiritually nourished, having been given important lessons about so many of the psychological aspects we must confront in life. Written in an uplifting and inspirational style, this book has general appeal for anyone seeking happiness. It would make a VERY special gift.

My husband and I have a son with down syndrome and I was looking for something to help the other children at his school understand. I came across this book and read the Amazon excerpt. I immediately knew I had to buy it.

It is GREAT!!!

It is a guidebook to understand how to interact with those who have special needs. It explains differences, special needs(diffrerent types), walking in someone elses shoes, how to be a friend of a special needs person, etc. The way it is written is so simple, direct and to the point. It is geared for kids but I think many adults would benefit from its contents as well.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs and wants to understand about/interact with those who have special needs.
We all come in contact with special needs children/adults at some time in our lives, this book will help take the awkwardness away in those situations.

This delightful book illustrates the importance of never assuming. It smartly teaches lessons in values without preaching. Whether you are touched by an individual with special needs right now in your life or not this book is an outstanding example of what to do when you are.

Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

This is an expanded version of 'The Autism Acceptance Book,' by the same author, and does the same invaluable good work of engaging and encouraging young people to consider the world from the point of view of people with special needs while exhorting them to embrace, accept, and support others regardless of differences they might not have encountered before. Like all of the author's books, it's fun without being pat, and interactive without seeming overly didactic. Overall, it's that rarity among children's books: accessible, smart, and ultimately rewarding, and a perfect gift-- not just for the recipient, but for the giver as well.

As author of Kids from Critter Cove, a special needs storybook that teaches children not to make assumptions about those who are different, I think the concept of this book is fabulous. It offers practical ways to assist children in a broader understanding of special needs kids, and may help open the doors to some very special friendships.

Merilee Dodson ( Play therapist, Mental health consultant, Family educator, Author).
Kids from Critter Cove

My graduate reading professor introduced me to this book and I now purchase it for all my friends as a baby shower gift. This is a wonderful resource for all parents as it gives suggestions for activities that will shape children into readers and writers and prepare them for school. The book is especially good for parents of young children from birth to kindergarten age. Before kids are in classrooms, they typically have 4 to 5 years at home. During that time, the parents are responsible for their education. It is important they understand how crucial their role is in readying their children for the classroom. Homeschooling parents will also find this information valuable!

There's no doubt that reading to children early on promotes not only strong readers but enthusiastic readers. Love this book and two other pieces of children's literature that should be in every classroom and home.Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Success and The Big Squeal: A Wild, True, and Twisted Tail, written by 2 teachers are stories children ages 3-8 will love; the messages are lovely but most important the scripted 10-page teaching guide allows you to teach reading skills early on.

As a Kindergarten teacher, I have found the Starting Out Right book to be one of the best resources that I have ever used in my classroom. The text is very easy to read and very user friendly. The activities are great for any teacher making the changes in education. I only wish that I had found this book years ago. I would recommend this book for any teacher who is teaching reading strategies. In fact, my district is purchasing this book for ALL kindergarten teachers for our personal resource library.

this is such a great book if you are looking for a book that gives basic developmental guidelines for reading AND some wonderful activities to do with children! the focus is on children birth to 3rd grade! I absolutely LOVE it!

A very inspiring and informative set of profiles. The 'where are they now' updates really bring out the richness of each person's experience. I also like the reference sources at the end of the book. Great for reading with my students!

After 35 years of teaching children with all kinds of abilities, I found this book truly emphasized the theory of working through strengths. Success can only be evaluated by the individual and his relationship to the world. It is easy for a professional or any person for that matter, to find one's faults. The skill of the professional is to discover one's strengths. This takes patience and a sincere determination to work with an individual and help him identify his potential. These strengths can be very simple however simplicity can lead to success. Jill Lauren has clearly illustrated this concept in her book and has made it an inspiration for both children, adults and most importantly educators. It is a pleasure to know that a person like Jill Lauren knows her strengths and she is obviously succeeding in her field.

In the Annotated Bibliography of "Learning A Living' A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia, I wrote;

"Success stories of people that range from age 12-62. Some are famous including Pat Buckly Moss, an artist whose work is known worldwide, and Paul Orfalea, who is founder and Chairperson of Kinko's. Others are less famous, but also have lessons to teach. Most of the stories involve academic issues, but some workplace incidents are included."

I would like to add a few things to this initial review. The book has great, easy-to-read print. It is inspiring. I loved each story. It is very worth reading.

After 35 years of teaching children with all kinds of abilities, I found this book truly emphasized the theory of working through strengths. Success can only be evaluated by the individual and his relationship to the world. It is easy for a professional or any person for that matter, to find one's faults. The skill of the professional is to discover one's strengths. This takes patience and a sincere determination to work with an individual and help him identify his potential. These strengths can be very simple however simplicity can lead to success. Jill Lauren has clearly illustrated this concept in her book and has made it an inspiration for both children, adults and most importantly educators. It is a pleasure to know that a person like Jill Lauren knows her strengths and she is obviously succeeding in her field.

This book is great for the General classroom. It has many ready to use materials; such as, charts, story webs, and much more. Also, the author offers an abundance of ideas to help the regular education teacher work with the Learning Disabled student in their classroom.

This book provides useful strategies for teaching all types of children, not just those with learning differences. Winebrenner promotes awareness of each child's unique learning styles and provides practical, teacher-friendly ways to make the classroom friendlier for children with learning differences, gifted children, and any other children who can benefit from sensitivity to their individual ways of learning.

Although the author has revised and expanded her similar book on teaching Gifted Kids, I think the present one (1966) still has great value, for all elementary students. Aside from Chapter 3 on understanding learning difficulties and intervening, all the other chapters are applicable to all students. Just look through the chapter headings: making all students welcome in your classroom, getting everyone involved in learning, matching your teaching to your students' learning styles... This is a very practical and valuable book for teachers. It has fairly comprehensive coverage, including 8 multiple intelligences, the teaching of reading, writing and math, authentic assessment, improving behavior, conflict resolution, enlisting parents as partners... There are many case examples, numerous techniques for each topic. Take spelling as an example (p111-115). Students are taught to match spelling with their learning styles: visual, auditory, tactile-kinesthetic and multisensory. There are 5 or 6 more techniques for spelling. Teachers are also reminded to "avoid circling spelling errors for visual learners". Susan pays attention to so many useful details. This book should be available in all primary teachers' libraries.

As a classroom teacher who is trying to adapt multiple intelligences and learning styles into my lessons, I found Susan Winebrenner's book a valuable resource. She has many stategies for aiding children with learning disabilities as well as controlling inappropriate behavior in the classroom.

Thrump-O-Moto is a wonderful book! I have been reading it since I was old enough to read, yearly at least. An epic storyline, delightful art, and heart warming message. It proves that miracles can happen, but they are never very easy. As a child, it was a children's book about adult things like life, death, and heroism, which is why I love it. Its a pity there aren't more books like this jewel.

This is a beautifully illiustrated and written book for both children and adults. It is touching and inspiring. It brings home the important lesson of never giving up and helping to fight the good fight against an illiness or other evil.
Takes place in Australia and Japan and a fantasy land.
Charming and lovable characters.
Enchanting and inspiring.

I bought this book for my children for Christmas in 1988. It was so beautiful in word and pictures that I bought a second book so that each of the children could have their own book. It's story of the wizard "Thrump O Moto and how he saves Patricia from the evil "Nurk-u the Bad is so delightful. I always wanted to find the address of Steven Spielberg as I felt it would have been a wonderful movie only Spielberg could have writted for the screen.

Clavell's Thrump-O-Moto is nothing short of a literary masterpiece. This fantasy begins with a lazy rural afternoon and leaps across continents and through time warps with a most informal and personal accessibility. The possibilities of friendship, the comparison of cultures, and the thrill of adventure all contribute to create a most fantastic story. The illustrations supplement the flowing text like frosting on an already luscious cake. Clavell's marriage of detail and whimsy make for characters and places with an endearing, enduring reality all their own. Ideal for preschool and young elementary children, Thrump-O-Moto may require a few laptimes for tots with short attention spans; but don't be surprised if when you finally reach the end, you are asked to begin the adventure all over again!

Product is easy to follow, straight to the point, allows for interaction with the child. Well received by my High Functioning Autistic son. Now we just say are you going to choose A or B and he chooses the appropriate answer most of the time. Our fits and screaming have decreased with the use of this book. Sometimes he just chooses B anyway. :-)

I purchased this book for my sister whose daughter is very high functioning austic. We were at our wits end in dealing with her tantrums and insistence on having things her way. She caught onto this method very quickly and it has helped us in managing her tantrums. While we don't always succeed, sometimes she comes right out and says "I AM NOT CHOOSING A!!", most of the time she really wants to "do the right thing" and does select A.

I'm all about providing support and tools for children to understand themselves. Our kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other neurological issues often have difficulty not only perceiving the emotions in others, but in themselves. Flooded with feelings of anger or frustration it's difficult at that moment to make good choices in regards to behavior. As I have three children with Asperger Syndrome myself, I have often faced the issue of explaining to them that they can make positive choices when overwhelmed with feelings. (To quote my son, "Nuh uh!") It is not the time to reason with a child when he is in the middle of a meltdown, which is why it is so important to empower him with ideas and skills over a period of time, and to have a plan as to how to implement a plan BEFORE she or he is melting down. That is where this very simply written book comes in. Having this basic plan for making positive choices when upset, can prevent meltdowns.

The Way to A provides children with a concrete tool for understanding how they feel and behave during certain emotions, and then with an adult helping the child problem solve, they can decide on different options for what may calm or soothe themselves. This book is ingenious in that it is covered with wipeable pages you can use a dry eraser marker on to use over and over. Ideally each child would have his own book, but because it is reuseable, it can be used for every child in a pre-school, daycare, or elementary school.

Parents would be well served to work through this little colorful book with their child in order to not only provide their child with the tools to learn self-management, but to problem solve themselves and to gain a greater understanding of what sets their child off, and what calms him. While most parents of children such as ours already know these things (parents are the experts on their child), to see it written down makes it more concrete and reminds us that we DO have strategies. This is empowering for both child AND parent.

I think this is a lovely book, and also quite cute. I can't wrestle it away from my 6 year old at the moment, but it would also be helpful for my 11 year old, and the strategies themselves, are excellent for my 14 year old. The saying goes, "First, know thyself." This is a step in the right direction for creating a lifetime of self-management.

Kristi Sakai, mother of three children with Asperger Syndrome and Author of
Finding Our Way: Practical Solutions for Creating a Supportive Home and Community for the Asperger Syndrome Family

This is a great book you can use over and over again.
We carry the red and green cards everywhere! All that
has to be asked now is if (whatever the issue is) is an
"A" choice or a "B" choice. It's a great tool to have.

This book is very informational. Dr. Batshaw explains disabilities from begginning to end in clear language. I used it for almost every paper I hve written for my disabilities class. Good for citing quotes.

"When Your Child Has a Disability" is the complete handbook needed for every parent with a disabled child.The book provides assurance to parents that they are not alone,while giving answers to commonly asked questions.The information provided enables parents to act as the child's advocate without fear.The book is easily understood and gives advice without frightening parents that they may not have the power or education necessary to fight for the child's well-being.Every parent of a disabled child should have this book as a reference.

If you are the parent of a child who has multiple special needs or are looking for a scholarly and readable introduction to children's disabilities, then When Your Child Has a Disability is a "must read" resource. Relevant and reliable, it is the most comprehensive overview for parents of special needs children that has been published to date.

A well rounded resource like this has been needed for parents for a long time, and Dr. Batshaw has done an remarkable job at fulfilling this need. Crucial topics are covered which are rarely addressed adequately, but are vital to children with special needs - for example, feeding, visual impairment, teeth and dental care.

As moderator of mailing lists on Adoption (from Vietnam) and Prematurity, it is rare that I can recommend a book for both groups, but this is one that meets the needs of many parents.

When Your Child Has a Disability covers four major areas - Getting the Diagnosis, Growing Up with a Disability, Developmental Disabilities, and a brief section called What the Future Holds. Each chapter in these sections is authored by an experienced practitioner in the field. They provide an concise overview for each subject, an explanation of the terminology, and a number of practical suggestions for your child.

The section on Growing Up with a Disability covers topics vital to parents of children with special needs, such as nutrition and feeding, dental care, and encouraging appropriate behavior. Specific disabilities are covered in the Developmental Disability section, including many disabilities linked to prematurity. Twelve developmental disabilities are addressed - cerebral palsy, hearing loss, autism, mental retardation, visual impairment, communication disorders, learning disorders, down syndrome, genetic syndromes, spina bifida, and epilepsy.

For parents of children who have special needs (or are "at risk" for developmental disabilities), When Your Child Has a Disability is invaluable. . No other book comes close for educated, practical coverage of developmental disabilities, and accompanying special needs, in children.

As a parent of a child with a disability, I found in this book some of the best information and advice that I have read on the subject of children with disabilities. While some chapters deal with specific disabilities, others provide more general valuable information for all parents of children with disabilities (e.g. how to deal with emotions, managing the relationships with medical professionals, the education process, legal rights and how to care for your child throughout his/her lifetime).

The book provides sound expert advice to all parents of a child with a disability - from choosing and visiting doctors to communicating with and feeding your child to dealing with common and not-so-common medical problems to understanding legal and educational rights and benefits. That advice will help parents to appropriately act on behalf of the child. While providing critical information on caring for your child, the authors let parents know that the parents are in charge because nobody knows our children better. The knowlegde from this book will empower parents to do what they believe is in the best interest of the child.

This book is a signifcant resource and a "must read" for any parent of a child with a disability. I suggest not only reading the book, but also keeping it close as a valuable reference tool.

A Will Of His Own: Reflections On Parenting A Child With Autism by Seattle-based singer, teacher, and writer Kelly Harland is the touching, emotional, and deeply personal memoir of having raised an autistic son who reacts fearfully to everyday, commonplace and non-threatening noises and sights which other children consider harmless, such as a divider stick separating customer groceries. Dealing with tantrums, poor adaption to change, and other hurdles with love and support sometimes comes across as an uphill battle, A Will Of His Own sends a powerful and essentially positive message of hope, learning, and growth. A Will Of His Own is very highly recommended reading for any parent having to cope with an autistic child of their own.

This is a warm and touching story of a family who discovers that their son's difficulties are actually caused by the condition of Autism. These well written stories paint a picture for the reader as this family awakens to the possibilities that life presents to their autistic son Will. The reader is drawn in to the agony, the struggle, and the hope and the acceptance and love as they work their way through this formidable experience. One roots for them and believes that Will, will have his own apartment one day overlooking the water where he can watch the Ferry Boats of Puget Sound when ever he wants. It is an engaging story and a really great read.

"A Will Of His Own" is a moving tribute to the son of author Kelly Harland. Will is a vibrant and loving boy who is autistic. And this collection of well crafted, poignant essays will allow any reader to gain insight into the world of parenting a child who faces unique challenges.

Harland's devotion and deep love for Will, and her husband Charles, is ennunciated with such wonderful candor. She lets you into their everyday world of living with a son who requires repetition in all things and "no change, no surprises". You go on the journey from his infancy, to diagnosis, and through 10 years of his life. The struggles are many - and the reader is enlightened at every turn of the page. This is not just another book about autisim. This is a profound and truthful look at what it is to be confronted with something you never bargained for, how one can rise through the pain, how one can become adept at improvisation on the most human of scales.

There are moments in this book where the reader will be shocked at the callousness of some people, or surprised to learn what it's really like to have a child whose behavior in public can cause a multitude of intense reactions from strangers. This is real stuff and it is powerful.

If you're a mom or a dad this is essential reading. If you enjoy well written stories, this is the book for you. If you're looking for hope in a world that can be so dark you must read this book. But be warned - you will need a box of tissue before you're through.

Kelly Harland has pulled her readers away from the autism literature trend that offers up the "cure du jour."

Instead, Kelly offers us a candid, emotional look at the universal hopes, fears, dreams and sense of wonder that she has felt in raising Will, her adorable, persistent, and sometimes precocious child who also happens to have autism.

Harland's prose is luminous, her insight is razor sharp, and her story has merit for anyone who has ever experienced the utter vulnerabilities and joys, heartaches and little miracles inherent in raising a child who is not described as "typical."

How wonderful to pick up this book on those days where you wish to take a break from conflicting opinions about interventions, diets, biomedical therapies, and simply take a loving glimpse into a family who has not only survived an autism diagnosis, but has managed to thrive in spite of it.

Bravo, Kelly!

Liane Gentry Skye
author of "Turn Around, Bright Eyes", Snapshots from a Voyage out of Autism's Silence.
publication date 9/2002.

Follow the young RN pilot's rise thru the ranks of the fleet air arm during WW-II. This is a great story about a Royal Navy escort carrier and the men who sail in her and the missions assigned to it; from Norway into the south west Pacific.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Reeman's ability to get into the head of Tim Rowan, the Fleet Air Arm fighter pilot, was amazing. I felt that he had gotten completely into Rowan's mind and gave the reader a full appreciation of the perils a naval aviator faces on the high seas in wartime. The secondary characters (e.g. Tim's closest friend, the arrogant admiral, and some members of the carrier's crew) stood up well on their own and rounded out the story very nicely.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Reeman's ability to get into the head of Tim Rowan, the Fleet Air Arm fighter pilot, was amazing. I felt that he had gotten completely into Rowan's mind and gave the reader a full appreciation of the perils a naval aviator faces on the high seas in wartime. The secondary characters (e.g. Tim's closest friend, the arrogant admiral, and some members of the carrier's crew) stood up well on their own and rounded out the story very nicely.

This is the story of pilots who served in Royal Navy escort carriers in World War II. These ships were not the head-line attracting fleet carriers; rather these were the "Woolworth Carriers" turned out by the dozens by Henry Kaiser's shipyards on both coasts. A number of these ships were sent to the Royal Navy and this is the story of one of them.

The charecters of the pilots and ship's officers are well developed and complex, like all of us. It is a mix of old professionals and young amateurs who rapidly gain the skills and instincts of their long serving shipmates. There is conflict along the way, from the lowest pilot to the admiral commanding the operations. There is the added mix of several Dutch aircrew into the mix that adds both to the tension and humor of the story. There is the added distraction, for the men, of having to fit domestic problems into their already full plate of matters to be dealt with, and it isn't always easy for some of them. Finally, there is the sense of loss you will discover when after an operation, the returning pilots are celdbrating on the flight deck and someone notices the support crew of one aircraft that didn't return, just standing on the flight deck looking into the distance on the off chance that "their" aircraft would return.

The scope of operations is vast, ranging from the North Atlantic to the North Sea, the Southwest Pacific and finally home in the UK.

This story is a fine rendition of the trials and tribulations of a little known type of ship in the Royal Navy. It rings with authenticity on every page. This should be in every person library who has an interest in Naval operations during World War II.