Disabilities Books

For those of us who have experienced the loneliness, embarrassment, and stress of hearing or speech defects in our professional and social lives, Kiril Sokoloff's book is a deeply moving description of his personal suffering and its impact on his marriage and family. His description of his dear fathers speech problems, and the letter he would like to have written to him to express his love and understanding, moved me to tears as did many other incidents described in this remarkable book. Despite the sadness and pain this book is ultimately the story of one mans triumph over adversity to become one of the most respected and widely read individuals in the financial world today. Thank you Kiril for your example to us all.

Kiril Sokoloff has written an incredibly honest story, chronicling his journey from self-consciousness and a sense of unworthiness to a personal transformation embracing the power of compassion, gratitude, and love. This is not a "self help" book drawing inspiration from others, but a powerful story of self-examination, self-acceptance, and ultimately self-love arising from the pain of his own life experiences. It is a moving reminder of the power within us to rise above our personal demons and embrace the richness of life.

Kiril Sokoloff's "Personal Transformation" is a real blessing. There is no other way for me to describe this amazing book. "Personal Transformation" touched my heart in a way that few books can or do. It is very difficult for me to put my thoughts about this remarkable book into words. Words do not even begin to capture the love Mr. Sokoloff shares with us. His heart-wrenching tale of darkness to light should be required reading for Business and Wall Street executives as well as all those in search of The Truth. We should all be extremely grateful to Kiril for sharing his heart and mind with us. "Personal Transformation" is a timely reminder that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Kiril Sokoloff's book is a powerful and poignant sharing of his life-altering experience of losing his hearing as an adult. It is deeply personal and most moving. He willingly relates in detail the gamut of his emotions when confronted with this crisis. His description of the isolation and loneliness that came to pervade his everyday life in ordinary situations was a revelation to me. I can only admire his courage and determination to cope with, deal with, and live with his deafness. This volume can provide inspiration for any of us.

Kiril Sokoloff's Powerful story of his life and the tribulations he has gone through to achieve peace with himself, is one of the most awsome books I have ever read.
It should be required reading for anyone looking for more meaning in his life, I for one am sending it to my four children.
It can not fail to help anyone who is fortunate enough to read it.
What a terrific and inspiring experience!
Barrant V. Merrill
Gulf Stream, Fl.
33483

I ORDERED THIS BOOK FOR A FRIEND. YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE READY FOR A TEAR JERKER BECAUSE IT IS A VERY TOUCHING BOOK, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE WHO HAS BEEN THRU THIS EXPERIANCE. WORTH READING AND PASSING ON TO SOMEONE ELSE.

In living with someone with a disability, the hardship is obvious. The reverse side of this life, as the author describes from his own experience, is the beauty of God's face, His love for us, and how the ability to show compassion and love grow as we care for disabled individuals. Mr. de Vinck's beautiful book will renew one's faith, or light it for the first time.

This book is so perfect for anyone, but especially someone who has a disabled person in their life. It is touching and beautiful...you'll want to read it again and again, and you'll definately want a copy to give to others! I wish everyone would read it and maybe change the way we think about certain things!

The Power of the Powerless is a beautiful testimony to the power of love. It includes true stories of four individuals whom society would consider to be disabled and shows how they brought growth and joy to their families and others. The book is a reminder that we ought not judge the worth of others by how much they can do, but rather by how much they can cause us to grow. We are the ones who benefit from the power of the powerless.

This is one of those books that can cause a dramatic change in perspective for some people; you will never view a mentally and physically challenged person in the same way again. It confirms the wisdom that God has a purpose for us all, and is written with great tenderness and intelligence by Mr. DeVinck.

My 83 year old neighbor, a Prayer Warrior, was so impressed with this book, she asked to read my copy of Pilgrim's Progress, of which she had only heard and had never read. She will recommend The Tinker's Daughter to her great-grandchildren.

WENDY LAWTON BRINGS HER READERS INTO THE LIVES OF THE YOUNG GIRLS SHE WRITES ABOUT. AS YOU READ ABOUT THESE GIRLS, IT IS AS IF YOU ARE THERE WITH THEM SEEING WHAT THEY GO THROUGH, ASKING GOD WHAT DO I DO NEXT, WHAT HAPPENS TO ME NOW, THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT A LOT OF US ASK NOW. WE DON'T KNOW OUR OUTCOME, BUT WE CAN SEE THERES AND MAYBE SEEING THERES IT CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO IN OUR LIVES.

The Tinker's Daughter started a bit slow; built up speed; and finished with a flurry. By the end of the book I wanted more to read on Mary Bunyan. Easy reading. Vocabulary section in back of book allows young readers a chance to easily become familiar with terms used in Mrs. Lawton's writing.

In the Tinker's Daughter, I didn't expect the story to relate to my life at all. But as you read further into the book, you discover an independent but also scared little girl who just wants her father back. It is her who takes the journey everyday to visit and feed her father in prison, and her who makes sure the house is running smoothly. But you will learn, as she does, that being independent is good up to a point, but to really survive you need God's help. I would reccomend this book to anyone in the ages of 10-14 who likes historical fiction and is looking for a good story for a rainy day.

The Tinker's Daughter is one of the most incredible books I've ever read. I would give this book a five star rating. It has so much feeling and emotion and such strong faith for God, it makes yhou feel like you're actually standing there on the sidelines watching this story happen.
The story is about a young girl naemd Mary Bunyan who was born blind. The book shows this girls independentcy and such strong faith for God. It also is about how she shows people that just because she's bllind doesn't mean she can't do anything she wants to. The story also shows this amazing love she has for her father and how she helps him out in his time of need. So if your a Christain or somedbodey who is just struggling in life right now I 100 percent recomend this book for you because I gaurantee you, you'll love it!

As the parent of an adolescent child with Asperger's, I found this book to be just what was needed -- a no nonsense approach to helping our kids with a sense of humor. This is the second book by this author that I have purchased. I will purchase more, I am sure.

This book is one of the best I've seen about the transitional issues that arise when someone with Aspergers reaches their teens. With my son, we find each developmental step has its own challenges, but the movement into middle school, with the increased expectations of self-management and the early teen student issues among peers has been a bigger challenge than most. This book helped me frame these issues as they apply to my son, improving my understanding. Then I could apply many of the ideas provided both directly and through the school. My biggest problem is that this is such a slow read ... not because it is hard to read (to the contrary, its very understandable and straightforward.) Its a "slow go" because of all of the underlining and page marking I am doing to track the "good stuff." Dr Bolick has done those of use living in these situation a major service with this work! I fully recommend it.

More and more books are addressing the problems ASD kids encounter in their latter years . Teresa Bolick has written a well thought out and structured book that answers many of the concerns that parents and teachers have. Would you need another book dealing with this area ? I would say...yes. It is such an important time in these kids lives that a comprehensive knowledge is needed by all those that care for these yound adults.


reviewed by Special Education Teacher and father of ASD child.

I have a son with Aspergers. This book is a great help!

I haven't finished reading this book, but so far what I've read completely fits. My AS teen needs all the help he can get with organization, social skills, etc. This book gives real life examples and excerps from real parents and adolescents with AS. This book is helping me to better understand my child and to help him develop strategies and coping mechanisms so he can have a successful life. Definitely a good addition to my AS library!

This book was so great! I cried, laughed, and was so deeply moved I was loathe to close the book. Great!

The book was in excellent shape and was received within 2 days! The book is wonderful by the way, a warm read.

This book is not just for parents of children with special needs. The lessons learned by the author and her family and the details of their struggle are beautifully written. Reading this book nudges the reader to think about the blessings of children and the trials of daily life in a new way. A wonderful, inspiring book!

Jeanne McDermott paints an inspiring portrait of her own family, forced to understand and live with the trials and hardships that accompany a child born with Apert Syndrome. She tells the story of Nathaniel with grace and candor informing the reader along the way with insights into the medical, genetic and developmental aspects of this condition. I cried with her pain and embraced her joys through the trials and triumphs of this journey. For anyone who has had a child born with a medical condition this is a must read.

I love this book. My 2 1/2 year old son went through four surgeries in his life time and I can so relate to the recall of ICU's and operating rooms. My son also has a form of dwarfism and will be different. I love her philosophy, so much peace and forgiveness to stranger's rudeness! She has so eloguently speak of the growth that any parent of child with differences have experienced. Babyface will be kept close to my heart forever and I recommend this book to all parents who are struggling with the challenge of bring up a child with a difference. In time, you too will gather the strength and peace demonstrated so well and articulated by Ms. McDermott.

The GlassHaus "Constructing Accessible Web Sites" book has been a great find. I began working to build sites and applications for use in Web browsers that had to be used by individuals with disabilities in 1997. Over these years I picked up a lot of hard won knowledge and experience, but have never run across a resource that fully backed what I had gathered. The GlasHaus Accessibility book not only echoes what I have learned, but has provided new insights to improve upon what I already have. The best part of this book is that I can point others to it and I am assured they will be able to build an accessible site or Web applications that can meet high standards.

Many folks think accessibility is a great inconvenience, but it takes a little thinking and planning to do it right from the beginning. Having a great resource at hand makes the process a cake walk. Not only are the processes and guides helpful for creating sites that are accessible for those that are disabled these steps outlined also make the information in the site future ready. Sites that are accessible are much easier to use with a handheld PDA device or from even a cell phone browser. Accessibility for everybody in more situations improves with structuring the information properly, which is all making Web enabled information really requires to get it ready to be consumed. Is your information ready to be consumed by everybody?

I don't usually come it the "lyrical type", but to find such a worthwhile book on such a worthwhile topic is a breath of fresh air!

Above all else, it offers practical advice on how to actually do the right thing. Unlike certain titles with animals on their covers, there's more here than just reams and reams of tables containing cut-and-pastes from the man pages on the subject.

It's also of a nice size. (I know that would be no recommendation, if the book didn't actually teach you anything, but it does - and you don't feel intimidated, like you can when you pick up some dirty great Red tome from a Certain OtherPublisher.) You feel as if the subject is managable. Knowable. It may be just me, but if a book is smaller than my own head, I generally feel that there's an outside chance I may be able to fit the contents inside my own skull!

I'll have to keep an eye open for these blue things... they're quite good.

Of the books and resources that I've read on accessible web sites, this is by far the best - especially from a UK perspective.

The main UK legislation that specifically mentions web sites and accessibility comes into force in October 2004 which, at the time of writing this, is still over two years away. This means that there isn't a great deal of information and certainly no legal cases that we can draw on from our country, so we have to look elsewhere to see what is happening.

This book benefits in that, although it does cover Section 508 and other already in place legislation, it also gives a great all round understanding of the topic, and is very easy to read. Having chapters written by different authors means that you get a far greater depth of experience and information, which can only benefit the reader.

If you're going to buy one book on accessible web sites, this should be at the top of your shopping list.

Two new words have joined the vocabulary of web designers in recent years - usability and accessibility. You will often come across them used in tandem.

Usability really became an issue when Jacob Nielsen infamously denounced Flash as 99% bad. Accessibility became a priority for web developers working on government projects after Section 508 was brought into law in the United States.

Accessibility became an issue in Australia during Maguire vs SOCOG in 1999, when a blind man filed a complaint with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) that neither Olympic Games tickets purchasing information nor the souvenir programme were available in Braille. Most importantly he alleged that the SOCOG website was not accessible, and to make it so would have been well within budget. SOCOG was found to have discriminated against the complainant and damages were awarded against the organization.

Accessibility is now a civil rights issue. It is also not that difficult to implement on a website, once you learn how it can be done. This excellent book, Constructing Accessible Web Sites, teaches you all that and more. It is the first on its subject, and will not be the last, but it is damned a good beginning.

All eight co-authors have been pioneers in the field of accessibility, and Glasshaus deserves praise for having assembled such a team. They cover more than website accessibility - their expertise extends to the accessibility of web design tools themselves. An apt reminder that the web is as much about reading as writing, for writers as much as readers, a real medium of two-way communication.

All websites can now be made accessible to varying degrees, even Flash websites since Flash MX, as Macromedia Senior Product Manager for Accessibility Bob Regan demonstrates in Chapter 10. So there are no excuses for failing to add increased accessibility, and usability for that matter, to that new project you are just about to commence.

Ensure you have a copy of Constructing Accessible Web Sites at hand when you begin. And also take a look at another equally essential reference on the subject due out any day now, Joe Clark's Building Accessible Websites. Accessibility is the newest and most necessary website building skill. There are no excuses now.

The GlassHaus "Constructing Accessible Web Sites" book has been a great find. I began working to build sites and applications for use in Web browsers that had to be used by individuals with disabilities in 1997. Over these years I picked up a lot of hard won knowledge and experience, but have never run across a resource that fully backed what I had gathered. The GlasHaus Accessibility book not only echoes what I have learned, but has provided new insights to improve upon what I already have. The best part of this book is that I can point others to it and I am assured they will be able to build an accessible site or Web applications that can meet high standards.

Many folks think accessibility is a great inconvenience, but it takes a little thinking and planning to do it right from the beginning. Having a great resource at hand makes the process a cake walk. Not only are the processes and guides helpful for creating sites that are accessible for those that are disabled these steps outlined also make the information in the site future ready. Sites that are accessible are much easier to use with a handheld PDA device or from even a cell phone browser. Accessibility for everybody in more situations improves with structuring the information properly, which is all making Web enabled information really requires to get it ready to be consumed. Is your information ready to be consumed by everybody?

This book provides a clear and moving story of what it's like to have a fairly autistic child. It reinforces my belief that autism (or at least some of the personalities classified as autistic) is one extreme of a range of human personalities. I was surprised at the extent to which Alex's personality is an extreme version of the personality I had as a child.
The author demonstrates an unusual ability to treat his son as an equal for some purposes (such as logical reasoning) while simultaneously being aware that Alex finds it extremely hard to learn concepts most of us take for granted (e.g. the difference between lying and pretending).
Many of the problems people have interacting with Alex closely resemble the problems AI researchers discover when they try to translate an "obvious" concept into unambiguous language. But just when I thought the AI analogy provides a reliable guide, I noticed an exception - Alex finds long division harder than economic theory.

The author describes raising his autistic, mathematically gifted son for his son's first ten years of life. This book provides insights that would help all parents of young, high functioning, autistics. And indeed I would suggest this book as the first read of a parent who just found out that his/her child is autistic.

Despite being an economist, the author's writing style is clear, concise and interesting.

This book was loaned to me by my son's nurse practitioner. I hadn't heard of it, but now I'm encouraging everyone I know to read it. This is a great book that demonstrates the true "human" feelings of being a parent of a child with autism. I was deeply touched by the honesty displayed in this book, and found that my thoughts, experiences, and feelings are mirrored by the author's. I appreciate his willingness to expose his heart for the purpose of educating others about autism. This book is a must read for any family member or friend of someone who has autism.

While reading, A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism, I found myself stopping early on to recall how my two children were as babies and toddlers before the diagnosis of autism arrived. The author, Daniel Mont, shares his frustrations along with observations as the primary caregiver to Alex, his first born son. While his wife Nannette was working outside the home the first few years, Daniel was spending hours reading books to Alex.

When Daniel got a teaching position at Cornell they moved to upstate New York with Nannette taking over the daily duties pertaining to Alex. They noticed that Alex did not take any interest in other children when at the playground and had difficulty at the store. Since this was their first child when Simon was born a few years later they realized with regret how much slower Alex was with milestones and the lack of social skills.

Daniel shares the relief once the diagnosis was made and the steps taken to get there, including the time a preschool teacher accused them of being abusive parents. There are a few choice words at this point in the book when Daniel incites the rage he was feeling from this attack and how he and Nannette focused on getting some assistance with Alex instead of getting on the defensive. For most families that have a child on the autism spectrum this is a predicament that happens often, and due to the lack of awareness for those who work with small children. Many of his colleagues and family members thought they were spoiling Alex, but later they learned how additional measures need to be put in place to help the autistic child fit in with society and how things work.

Daniel wrote about growing up with a sister who had a disability, but never received a formal diagnosis for her handicap. When Alex was diagnosed Daniel was able to reach out to his mother and learn from her experience. Alex received speech therapy early on with the therapist assisting him in social situations, guiding him in the art of the conversation and how to relate to others.

There is no mention about vaccinations or questioning why Alex is the way he is. Time is spent trying to get inside the world of Alex and how he thinks. The book is written in a style that is easy to comprehend for anyone who lacks information on autism. Daniel mentions a few books that helped him early on and how he joined some internet groups and the guidance he received from adults with autism. The family accepted autism and made adjustments to accommodate Alex so that he could thrive being himself. Daniel and his family grew up in New Jersey, which is where I was raised as well and have a sibling with a disability.

A Different Kind of Boy: A Father's Memoir About Raising a Gifted Child with Autism covers the time from when Alex was born to fifth grade. At this point in time Daniel is picturing life when his sons have moved on to college and their own lives. This was something he was not sure would happen, but now he believes that Alex will have success in life. Family relationships are mentioned and how they handled the loss of Daniel's mother.

I felt the second half flowed smoother than the first. The beginning chapters I had to go back and see what age Alex was at the time since I was confused with the timeframe, due to chapters being out of sequence. Every so often when reading a chapter the author would refer back to his childhood or a few years back with either Alex or Simon.

The author does not gloss over any issues and gives honest feedback on how he felt at pivotal times in his life and the anxiety about school, plus finding friends for Alex. He finished this book after his mother passed on and pursued his acting career further.

This book is perfectly suited for anyone who wants to know more about living with a child who is autistic and would be beneficial to family members who have someone on the spectrum and may live out of town or in another state. This will help parents know what struggles other families have gone through and give guidance on how to navigate the system to enable your child to thrive in their surroundings.

This book is worthwhile reading for anyone who has ever been in contact with someone who seems intellectual but is unable to "connect" with people.

The journey of the book, as others have commented, is take the reader through the symptoms, diagnosis and coping with Alex's autism. There exists only a small subset of the population which is autistic and only a small subset of the population capable of digesting, providing insight and sharing live experience with first rate written communication. This book occupies a unique space in that the gifted author has the full life experience with the autistic child, which experience is shared with us all in this book.

Given the subject matter of the book, as others have commented, this book should be required reading for anyone who is in regular contact with a bright autistic person. Yet the insights in this book can go much further. More generally, this book will be helpful to the reader in relating to the bright, unapproachable segment of the population that almost everyone comes into contact with. Many people, of all ages, will gain insight into how to relate better to some of the people in their everyday lives.

Many books are read for their educational value, others for their entertainment. The book is so well-paced and engaging as to provide "edu-tainment" -- you can't put it down, and when you've finished you've learned a lot of new information. The same material could have been covered with a dry, academic style which would really only be read and digested by few. But Daniel Mont, as the modest but extremely bright father in his own right (Ph.Ds don't grow on trees, do they?), displays a gift for real communication. The author seems to understand very well what will motivate the reader to turn the next page.

I highly recommend this book, on so many levels.

I cried when I first viewed this book in one of my child's doctor's offices and knew I had to own it. Anyone who has an autistic child will understand and those who don't will be able to get a sense of what living in dual worlds is like for both.

Waht insight into the souls of people with Autism--but souls still the same. What imagery! What perspective! I am sharing this book with everyone I know!

I borrowed this book from my sons classroom. He is autistic impaired and his class is made up of 7 children who are autistic impaired. I have read many books on or about autism and none of them have affected me like this book. I saw the story of both my son and my family told through words and pictures.

As a parent of an autistic child you feel alone. No one you know understands what your life is like, no one outside your family understands your child. This book lifts the veil a little bit for those who have not personally experienced living with autism.

This is one of the most beautiful books about autism that I have ever come across. Instead of lamenting over people who have autism and applying the tired Rain Man stereotype, this book encourages people, neurotypical and autistic alike to celebrate in the Autism Experience. The lovely photograhphs help to reinforce this message. Readers look at the people directly involved and see people and not labels. I really like that.

Autism and its related condition, Asperger's Syndrome are neurobiological conditions that affect sensory processing and communication. Autism is as varied as there are individuals and the behavior reflects that individuality. I like the way this book gently illustrates that and invites readers to sing and dance in victory, celebrating the Autism Experience!

Please read this with Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge and share these books with someone. You will want to celebrate!

This book was enchanting! The text contained universal truths that resonate with anyone living with a handicapped child, not just a child with autism. When we look for the godliness in others, we immeasurably enrich our lives. In fact, the truths learned and promoted can be applied to everyone: that each child is imbued with dignity and that each of us reflects God. Bravo!

This is an easy to read and understand book. It has many great tips for me to use at home with my child and in the classroom. I love it! I have already recommended this book to a friend/fellow teacher who has a child with this condition also.

Chris Zeigler Dendy understands ADHD/ADD to a significant degree and she does an exemplary job in providing a useful and valuable resource. Every teacher must have this one, too (along with her other books).

This book is a must for parents of ADHD children and the teachers who teach them. As a parent and a teacher, this book is a valuable resource.
Chris Dendy is a great person as well.

As a guidance counselor, I am always interested in obtaining good resources to use and share with others. I have recommended this book to parents and teachers. It has a wealth of information about ADHD teens.

I am an educator who works one-on-one kids with ADD and I recommend Chris' books to all my clients - I really am a really a big fan! She has even inspired me to start writing my own book on how achieve Academic Success with an ADD child.
I read all the recommended books on ADD and I have yet to find anything as comprehensive, useful and well-written as Chris Dendy's books. Once you start, you can't put this book down!

PS- you will want to read this book cover to cover - don't let the title fool you! ("reference guide")

Dr. Curtis has written an excellent book that can be a great resource for parents and processionals in supporting their efforts with children. Written in a clear, concise, and straightforward manner this book provides resources for working with children who are frustrated and parents who can be frustrate with the child or the world around them that is designed to support them. I have purchased copies for parents I work with and utilize it in a parent support group for children with processing challenges. I also have recommended it to professionals I work with as it fills a void left by too many other books that do not accomplish what Dr. Curtis has.

At what point do you seek professional help when a child is acting, by his parent's standards, weird? "Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges" is a parent's guide to understanding a child's strange behavior and whether they should intervene or it is simply another kind of normal. Suggesting that parents never go for short term solutions, how to look at why the child acts the way they act, and when is the line to seek psychiatric assistance? "Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Child with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges" is essential for any concerned parent who doesn't get their child's behavior and for community library parenting collections.

Trying to find your way through the myriad of advice about how to parent your child can be overwhelming on the best of days. The actual child can get lost in all of the ideas/philosophies/beliefs. That truth is amplified if your child has any sort of behavior that seems to be outside of the "norm". Dr. Curtis guides parents in an honest, nonjudgmental way toward the avenues which can best help them and ultimately, most importantly, help the child get the support he/she needs. His assurance that positive progress can be made is a gift. That these are not "problem" children who have something wrong with them... a message those of us with atypical children are confronted with all too often, but that they are children who merit more support, understanding and sensitivity. Dr. Curtis knows that children with puzzling behavior operate within a family, and that the parents, who love these kids more than anything and are trying to help them to the best of their ability, need guidance and support too. His holistic approach is truly a relief to those of us who deal daily with the beauty, challenge, heartbreak and joy of raising these unique little beings.

There are numerous "how to parent" books available, with each having their unique twist to the age old problem of raising children. None however, have placed the responsibility upon parents who ultimately know their child better than anyone! This book is a practicle guide for the parents to identify the problems and how to address them. Their teacher? The parents of troubled children know their child better than anyone could hope to. This book is their practical guide to putting their knowledge to work.

This book is an amazing resource for any parent who is struggling to make sense of their child's complex and unusual behavior. Dr. Curtis' step-by-step approach is empowering! Understanding Your Child's Puzzling Behavior gives clarity where so often there is vagueness. The information in this book is easily understood. The worksheets and parent resources are invaluable. Everyone should have a copy of this book!