Disabilities Books

Alice named her sons Jack and Lenny. Jack for Kerouac, which aptly fits, as he took off ten years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Lenny for Lenny Bruce, though he more closely resembles Steinbeck's Lennie from Of Mice and Men. As a young child, Lenny suffered an accident which has left him mentally challenged. Not only does he have trouble learning complex tasks, but he lives in a repeated refrain where "white spaces" push through and mix him up. He has a friend at work who teaches him all the wrong things about women and whose boots he admires, and a neighbor up the road who he's convinced is going to allow him to have sex with her. Other than that, his world centers around his mother, Alice. And Alice's ideas of being a mother and caring for him include teaching him - Careful! - by snuffing cigarettes on his hand. Things take a mreviewed byore ominous turn when the prodigal son Jack, now a policeman, returns to town. Alice instructs Lenny to kidnap the brother he doesn't even remember, let alone recognize, and this sets in motion a chain of devastating realizations in this family.

Madelin tells this story in rotating third person limited POV, but it's so focused that it feels like first person intimate storytelling. He does an admirable job of not only sustaining the eerie inner voices and thoughts of both Alice and Lenny, but also of sustaining the reader and heightening curiosity with these challenging perspectives. This stylized inner POV could easily become a gimmick - or annoying - if not well written. But it's so deftly handled that's it not only brutally intriguing but also becomes downright riveting as the revelations pile up. It's a forceful and complex debut from Madelin.

Think of this book as The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time's evil twin. A densely crafted and compelling look into two minds--a brain damaged son and an emotionally damaged mother--Careful! is a disturbing book, yet an enthralling one as well. By writing the whole book in interior monologue, Madelin really allows you to understand the motivations and choices of the characters, despite how brutal and misguided these choices wind up being. You often see people in the world who seem so messed up, and a book like Careful! helps you understand why that can happen. A modern classic of family disfunction.

After a tragic childhood accident, Lenny has become mentally disabled and emotionally dependent on others. This includes his frustrated mother Alice, who believes her son's condition can be cured if he "sees the light," Maude, the older and inquisitive neighbor down the street whom he believes he will one day bed, and Jimmy, his best friend and co-worker who gives him bad advice about women and dating, provides him with skin flicks, and even teaches him how to masturbate to them properly.

When Alice hatches a plan for Lenny to kidnap her estranged son Jack, a policeman, the plot thickens. Lenny has no idea he's kidnapping his own brother, not only because his sibling left home over ten years prior but also because his mental capacity will not allow him to remember. Lenny's only concern is pleasing his mother, who threatens him with a game of "Careful," which usually involves some form of physical abuse or mental torture towards him. Alice's agenda is to get Jack to admit why he left and to have him help Lenny see the light. That is, after she decides to release him from being bound and gagged in the attic. Meanwhile, Jack has an astonishing secret that must be revealed before the story ends.

"Careful!" is told with breakneck pacing and incredible fervor. First time author Richard Madelin, who resides in England, weaves in and out of monologue with style and control. The protagonist is a fascinating character, reminiscent of Steinbeck's main character in "Of Mice and Men." The author's unique style of writing, mostly in inner-monologue, creates a fresh and original experience for the reader. After reading it, you will not forget the name of this book. "Careful!" is superb and easily makes my top ten list for the year. Highly recommended.

This book is very informational. A very good book for teachers and people interested in Emotional and Behavior Disorders in children.

I had this book as one of my college textbooks. It is very user friendly and has a lot of great qualities. The book describes all of the possible factors associated with emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as prevalance, history, models of thinking, screening and classification. The book dexcribes many different disorders by giving definitions, types, prevalance, causes and prevention, and intervention strategies. One of the best things about the book is the abundance of ongoing case studies in the chapters. These are especially great for discussion with others about causes and stratagies for prevention. Every chapter has questions at the beginning to think about as you read, and a summary at the end. There are also personal reflections by different teachers and professionals at the end of every chapter, which relate to experiences these people have had with the various disorders. Overall, this would be a great college textbook, or a great reference book for someone seeking information about emotional and behavioral disorders.

This is an impressive book in its seventh edition since 1977 and used as an introductory text in special education on the subject of children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. It is also impressive, because the publisher has developed a companion website accompanying the book with resources for the professor and the student (www.prenhall.com/kauffman). The website is divided according to the chapters of the book with focus questions, multiple choice questions and web resources. The user will also find a message board and a chat room for communication with other students and professors. For the professor there is a syllabus manager in order to create and modify an online syllabus for their courses. The book has 18 chapters arranged with the text arranged around basic concepts like the nature, extent and history of the problem and conceptual approaches to it, assessment of the problem, major causal factors, the many facets of disordered emotions and behavior and each chapter ending with personal statement or reflections by someone else that the author, about teaching pupils with these disorders. I especially liked the history chapter of special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, because history is so important for how we deal with problems today. Before 1800 most of the children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders were looked upon as possessed, wicked or idiotic. In the 19th century teaching went from lunatic asylums and institutions for idiots to houses of refuge, detention centers and later to public school classes for truants, troublemakers and backward pupils. In the 20th century the mental hygiene and child study movements led efforts to deal more effectively with the youth at home and in school. In the 1940s psychoanalytic oriented educational programs began, 1960s and 70s saw periods of rapid growth in educational interventions and the 1980s saw new legislation. All in all a recommended book for persons working with emotional and behavioral disorders both in children and youth.

Professor Joav Merrick, MD, DMSc Medical Director, Division for Mental Retardation, Box 1260, IL-91012 Jerusalem, Israel. E-mail: jmerrick@aquanet.co.il

As the parent of a child with a Traumatic Brain Injury, I have found this book to be invaluable. It has answered so many questions that were very difficult to find the answers to elsewhere. Dr. Schoenbrodt has done a magnificent job of pulling together information written by different professionals such as a medical doctor, a psychologist, special educators, etc. In this extremely informative book, Dr. Schoenbrodt presents ten different chapters: 1)What is Traumatic Brain Injury?; 2)Rehabilitation and Medical Concerns; 3)Coping as a Family; 4)Helping Your Child Adjust; 5)How TBI Affects Learning and Thinking; 6)How TBI Affects Speech and Language; 7)How TBI Affects Behavior; 8)Strategies for Managing Your Child's Behavior; 9)The Educational Needs of Children with TBI; 10) Legal Issues for Families of Children with TBI. There is also a wonderful resource guide which includes a state-by-state listing of organizations for families that have experienced TBI and a list of informative websites. The material provided is given in a clear, concise, and well-written manner. There are many medical terms used but there is also a glossary explaining them. It is not too difficult for the lay person to read, and yet has much to offer the professional. This book has been more help to me than I can ever express. I live in a very rural area and no one seemed to have much information on TBI. As I read the book, every so often I would come across something and say to myself, "Aha! So that's why my son does this or acts this way." There are also many suggestions to help parents and the child recover emotionally and to manage everyday living. I would highly recommend this book to any member of a family that has suffered TBI, and I would also recommend it to any professional seeking more information on the subject. Thank you, Dr. Schoenbrodt!

Wonderful book .Probably the most useful book specifically about TBI in children that I have read.Well Done.If you are looking for a book specifically dealing with TBI in children then look no further

As a parent of a son with TBI, I have battled schools to find a teacher, administrator, specialist... anyone who understands the confusion and disorganisation in my son's brain. This book, among other things, clearly states the stages of brain rehabilitation, lists possible symptoms, explains in layman's terms how things can appear one way one day, and differently the next. I can speak intelligently to untrained educators using quotes from this book to explain abberrant and unexpected behavior as exhibited by my son. And believe me, the teachers are UNTRAINED in TBI. Ask me, I am a teacher! Everything I have learned about TBI, I taught myself after my son fell and damaged his brain - and this book is the best place to start that I can recommend.

This book is amazing! It really does have it all. Murder, mystery, and damn funny as well! The story is very original and keeps you guessing throughout the entire book. It also has an amazing cast of characters. One of which is probably the craziest, and funniest character in any book i have ever read. This book is completely great, and everyone should read it!

Keith Gandal is a teacher,and a friend, but most importantly, a fresh, new, and exciting contemporary voice that has emerged from the events of the tail-end of the 20th century. The natural disasters, the unfinished, seemingly unconnected, human tendencies that we all share, and the need to communicate with someone, anyone: these are all themes that one will find in Keith's novel, Cleveland Anonymous.

When I finished reading this novel I thought it was great, but I knew there was more to it; there was a substance below the surface that hadn't hit me yet, which is why I waited a couple weeks to write this review. I wanted it to be from a non-biased POV; and it is. I don't really know what to say, so I will try my best. I thought that by denying a genre, by concentrating on story, not a literary mindframe, which there is way too much of in contemporary fiction, that Gandal approached real life as closely as one can possibly achieve in fiction. The characters were amazing; the dialogue was real; the scenes were perfectly drawn out, perfectly realized, completely truthful; and the prose was dream-like, even magical. The atmosphere that Gandal's has created in this novel is fantastic. When I read a novel I look for something different, something real. I look at a book as an experience; I look at it as a piece of culture that can not and should not be detached from it's place in the world. And when I finished reading Cleveland Anonymous I had a sense of closeness and sense of story and literary attachment to the characters that I have not experienced in any other contemporary novel that I have ever read.

This novel is a wonderful accomplishment, an amazing piece of art, or literary achievement. If a good novel is supposed to give the reader an experience that utilizes all the senses and makes them care about the characters, then Gandal has written one heck of a good book! His fictive world is original and inspiring from not only a writers perspective, but from a human perspective.

I don't want to tell you anything about the plot (I think reviews should deal more with other, more 'inputish' type things, you'll know the plot when you read it!), but I can say that this book moves!! It moves with speed, with grace, with purpose, so fear not. It is a concise piece of fiction, a collection of people that all seem to exist in this modern world of ours without the slightest hint or notion that the bigger things that they experience shape them and make them who they are. But this is special. Too often an author will tell you what you need to know, but Gandal lets you figure it out; he writes a book filled with people, realistic people who think, act, and react like you and I do. If nothing else, read this book for a good, fast story, but if you, like me, like to see a writer experiment with the lives we take for granted everyday, then there is something here for you too.

The list of people who may have inspired this book must be immense, but here are some ideas: Thomas Pynchon (same sense of magical realism [though that is more Gabriel Garcia], the same witty sense of humor), Flannery O'Conner (short, sweet, but emotion filled sentences), Cormac McCarthy (the use of imagery), amongst many others.

Please read this novel. It is a magnificent story, and I hope that this review has inspired someone to pick up Keith Gandal's first (but hopefully not only) novel, but if you don't read it, at least I can say (when this thing hits big) that I told you so!!! Happy reading!

The setting of this book shifts back and forth in place and time -- between Cleveland, Ohio in the 1960's and New York City in the late 1980's. It helps if you know something about one or both of those cities, otherwise you'll miss some of the inside jokes. But ultimately this book is not about Cleveland or New York (and I say that as a compliment). Ultimately this book is a love story, a relationship that actually doesn't even begin -- or resume? -- until the book is almost over. It's a mix of romance and friendship between a man who's not quite sure who he is or what he's about, and a woman who's essentially just the opposite -- or maybe she isn't. You'll have fun trying to figure it out. An amazing, original, and haunting love story.

It's also a murder mystery. And a suspense thriller. But if you're looking for something that reads like John Grisham, look elsewhere. Gandal is speaking to a more thoughtful, more profound audience. If I had to describe this book in one sentence, it would be: "This book is a cross between Fight Club (the book, not the movie) and the poems of Emily Dickinson."

If that's hard to imagine, then you'll just have to read the book. Cleveland Anonymous has the intensity, the directness, and the muscle of Fight Club (the book, not the movie). But Gandal's book also has an extraordinarily light touch with language. Over and over again Gandal taps you on the shoulder -- or gooses you in the rear -- with the precisely-right word, the perfect phrase. Like an Emily Dickinson poem.

This is the best novel I've read since . . . well, since Fight Club (the book, not the movie).

Don't miss it.

I bought the audiobook after getting the paperback. I found it's not just the perfect complement, but even better for covering many topics because I could listen while driving, on my way to class, or in the background at home while doing other things. Since I'm easily distracted myself, the chimes helped keep my focus on the book, and though I love the paperback and the layout (super-easy to read) the audiobook made it even easier to follow...and I think there's even a little info in the audiobook (particularly around meds and alternative solutions...at least that's what I've seen so far, that's not even in the paperback...and yeah, at 13 hours, thankfully broken up into searchable, bite-sized sections, it's definitely UNABRIDGED...but with great info!)

It's rare that a book (or audiobook) comes along that touches your heart while helping you relate to specific problems.

College Confidence with ADD is one such book. Written from the heart, Michael Sandler doesn't preach, but instead shares with you the hurdles involved in succeeding with ADHD, or any learning disability for that matter, how he personally overcame his challenges, and ways you too can succeed.

It's really two books in one...the first, a personal account of overcoming challenges, succeeding with a 'disability', and as Michael puts it, and shares through his own story, turning 'challenges into opportunities'. It's a beautiful book written from the heart sharing his touching stories.

The second book is a how-to guide on overcoming almost every challenge imaginable, and succeeding in school or in life today. Others I've shown this book would say it's a how-to guide for anyone in this modern, hectic, crazy-world. But it's definitely a how-to guide for anyone that think's outside the box, doesn't go from point A to point B in a straight line, or is labeled with AD/HD, Asbergers, Dyslexia, or any other 'learning disability'.

Michael helps readers quickly find the information they, or I am looking for, so that you can get back on track quickly. If you're struggling for a test, the info's in there...need to get organized, it's in there, struggling with relationships in school or beyond, it's in there too.

If you struggle to read, don't have the attention to read, have a reading disability or just prefer audiobooks, then I'd get the audiobook first...or get both, and keep the paperback as a great quick-reference guide, always at the ready. (Or let the parents keep the paperback, and put the audio-version on your iPod or other Mp3 player).

If you're looking for one book or audiobook to overcome challenges, see how others have done it, and figure out how to succeed, this book is worth a try!!!

Useful and informative! Love how things are broken up into sections...No matter what information I was looking for, I could find it fast!

Way more information than I ever thought would be in an ADD book, audiobook or otherwise.

I can't say enough about how terrific and unique this audio book is not only for teens going off to college, in college, post grads... but for ANYONE with ADD or ADHD!! This book is explained in a format where the author shares his stories and then details what he has learned from his experiences, in order to help others. He has ADHD himself and is even a life coach for other ADDers now. This audio book is like having an ADD coach by your side all the time. You can use it as a guide and listen to various sections when necessary or you can listen to it fully over and over again. The author's writing is captivating, lighthearted and even humorous at times. He even laughs at his own mistakes sometimes, which truly helps readers see life as a bigger picture than just a current struggle they may be going through at the time. He explains the many creative gifts of having ADD and broaches just about every life topic with great knowledge. His sections range from the best foods for an ADDer to eat to stay focused, to sections on how college students with ADD can keep a great schedule for eating, laundry, and cleaning. He also broaches much deeper sections on depression and impulse behaviors of ADDers. This audio book is a captivating and highly educational resourse!! FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This important work is an unvarnished first-person account of one man's lifelong battle to secure rights for the mentally retarded citizens of Massachusetts. With no holds barred, Ricci chronicles the plight of the mentally retarded in Massachusetts during the second half of the twentieth century. In a style reflective of his unrelenting advocacy, Ricci recounts the painful decision he and his wife made to place their six-year-old son at Belchertown State School in the 1950s, the horrific medieval conditions he discovered and exposed in that institution, his founding of Advocacy Network, that organization's fight against uncaring state bureaucrats, and their hard-won, landmark federal court order to improve the lives of the mentally retarded. Crimes Against Humanity is a must-read for anyone with a social conscience.

This important work is an unvarnished first-person account of one man's lifelong battle to secure rights for the mentally retarded citizens of Massachusetts. With no holds barred, Ricci chronicles the plight of the mentally retarded in Massachusetts during the second half of the twentieth century. In a style reflective of his unrelenting advocacy, Ricci recounts the painful decision he and his wife made to place their six-year-old son at Belchertown State School in the 1950s, the horrific medieval conditions he discovered and exposed in that institution, his founding of Advocacy Network, that organization's fight against uncaring state bureaucrats, and their hard-won, landmark federal court order to improve the lives of the mentally retarded. Crimes Against Humanity is a must-read for anyone with a social conscience.

Ricci's CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY is an essential read for anyone with a relative, friend, or client who suffers from mental retardation. Holding nothing back, Ricci recounts the horrendously inhumane conditions of Belchertown State School in Massachusetts during the 1950s and '60s, his formation of an advocacy group to support the retarded and their families, and a 20-year landmark federal court class-action suit to secure rights and protections for mentally retarded citizens. A work of courage, persistence, and faith.

This little book, a nicely translated academic effort that is quite readable, demonstrates the depth of the idea that those who are rendered surperflous are being set up for death. This notion first expressed by Richard Rothstein sweeps across issues of race and nation, and into questions of ablity/disability, perhaps now the most obscured of the social issues that must be addressed by those who seek a more democratic, egalitarian, and civil way of life. The idea that inclusion means ALL, has not reached into the mind-sets of too many on the left, an odd circumstance since many fine efforts like the text at hand show that the old saw, An Injury to One only Goes Before an Injury to All, is quite true. This is a good book for educators, activists, and researchers in all fields.

I first read the book on the medical holocaust in Germany by Dr. Friedlander. I then came across this one in my search for more material having to do with the Deaf in Germany. This book was originally a dissertation, however, Gallaudet Press and the translater, William Sayers, did a great job in turning what would be a dry dissertation into a short, but interesting book.

Horst Biesold is an interpreter who in the performance of his job, came across members of the German deaf community who were finally willing to tell their story about being forced to undergo sterilization. He writes with obvious concern for and about his deaf clients, and the emotional and psychological impact that the eugenics laws had on these people. It is with concern and dismay that I am researching the same subject only in the United States, since the Nazis often wrote that many of their ideas and programs were first proffered by eugenicists in the U.S.

This book is a good reminder that when societies don't stand up for what is right, even when it does not directly affect most individuals, you cannot tell how far the 'slippery slope' is going to go. The Holocaust did not just become the Final Solution for the Jews, but included the gypsies and the disabled, and those who were considered 'life unworthy of life.' With the completion of the Human Genome Project, and proponents of euthanasia getting more vocal, and doctors like Kervorkian, and HMOs who put their bottom line before the worth of people...it is all too possible that this horror could happen again, and in this country. I urge ethicists, physicians, and educators to read this book as well as members of the deaf/disabled community so that we can protect ourselves from those who would put less value on our lives for whatever reason. Karen L. Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

This book is a remembrance of what was and tells of the pain and suffering of the German Deaf Community under the leadership of the Third Reich. I read this book, not as a hearing person, but as a Deaf person and I felt there pain. This book is horrifying but more so was the persons who were involved in the Deaf community who helped this government succeed to there sick ideas. Crying Hands reaches out from the darkness to shed light on one chapter in the history of our Deaf people and of our struggle over centuries of oppression. This books value is in it history; Deaf Holocaust History. I recommend this book for everyone.

Early in the morning a young boy sneaks into his father's room and awakens him so that they go to their special spot to watch the sunrise over the lake. The young boy is deaf but has many ways of communicating with his father. They have an extraordinarily strong father-son relationship.The illustrations are beautifully done and show the acceptance of other ways to communicate. I would strongly recommend this book to children between the ages of 4-8. The simplistic way of introducing the subject of people being different(people with disabilities)has been covered sensitively.

As a Deaf person myself, I was pleased with the positive imagines in this work. This is an excellent book based on the relationship between a deaf child and his father. It displayed the father's acceptence of his child's need for ASL (American Sign Language) and the williness and time to learn it. It is also a good way to introduce the rudiments of Deaf culture to the general public. It should be recommended reading for all - including hearing children. The watercolor illustrations and the context within work together beautifully and was well recieved by students at Gallaudet University (a liberal arts university for the deaf/hard of hearing students.

Far before anyone else in the house is up, a young boy sneaks in to wake his dad and they head out together, to watch the sun come up over the lake by their home. The illustrations in this book are stunning and present American Sign Language beautifully, as a Deaf son and his father communicate their strong bond with one another. As an educator and an advocate for inclusion, I would strongly recommend this book as a wonderfully natural way to present disability to children.

This book should be manditory reading for all high shool students. These true stories inspire, inform and motivate as well as teach endurance and how to overcome all odds.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I have been a fan of Jack for years and this is really his best work.

I am anxiously awaiting his next work, which I heard he has been working on for the past 70 years.

My review is short and sweet. I think this book is all that and a bag of chips. Particularly the chapter about Jonathan Slifka, which was exceptionally wonderful. Of course, I am biased, because I AM Jonathan Slifka! :) I really wish this book were easier to find! (HINT HINT)

In Dancing Wheels, Patricia McMahon illustrates that children with handicaps are just as capable as children without any limitations. Through her use of pictures, language, and personal descriptions of specific children, she closes the barrier society has established between people with handicaps and those without.

Mary Veri-Fletcher was born with spina bifida. Her dream was to become a dancer, and her parents had always helped her focus on what she could accomplish in life and not on what she could not. Today Mary has opened her own dance company called Dancing Wheels. This company features both stand-up and sit-down dancers. Here the children are simply dancers. They are not looked at in terms of their handicap, but are given the opportunity to perform and do what they love: dance!

The book, dedicated to this story, offers an inspirational account to children who feel trapped in a society that considers them different. McMahon uses pictures to make these children come to life and show what they are capable of. The pictures show the children getting ready for their competition. For example, in one picture, Jessica, a member of the company, nervously puts on her make up. In the pictures and at the studio, the handicaps of the children are not hidden. Instead, they are used. For example, Devin and Jenny are partners. Jenny has a wheelchair, which she dances with. Devin participates in this art form by dancing on the chair with Jenny. For Jenny, this is a part of her and is used just like Devin uses his legs. The pictures help to make these children come to life, and the reader can watch their growth in dance.

Another way McMahon closes the stereotypical barrier is through the syntax in the book. The only difference in the description of the children with handicaps and without is that they are either sit-down or stand-up dancers. The key term is "dancers". One is not subordinate to the other. McMahon focuses on describing both children as dancers without focusing on their handicap. Both types of dancers have to overcome some type of adversity. For example, Devin has to overcome being made fun of by the guys in his class for being a dancer. Similarly, Mary was chastised that she was not a real dancer, because she was in a wheelchair. Through this parallel, McMahon suggests that everyone have problems to overcome.

The third way McMahon helps to shed light on children with handicaps is through their personal stories. Through personal stories, the children become that much more real to the reader. They now have an identity and a name. The reader begins to empathize with the children, understanding who they are as people. Jenny loves to be silly at practice and is known for laughing often. Jenny, however, knows when to get down to business. She has been dancing since she was four years old and is now eleven years old. She was born with spina bifida. She used to use crutches in order to get around, but now that she uses her "fast-flying wheelchair" (McMahon 27). Dancing is a huge part of Jenny's life.

This book conveys an inspirational story in which dance becomes the bridge to link two groups of people that have been separated by a bigoted world. McMahon uses pictures, personal descriptions, and languages to show the world that anything can be overcome if one has the determination.

This book was uplifting and positive as it portrayed the spirit of youth in all forms. The underlying message is "Go For It!" in following life's passions. I found this message inspiring for all characters, whether a "stand up" or a "sit down." I am thrilled to add it to my library collection as it displays what people do have the power to accomplish instead of just discussing how to cope. Shouldn't we all remember that?

This book is about a boy named Devin who is able-bodied and a girl named Jenny who has Spina Bifida and is in a wheelchair. They both love to dance and dance with a company called dancing wheels. Dancing wheels is a group that lets both able-bodied and people with disabilities dance together. They are both getting ready to perform in an event which will showcase a piece called The Sorceror's Apprentices'. They are the co-stars and both have a great time dancing. It explores the ways that the families of both children live. Really a splendid book. I give it a five because I really like it and I am Devin, the boy in the book. I have already read a proof copy and it was great, so you should really buy it.