Disabled Books

I got this book for my daughter and she loves it. She is constantly reading it and learning from it. She just wished it was about a girl!

A wonderful resource to have as part of your professional library when working with children.

Awsome book!!! Not only is it a great motivation book for students with learning disabilties but it is also a great book to teach adults and children about Learning disabilities. I myself grew up with a learning disability now persuing a carrer to be a teacher. Many people have the wrong idea about LD and I feel this book says it all. People think that LD students lack Knowledge. LD Students dont Lack Knowlage as pointed out in the book as well but Ld students lack SKILL!!!!!! Skill can be acquired and then knowledge can be learned. Or you can develop other skills to gain the knowledge needed as a supplement for the skill missing. LD Students can do anything they put their minds to!!!! Don't give up was always my motto and to ingnore nunsence people as well with negitive stigmas or stero types for LD People. The ingnorance that people have about LD is what makes LD people feel so insecure because society lacks information about LD. I tend to use this book to teach all my classes about LD. This book is great for all student Ld or not. Society needs to be informed to prevent society from provoking negitivity or wrong statistics on to LD students. People with LD dont succeed when they believe in all that society has provoked on to us. I belive in ingoring those that dont know and keep going. I am smart!!! I can do it!!!! and this book brings that out in people just like me!!!!! AWSOME BOOK!!!!

I have my own "don't give up kid", and he loves to pull this book out sometimes at night and we read it AGAIN ! Since he is the one that requests to read it, I know that it must be hitting home for him and helping him to feel good about himself. I have purchased a copy for the teacher's library at our school. A must have for a LD child's home library.

I notice that some reviews refer to ADD and some refer to LD. The author writes of learning differences which could apply to children with different problems. I really like the way she writes. It is warm and from the heart. It helps put labels aside and look at the child and what the child can do. Another book that does that is Whoa Wiggle-worm which addresses name calling (by adults and children), helping others, understanding and self-conrol.

Excellent and true story about a family dealing with their beloved daughter and a major learning disabilty.

that all those schools turned Allegra down, her being from the prominent family she's from! Maybe the schools weren't really right for her, but I guess I assumed some would have done cartwheels (and made some adjustments) for the privilege of having a Ford in their school.

I purchased this book many times, it is one that I keep in my car. I use it to help teachers, friends and family members understand my children and others like them. It has helped me understand why I feel the frustration when my kids "don't get it" or need extra guidance in different situations or in the public school system. It is a book that I give to their teachers in hope that they will take the time to read it. As I read this book for the first time, I highlighted many sentences, example - page 17 - quote "She was so funny and effervescent and her behavior was so far frm being considered " a problem" that my mother gave up all attempts at discipline or even expressions of disapproval".... I can remember so many times my kids - acting out -- but in a way that was just "their way" they are so full of expressions and life.

most important - page 39 - There is more then enough heartace involved in coming to terms with the fact that your child is disabled. .... this is the truth, but with this book it helped me come to terms with it and I am trying to help others. Please take the time to read this book it will help you, empower you and your child. You are the voice for your child, you are their confidant. You need to read this book....another wonderful book is Legacy of the Blue Heron, Living with Learning Disabilities by Harry Sylvester.

This is a wonderful book for any parent, written in an honest, unvarnished manner. Very insightful..... with lessons on supporting, loving, and accepting one's child no matter that the child's reality differs from the parents' dream.

I have read many books out there, and this is the best one that I have found. This book is much better than Dana Buchman's book called "A Special Education" in which she constantly refers to her daughter's mild mental retardation as a "learning difference". In this book, the author is honest and tells it like it is.... she does not sugar coat it like Buchman's book. In Buckman's book, she talked too much about herself instead of her daughter. The only negative part of Anne Ford's book is that she constantly talked about the private schools refusing to let her child attend, but if she had picked a public school, it is the law that they would have to allow her child to attend. Most regular private schools would not have the resources that her child would require. For instance, speech therapist, occupation therapist, physical therapist are not necessarily found in private schools, but public schools would have these resources because they are required by law to teach all children. Anne Ford did note this in her book. Finally, here are some quotes from Anne Ford's book that might be helpful...

"a learning disability affects a person's ability to interpret what they see and hear or their ability to link information from different parts of the brain, because their brain is 'wired' a little differently. These differences can show up as specific difficulties with spoken and written language, with coordination, self-control, or with paying attention. People can have learning disabilities in reading, writing, math, and processing information."

"Most children with LD can read words, but comprehension may be another matter entirely."

"Children with LD can and do succeed in school."

"Adults with LD can and do succeed in the workplace."

"LD can be treated successfully, and children with LD can go on to live happy, normal lives."

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to all parents who have special needs children, and the teachers who teaches them.

This book makes a teacher out of every one who reads it. Whether you are a parent, guardian, relative, teacher of a child with special needs, this book will give you the tools to teach essential skills and enable you to use them effectively.
This book was recommended to me and I recommend it to every else.

This book is a must have for parents struggling with training there children independence skills. It ofter so many easy to do exercise to get your little or big one independence. My 3 year old is finally bushing his teeth, because this book showed easy to do steps to get him going. I highly recommend this book to any parent struggling with training there children independence. It offers easy steps by step solutions in teaching your child what you have been trying to teach them for months . Try it, its a great training tool for independence.

No parent OR special education teacher should be without this book! Easy to read, and the content is excellent! Step-by-step approaches to teaching everyday skills to children with special needs, but would be just as valuable to ANY parent! After reading this book, I have found it easier to establish goals for my students and everyone is using the same approach to teaching everyday living skills (play, toileting, self-help, PLUS behavior management)! It is working fabulous! The students are learning more with less frustration! A must-have for your resource library!

The book is formatted very well. It has helped me approach my child in a new manner with excellent results. Some of the tasks we take for granted are broken into smaller steps that can be overlooked. This book helps you identify missing steps and provides multiple methods of application. It isn't a "one size fits all" approach. It gives good ideas for praise and correction if consistently followed.

The page layouts are easy to read and the cartoons are cute. Everything addressed in this book has samples to serve as a guide for you. The appendices has more ideas for aiding with independence. Overall, the application of this book, used in a routine, is great for any age and any skill level.

I've been looking for a book like this for quite some time. Here's what it covers:
Chapter 1: Setting Out
Chapter 2: Targeting a Skill
Chapter 3: Establishing Steps
Chapter 4: Picking Rewards
Chapter 5: Setting the Stage
Chapter 6: Teaching
Chapter 7: Observing Progress and Troubleshooting
Chapter 8: Get Ready Skills
Chapter 9: Self-Help Skills
Chapter 10: Toilet Training
Chapter 11: Play Skills
Chapter 12: Independent Living: Self-Care Skills
Chapter 13: Independent Living: Home-Care Skills
Chapter 14: Independent Living: Information Skills
Chapter 15: Plugging into the Personal Computer Revolution
Chapter 16: Behavior Problems
Chapter 17: Initiating a Behavior Management Program
Appendix A: Get Ready Skills
Appendix B: Self-Help Skills Inventory
Appendix C: Self-Help Skills Programs
Appendix D: Play Skills Programs
Appendix E: Information Skills Programs
Index

The chapters in this book are arranged chronologically, but each is a discrete story. The episodes varied enough so that I was never bored: Ms. Johnson protested telethons, resisted a search of her dorm by the Secret Service, ran for office, served as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, visited Cuba for an international conference on people with disabilities, argued in a jury trial, and more.

Her views on disability as a civil rights issue aren't presented in a didactic way; they become clear to the reader as she confronts her opponents. I liked being privy to the details of her experience, even though she presents herself as nearly always right. While I read I was thinking that she came off as SO sure of herself that I would find her overbearing and a little obnoxious in person. However, she acknowledges the thorniness, and clearly isn't out to be the reader's best friend.

Other than that note, I felt myself in good hands. I have a better understanding of what it's like to need and live with a personal assistant. I was familiar with the basics of disability rights, but the book got into nuances I hadn't considered-- the pressures and trade-offs in Cuba, where genuine intentions for equality butt up against severe economic limits, for example. And it reinforced ideas that non-disabled people glide over: most of us will be disabled sometime. Disabled people aren't necessarily more "terminal" or "suffering" than the rest of us, because frankly everyone suffers and dies. And if that sounds depressing, don't worry: some of the stories in this book were so funny I had to read bits out loud to my spouse.

This is a four- instead of a five-star review because I didn't feel I quite got a fair view of the author's opponents; it was just a little too one-sided, although that enhanced some of the humor. But the book was still well-written and fascinating. Definitely worth reading.

This has been a good year for disability rights in terms of publications. First, Mary Johnson published Make Them Go Away and now we have Harriet McByde Johnson's much anticipated Too Late to Die Young. Read together these texts provide a powerful one two punch for the disability rights movement in an era which has seen the courts gut the Americans with Disability Act. Both authors have been champions and leaders of the disability rights movement and each are gifted writers.

Harriet McBryde Johnson is a gifted story teller--although I wanted to savor the text and make it last I was too spoiled to do so. I read the book cover to cover the day I received it. Now, I am going back to re-read each and every chapter. Each story told resonates at some level regardless of the subject matter. What truly struck me the most was that my life is not so different, that I am not so unsual, and that the bigotry and discrimination I encounter on a daily basis is no different from what other disabled people face. I am not the only one that is subjected to unwanted attention and grossly inappropriate comments. I am not the only one that found Christopher Reeve comments about disability offensive. I am not the only one who is treated poorly when I travel on an airline. In short, discrimination against the disabled is rampant and it is heartening to know others are experiencing and fighting against this. To know that I have two gifted authors on the side of equal rights lets me not only feel better about myself a feel less alone but know the future, in spite of the courts, will be better than the past.

As a child, Harriet McBryde Johnson never thought she would live a long life. At least that is what the telethons on television kept saying. However, she has. Yet, this is not a "triumph over disability" story. It is a story of a woman who is living her life fully. From a law student schooling the University of South Carolina on the subject of civil liberties to experiencing a disability-themed conference in Cuba, the reader is taken on a journey in which he or she just might view disability in a different way by the end of the book.

This book was really powerful for me. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. However, it has not been until the last couple of years that I started feeling comfortable with myself as a person with a disability. I read this book as part of a class I took this semester and I'm very glad I did. Stories like these remind me that disability is not a negative and that we are worthy of full, rich lives.

While I disagree with a fundamental premise argued in the book, I do recommend it for many reasons. First of all, the author can write! She has filled the book with interesting and unusual experiences, described them with wit as well as passion, and she challenges people like me on some basic assumptions and conclusions. I do hope readers of this book will follow up with Peter Singer's Writings on an Ethical Life (referred to in Harriet Johnson's book) in order to hear Singer's opinions in his own words.

This new book by Harriet McBryde Johnson, a civil rights attorney in Charleston, SC and disability activist, is a must read! Her book, Too Late to Die Young, provides insight into aspects of her life and career, but the author states upfront that "This book doesn't have a tidy message." Ms. Johnson is a gifted writer with a provocatively tilted perspective that is worth hearing. She accurately describes herself as a story teller in the great tradition of southern story tellers. I knew her stories were worth reading when, early on in the book, in describing a German doctor's bedside overnight care, she wrote "Now I remember how he kept vigil at my bedside so my parents could sleep and then fell sleep himself. As I listened to his deep, barrel-chested rumble, I imagined he was snoring in German." Later in the book, Harriet, after having noted that her normal viewpoint of most people is at crotch level (due to her posture), described her first impression of someone she met: "It's love at first sight - at my first sight of his shoes." Wonderful!

This easy to read book (a mere 258 pages) includes the bulk of the text of Unspeakable Conversations, a 2003 New York Times Magazine article she wrote that described her conversations with Princeton Professor Peter Singer about his beliefs that the severely disabled, in some circumstances, can justifiably be killed. Interestingly, she is conflicted about the accommodating and courteous man versus his "evil" ideas. She acknowledges that she stands outside the radical mainstream simply for having engaged Mr. Singer in a conversation. Sundry other topics this self-described "crip" covers are her personal crusade against telethons, her atheism, her battles with the Secret Service, caustically amusing anecdotes from the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago, a trip to Cuba, and battles with a New York Times photographer who wants to shoot her nude ("nekkid" in her parlance) and does -- but not for publication, and many more amusing and unsettling stories.

If you want to read a sweet story about a courageous and noble fight against disability that profiles an individual who overcomes great obstacles to achieve self-fulfillment, this IT NOT the book to read. Johnson`s book isn't about her disability (adamantly so)...but the fact that she is disabled inescapably colors her stories in powerful ways. You won't necessarily fall in love with Harriet, her politics, or all of her causes, but I think you will love her passion for what she believes, what she does, who she is, and why she does what she does. Ms. McBryde is a new and profound voice (at least to me) that is worth listening to.

My husband and I both read this book and it has been such an incredible help to us. We could relate to so much of what the author writes about. She really knows how to connect with her readers. On a scale of 1 to 10, we give this book an 11.

My 8 month old son was diagnosed with CP at 4 months (though we knew there were issues from the beginning due to birth injury). I started reading this book a month ago and am so happy I found it listed as a resource in the book "Children with Cerebral Palsy". The emotions the author feels and shares are so similar and validating that it could not help but to reassure me and to help me not feel so alone. I have wanted to try alternative therapies from the beginning and had only been exposed to cranio sacral therapies. This book is invaluable in that she has already done so much of the research and shares her experiences that it cuts my time down in half and gives me starting points to begin my own research. So many of the things that she shares I had not heard of, but knew in my heart had to exist - she put a name to them. Her ongoing changing feelings and Seth's changes give me an indicator of things to come and things to watch out for, hopefully side-stepping some of the problems she experienced during her journey. I am so grateful for this book!!

A great writer and parent who paved the way for many with this moving book. An extraordinary resource for parents seeking help children with special needs and for adults who have special needs who also want to live full lives.

A great writer and parent who paved the way for many with this moving book. An extraordinary resource for parents seeking help children with special needs and for adults who have special needs who also want to live full lives.

This book is truly inspirational. While the resources listed undoubtedly make the book invaluable for parents of special needs children, it also serves as a metaphor for facing any daunting life challenge.

I ordered this book a couple of months ago after reading part of the e-book version. It is such a valuble resource in helping my whole family understand what is going on! The author describes the condition (ADHD) in a clear voice, easy to read, yet so very informative. I've read parts of it to my son (age 9) and heard him exclaim, "That's just how it feels to me, Mom!". Both my husband and I have found this book to be so helpful as we learn to interact in a positive way with our children. This is one resource book that we will likely wear out as we read and re-read it. In fact I am ordering a copy of it to send to my parents so they can better understand what we're going through.

I own literally dozens of books on ADHD and have read dozens more. This slim book (only about 125 pages) is absolutely one of the best. I ordered it on the recommendation of a friend and when it arrived I was disappointed to see such a thin book. How could it add anything I didn't already know? Well, it did! It sums up the latest in scientific approaches to ADHD, de-bunks the myths and presents it all as clearly and concisely as I have ever seen. An excellent investment!

I only wish this book was available for me when my daughter was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome back when she was 12. By the time ADHD was diagnosed she was 19 and we had gone through many years of disruption and blame. I will recommend this book to family and friends.

Carol Goldberg Maeder, Mother

This book is easy to understand for the layman or professional. It addresses everyday problems and how to deal with them by a doctor who is not only intelligent, but compassionate.

An excellent, concise, no-nonsense, inspirational book. Superb as both resource and guide to help us do just what we want to: LIVE RIGHT NOW! Thank you very much indeed, Dr. Kutscher.

This is a must-have for your autism library. The book begins with a brief history of modern medicine and then defines what separates science from fad and anecdote. Other reviewers here have discussed the way this book debunks modern fads and pseudoscience so I will focus on two other areas that really impressed me.

First, the editors concisely describe how to go about determining whether or not a treatment suggested for your child is based in science or not. After reading Controversial Therapies, I now have red flags that go up when someone suggests chelation or brush therapy or other therapies based in anecdote. Also I learned to expect specific goals from therapies and not the vague improvements usually promised.

Second, the authors debunk many fad treatments for developmental disorders, but doesn't discount all of them. Instead, the authors teach the reader how to set up a scientific trial of one for your child based on facts. For instance, if your occupational therapist prescribes brush therapy to help overcome a certain behavior, you must define the behavior, measure the behavior without brushing, then measure it with brushing. In my son's case, like the case given in the book, my son's violent behaviors increased after brushing. I have since performed a trial on the effect of small doses of caffeine on his self-stimulatory behaviors (it helped).

This book is an important work in developmental disability literature and I highly recommend it. I also wish you strength, laughter, and success on the way to recovery for your loved one with a disability.

Controversial therapies for developmental disabilities is an excellent book that describes a variety of approaches for the treatment of children and adults with developmental disabilities. There are 28 chapters that point out inconsistencies amongst therapies that claim to be effective for treating autism and other disabilities. This book points out in detail the difference between what is pseudoscience and what is science by pointing out important information about therapies such as sensory integration, facilitated communication, and other ineffective treatments. Many of the therapies described in this book are advertised as fun, loving, caring, and able to create relationships between care givers and children, which sounds appealing to parents. These therapies are not science-based rather they are based on intuition, and personal values and opinions. Take sensory integration for example, which lacks evidence that its effective for children with autism or for people with developmental disabilities, however some parents and professionals provide this treatment to individuals based off of claims that are made from other people and from the therapists that used this so called treatment.
Because of such claims uninformed parents spend a lot of time and money on therapies that have not yet been proven to be effective. This book can help such parents avoid potential dangerous treatments for their children. It's unfortunate that there aren't any laws that prohibit the use of treatments that have not been proven to be effective for the treatment of developmental disabilities. I think that it's unethical to provide such "treatments" and this book advocates for people with developmental disabilities about the truth of bogus therapies.
The book also discussed why applied behavior analysis is an effective treatment compared to the other treatments described. It would have been great if the authors provided more information about the evidence for its efficacy in comparison to other methods. Nevertheless, this is an informative book for educators, parents, students and professionals. I enjoyed this book because I have new ways to articulate many of the fads described and provide rationales why it's not an effective treatment for people with disabilities.

As an teacher educator this is a breath of fresh air - common sense and a spotlight on the ridiculous fads in education abound.

Finally, a book that takes an objective view on the current "quick fix" and "miracle" treatments that are seen in developmental disabilities, specifically in autism.

Controversial Therapies exposes the ugly, inconvenient truth about sensory integration, auditory integration training, facilitated communication, positive behavior support, and a host of other fads and bogus treatments. Jacobson, Foxx, and Mulick have complied a set of chapters, and written many themselves, that provides all the ammunition that anyone needs to shoot down these wasteful and chronic malignancies that pervade the field of developmental disabilities and especially autism.

I use this text in my ethics course along with Ethics for Behavior Analysts (Bailey & Burch) and find that the combination makes for a great foundation for logical and responsible thinking about important treatment issues in our field.

Jon Bailey
co-author "How to Think Like a Behavior Analyst"

I appreciate the author getting all viewpoints from the perspective of living with dyslexia. It's very insightful on thoughts and feelings of siblings of dyslexics. I would definitely recommend this book to families dealing with the challenges and struggles that goes along with dyslexia. It's nice to know you are not alone.

This text is really a story book about peoples lives with learning disabilities (LD) in reading (dyslexia). The stories are powerful and many will bring you to tears. I work with the population and am in my second Master's in LD and read this book as part of a class. I wish I would have had the time to read it more slowly. If you. or someone you know, has a reading disability, or LD, pick up this book. The interviews are with real people and if only one story touches or helps you it will be worth the read!

This is an excellent book for any person who works with students! The book takes you through a "journey" with real people who have dyslexia and gives the reader great insight into the many struggles persons with dyslexia and their families have experienced. In addition, there is practical information that suggests ways of coping with dyslexia (at every grade level), and resources for assistance are also provided. The book is written in "everyday" language that is easy to understand--a great read!

As a high school teacher, I have found Kurnoff's book to provide both guidance and comfort. The interviews speak to the many particular issues faced by families looking for answers and direction. The very positive tone of the book leaves the reader with a sense of empowerment. I have suggested this book to colleagues and parents and they all share my enthusiasm and appreciation.

Shirley Kurnoff has pioneered this remarkable study. It provides for an absolutely enlightening experience, which empowers the reader to best comprehend the very many sides of this common and often debilitating problem. A pleasure to read, and an indispensible tool for accessing resources for dyslexics and their families. Bravo!

This short is an easy read and it lets the reader know more about two wonderful people. It is a must read!

"Miracles Happen on Horseback" provides a window into the extraordinary lives of Rick and Virginia Hawthorne and their Valley View Vaulters team. I had the privilege of knowing Rick and Virginia when I started to vault many years ago, and then to have them coach my own kids. Their day to day work with children and adults or all abilities is an inspiration to all of us who have had the privilege of working with them. Through reading this short story, you too can catch of glimpse of the miracle -- one that unfolds in small doses of decency and hard work, accumulating over months and years into incredible accomplishments.

I enjoyed this short book very much and want to know more. It's a great story about some really amazing people and what they do to make a real difference.

J. Spundstrom

Wonderful Story of inspiring people, heartwarming seeing people give all their time and energy to help others.
Ron Tabachnik

I KNOW "Miracles Happen On Horseback". My son, Joey, started vaulting with Rick and Virginia Hawthorne in 2004. Joey was 10 and has Asperger's Syndrome (a high functioning autism). Autistic children are not coordinated, nor do they work well in groups. Through Rick and Virginia's patience, praise and love, Joey proved the 'experts' wrong. Joey loves vaulting, loves the horses, loves the rest of the team, and most of all loves Rick and Virginia. They are the kind of people that parents get down on their knees every night and thank God that our children are fortunate enough to have them in their lives. They are truly the most altruistic couple that I have EVER met. They have NO 'agenda', other than sharing their passion for and teaching the sport of Vaulting. Joey placed 1st in California and 7th in Nationals in 2006. He competed with both neurotypical and handicapped kids. He was so proud of himself.

This story only begins to touch on the work that gets done by Valley View Vaulters.I would encourage ANY parent to come for a visit and see for yourselves what "Miracles Happen On Horseback".

Sharon Shulby, RN CCHP
(and Joey's Grateful Mom)

Jim Pierson has delivered a heart-touching book. This collection of vignettes from Jim's experiences presents real people with disabilities who have come to faith because of the ministry of those who care. Pierson is eminently well qualified to write this book. An outstanding preacher, most of his professional life has been devoted to ministry with those who have disabilities. For 17 years, he directed the East Tennessee Children's Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville. He has developed a minor in disability ministry at Johnson Bible College, also in Knoxville, and teaches courses in that program. He is a special consultant to Standard Publishing for the development of materials and services to churches interested in ministering to those with disabilities. He is currently the director of The Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped in Louisville. His entire professional focus-and much of his personal interest-is involved with ministry to those with disabilites. The hints for extending friendship and ministry at the end of each chapter are invaluable resources for any individual who wishes to reach out to those who are disabled. The book is a must handbook for every Christian.

We have read numerous books on disibility ministry. Without a doubt, we would have to say that "No Disabled Souls" is the best book we've encountered in this field. It is easy and enjoyable reading, yet practical. It outlines bite size steps for individuals and churches to take as they enter the world of disability ministry. We are recommending this book to all.

The day I picked up this book I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. reading. What an outstanding book! My prayer is that it is widely read because it is such a powerful tool--vital for everyone to read and understand. Jim Pierson is one of the leaders in disabilities ministry.

Jim Pierson has delivered a heart-touching book. This collection of vignettes from Jim's experiences present real people with disabilities who have come to faith because of the ministry of those who care. Each chapter concludes with helpful ministry hints. Pierson is eminently well qualified to write this book. An outstanding preacher, most of his professional life has been devoted to mininstry with those who have disabilities. For 17 years, he directed the East Tennessee Children's Rehabilitation Center in Knoxville. He has developed a minor in disability ministry at Johnson Bible College, also in Knoxville, and teaches courses in that program. He is a special consultant to Standard Publishing for the development of materials and services to churches interested in ministering to those with disabilities. He is currently the director of The Christian Church Foundation for the Handicapped in Louisville. His entire professional focus-and much of his personal interest-is involved with ministry to those with disabilites. The hints for extending friendship and ministry at the end of each chapter are invaluable resources for any individual who wishes to reach out to those who are disabled. The book is a must handbook for every Christian.

Is God prompting you to include a disabled person in your circle of friends? Are you uncertain of what to do next? Are you uneasy about perhaps offending the person by your interest? Dr. Jim Pierson, a speech pathologist, advocate, educator, and pastor, has used his years of experience to produce a slim, practical volume that will dispel your questions and give you the confidence to follow God's leading. No specialized education or professional skills are necessary to be a friend. The beginning of a life-enriching friendship between you and a disabled person is as simple as introducing yourself and asking, "What is your name?" Each chapter introduces the reader to another of Dr. Pierson's friends with his or her unique perspective on life and on the opportunities our God provides. Mental, physical, emotional, and learning disabilites are defined and illustrated, and very practical suggestions are given for working past difficulties in communication, mobility, and social behavior. Dr. Pierson emphasizes that whether a person's disability has been present from birth or acquired at a later time, each person must be included in a social and spiritual community. Friendship is an expression of love. The most lasting love ensures that each friend is included in God's kingdom. Begin with simple social pleasures: invitations to coffee or dinner at home or at a restaurant. Disabled people are people first, and they enjoy sports, hobbies, gardens, and festive events. However, unlike nondisabled people, their opportunities to enjoy these things are usually more limited. Once a relationship is established, there will be obvious opportunities for both of you to express faith and trust in God's promises. Be ready to exercise the spiritual fruit of patience as you begin to communicate and understand one another. Do not be afraid to admit when you don't understand immediately. After you have conquered these problems, you will share joy.Whether or not communication is easy, there is never a barrier to the work of the Holy Spirit. Every soul can learn God's loving care and intent for His people. When the friendship reaches spiritual levels, invite your friend to attend worship with you. If he or she is already involved in another congregation, attend their services occasionally. Dr. Pierson has developed easy, step-by-step procedures to assist church staff in expanding their educational opportunities to include disabled people. Of particular interest is a chart that explains the symptomatic behaviors of autism in terms that anyone can understand. This and other basic how-to information on each type of disability will make classroom inclusion of disabled students much less stressful. Disabilities rearrange the lives of family members too. They often need assistance to cope with the stresses of accepting diagnoses and making lifestyle changes. Ordinary family chores can become a burden when therapy sessions occupy a major part of each day. Befriend the family of your disabled friend as well. Intercessory prayer, practical assistance, and listening ears make waiting for the removal of every disability much easier (God promises that each one is temporary). Our God, who calls the lame his beloved remnant (Micah 4:6, 7), loves the diversity of each unique person. This book can assist all of us in molding our lives and congregations to be clearer reflections of His kingdom.