Disabled Books

I found this book has useful ideas that are not difficult to implement. It provides lists and suggestions for addressing issues that many arise in the classroom. It is easy to forget that many ASD children need to be directly taught things that the average child would intuit. I think this would be particularly helpful when an ASD child is placed in an inclusion setting so the teacher could prepare for the child's needs. With any child you have to look at his or her unique needs, but this book has some very useful concrete suggestions on how to help an ASD child succeed.

I love this resourse it had a lot of great ideas. My suggestion would be to read it before you give it to you educators and pick and choose what you think might work for you child. They were a lot of ideas using many different tackics and some will work better for some children then others. I did love the ideas and suggestions.

This book is a great starting point and a good strategy reminder for any teacher, but especially for teachers that don't not have any experience teaching students with Asperger syndrome or High-Functioning autism. (Although it could be applied to any student in many different settings and at any age!). The content of the book in divided in 10 useful simple strategies. Each strategy is presented with an example and the reasons why it is important to use it. I would also recommended it to parents that need to give an orientation to the teachers of their sons or daughters.

This is a very user friendly book for busy teachers and other school staff who advocate for children with Asperger Syndrome and related disabilities of all ages. The book outlines ten areas that must be addressed and provides excellent information and strategies for each area. This book could be used to guide training for school staff working with students with AS/HFA.

As a yoga teacher for Seniors, I found this book very helpful since many of my students are only able to do exercises in a chair. I had used many of the exercises already and my students love them. I think its very important to add resistance training to every exercise program, especially our seniors. I purchased flexbands and my seniors love using them. This is a great reference book for anyone who teaches exercises for rehab or seniors.

As a wheelchair user, I use my muscles differently than the able bodied person so an exercise book geared for the able bodied is usually not useful to me. I found this book to be very helpful, with the use of theraband exercise aids (those long, stretchy neon colored things you've all seen) I can work out specific muscle groups and areas of my body as I need. A large number of the exercises can be done in a seated position. The line drawings are clear and very helpful. This would be a good book for anyone, able bodied or not who wants to ease into fitness following an injury, surgery, or just years of couch potato life. The spiral binding made it easy to keep the book open in front of my while doing the stretches. This is a very practical consideration usually overlooked by writers of exercise manuals.

A friend, from eBay no less, first told me about Bob Andersen and his books on stretching and exercise. Since that time I have acquired four of his texts and a video. Why? Because his well written books and the superb video have given me my active life back to me. I would not consider starting my day without doing a 30 minute regimen of stretching exercises that he refers to as the essential daily stretches. I'm 61 and lead a moderately active life. But a couple of years ago I noticed I was having more pains in my feet, joints and back than normal. My range of motion was decreasing and before I knew it, normal motion of bending and stooping or getting in and out of a car was becoming difficult for me. Along came the friend's recommendation on Bob Andersen and I was very skeptical. Before the week was out, the pains were gone. I was no longer limping as I walked from my car to my job, I could go up and downstairs as I had always done, not one step for two feet at a time. The rotation in my lower back and torso has been greatly extended so that I'm looking forward to playing golf once more. His advice is very simple, concise and easy to understand. He has made my life much more enjoyable and I'm grateful for these books and the video. I can't recommend him enough for anyone of any age who wants to stay fit or is interested in stretching and its benefits which are many.

This very small spiral bound book lies flat while you are trying to use it. The illustrations are clear and the instructions for the various stretches are clear as well. The exercises look accessible to anyone who can sit up in a chair, but as with any exercise book you need to be careful.

For the lay person, this is an interesting view point to read and perhaps get a sense of the frustration that is felt by my people with learning disabilities. However, as some who is dyslexic and also a teacher, there are significant things missing from McCabe's perspective. While I certainly understand his anger at educational "experts" he seems to operate under the assumption that he is the only one who has ever experienced his circumstances or has ever thought of the things he's promoting, which is an incorrect portrayl of the history of LD education. I was entertained at times, offended at others. Overall, there are more relavent books out there.

Read the 12 sample pages at Amazon.com. A distinguished educator speaks of his own dyslexia and his gratitude for a loving family, high expectations, and no official disability label. The author was in elementary and high school before they had the label of dyslexic. There were plenty of kids who needed help and got help. Therapy was just active play. Early educational intervention was just playing school. Teachers taught learning (memory) strategies to all students in k-12. He offers many practical ideas for improving literacy.

Not only is this book a description of Don McCabe's early years, he also has some fascinating information about the "word families" approach to spelling and reading, made new through his own well-developed sequential spelling strategies!
I can see that the mastery of the language is in learning the patterns of spelling. The sequencing of the words is based on research and the building of English words from the root word to an expanded form.
I really liked the fact that students correct their own papers. Immediate feedback is empowering. A student's confidence is much more significant when they can spell words that they have never seen before without studying!
I am anxious to find out more about his website [...] and check out his text books utilizing the sequential spelling techniques.

Don McCabe writes a compelling autobiography to illustrate what it is like to grow up dyslexic. He was born in 1932 and this was well before "dyslexia" was a term, let alone a diagnosis. He was just treated as a boy who couldn't sit still. He credits his older sister and wonderful teachers who worked intensively with him to help him learn to read and eventually to become a respected scholar. McCabe has dedicated the last thirty years to working on literacy. This book is a quick, fun read that shows a good dose of humor helps in discussing serious topics such as dyslexia. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed as dyslexic, don't wring your hands in despair - buy this book and learn from someone who knows first hand about what it means to be a dyslexic.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR KIDS,KIDS AT AT HEART,PARENTS TEACHERS,EDUCATORS(ETC) IT'S ESPECIALLY A GIFT TO THOSE LD/ADD/ADHD/DYSLEXIC INDIVIDUALS WHO ENJOY 12STEP (IE ACOA) BOOKS!! THE DRAWINGS ARE TERRIFIC,THE STORIES TOUCHING,TEAR PROVOKING AND ARE FUNNY & EMOTION FILLED!! I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SPEAK TO ANYONE WITH QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS AS I HAVE BEEN DR L'S VERY SUCCESSFUL ADULT PATIENT SINCE 9/84-PRESENT(AND AM VERY SIMILAR TO THE "ANNA" CHARACTER IN THE BOOK!)THE BOOK ALSO IS WONDERFUL AS IS ITS SEQUEL,TURNING AROUND THE UPSIDE DOWN KIDS, IN THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES PRAISE FOR THE IRLEN COLORED TINTED FILTER EYEGLASSES IN ADDITION TO THE INNER EAR MEDICATIONS. MARSHA LAMPERT MBA ,WANTAGH NY

This book made a tremendous break through in my son's ability to see his dyslexia as a medical problem. He always thought of himself dumb and stupid. His eyes filled with tears as he read about himself through the football players words. He identfied so well with the dyslexic character that since we read the book, he has never once referred to himself as dumb or stupid again. This book has given my son so much more than I could ever tell him. Every dyslexic child should read this book and hopefully they to will gain what a parent can't tell a child.

I purchased this book to help my 7 year old son understand his dyslexia. Although the book was written in a way that children would readily understand the text, I disagree that it is for children between the ages of 4 - 8. I believe children between the ages of 9 - 13 would benefit most from it. Finally, if the child relates to one of the kids described in the book, I believe that it would be frustrating to not find any helpful strategies at the end. Maybe they are in the next book?

I have three children with dyslexia and finding a book that helps them understand their problem without the scientific jargon is hard. This is an enjoyable read and helped me understand what the kids are going through. It also shows that an understanding teacher with a heart of gold can truly make a difference to their lives. More teachers should be taking the time to read books like these and they should be more understanding of the "New" children entering their classrooms.

Congratulations Dr Levinson for a wonderful book it helped me and my children and I recommend this book to all parents that have dyslexic children.

Have teenager with ASD/Asberger syndrome, this book is just what we needed!

In response to my explanation of the idiom "get your skates on"

"There's some strange things those normal people make up"

Absolutely, so that gives you the heads up, there's no beating about the bush here, it's all from the horses' mouth.... (am I gonna get in hot water for this), let me just chew the cud for a while.

This book was perfect for my 9 yo daughter. She has NLD and is often confused by language, facial expression, or hidden meanings. We had a lot of fun guessing the answers (she got them wrong every time!) and then reading the correct meaning. Within an hour she had picked a lyric out of a song and understood it for the first time ("coming out of my shell"). We are thrilled with this book!

For people with autism/Asperger's, this book is the book to have in understanding colloquialisms, idioms and metaphors. Instead of relying on neurotypical (NT) counterparts to interpret and translate these phrases, just keep this book handy. It's the ideal tool to have when learning the language of the NT world.

This book helps a child with Aspergers unravel the mysteries of colloquial meatphors -- that is the great idea. However, it was written in the United Kingdom, which means that sometimes the explanations are confusing also (what is a queue, Mom???)-- that takes away from its effectiveness and makes for frustration. There are also a couple of publishing goofs -- wrong explanation on the page -- no excuse for that. I actually whited them out and moved the words over. Like I said -- great idea -- upbeat and useful -- but it should be noted that it is not US English.

My aunt gave me this book to read and it is amazing! I knew some of the facts (like that FDR suffered from polio and Helen Keller was blind and deaf) but this book had more than just the regular facts. It had more of the STORIES about who these people were and how they got past their problems.

Bruce Jenner and Jim Stovall - Both of these men overcame disabilities to achieve great things. Things most people wouldn¹t have attempted and things others would have never assumed they would achieve. While I do not have a disability, this book has motivated me that no matter what goals I set for myself, with hard work and determination I can achieve great things too.

I found Amazing Achievers to be a book everyone should read. When I started reading it, I couldn¹t put it down. I read the entire book the night I received it. I enjoyed reading about the characters in the book and how they overcame their disabilities.

On occasion--not predictably, too infrequently--one's world is made larger by a character from one's reading.
I do know J. Blue; I do know The Little Prince; I do know Elliot Rosewater. . .and now, thanks to this remarkable ballad, I know Miss Amelia Evans.

The title novella of this Carson McCullers collection is much loved, although I'd be hard-pressed to explain why. It takes place in a small Georgia milltown in the first half of the century, and involves a love triangle concerning a gay hunchbacked gossipy dwarf; his cousin, the six-foot-two, cross-eyed, androgynous town despot, Miss Amelia; and her ex-husband, who robs gas stations and carries in his pocket a salted human ear he gained in a razor fight. Like the short stories and the later plays of Tennessee Williams, this novella seems to go beyond mere Southern Gothic to yet another level, more like that of what we might call Southern Baroque or Rococo; McCullers seems to be pushing herself constantly as far as she can go. It's not enough for McCullers, for example, that Miss Amelie likes to fidget with the gallstones she once had removed that she keeps in a curio case: later she has them set in a watch fob to give to her beloved cousin the hunchback. The larger (and intelligent) points McCullers makes in the novella about the nature of love, particularly concerning the roles of the lover and the beloved, seem occulted rather than clarified by the freakshow approach to the characters.

This is a shame, because McCullers is certainly intelligent, and she certainly can write, as she shows not only by her gorgeous descriptions of setting in his story but also in the fine shorter pieces here that follow the title novella. I'd recommend starting elsewhere with her fiction than this novella: here she just seems trying to top herself with outlandish details and effects rather than strive for something more honest.

I was first turned onto Carson McCullers in a southern lit class in college. Sad Cafe was required reading, and one of the best stories I read that whole semester. I found myself reading it again and again because I just liked the way the story sounded in my head. McCullers has such a simple technique for description and writing. It's so easy to understand, and it stays with you. Unlike a lot of stories, it's uncluttered and her writing is the bare soul of her characters.

Beware, if you are new to southern lit you might want to know a few tips...stories are usually a tragedy, the characters are usually flawed emotionally and often physically, and setting plays a huge part of the story. Don't forget language either. Carson McCullers captures the true essence of all of these in her writing. Sad Cafe is no exception.

It is a story that stays with you in some way. I know it has definitely stayed with me. I find myself wanting to pick it up again and again. Whether you are from the South or not, don't miss out on this beautiful and haunting piece of literature.

This book is helpful if you are working with special education students. It is a book that will help you (and other team members) decide what is most important for a student who is transitioning into adulthood. It will help show/guide you to to areas of concern. It is an assessment, not standardized testing. It is open to interputation.

As a special education advocate, it was helpful in determining what areas of need had to be addressed within transition.

It is not standardized testing that will hold up to a special education hearing as it is subjective.

It did provide good insight into what the student wanted and needed.

I will use this tool again for other students who are transitioning from school to adulthood.

The COACH was a great help in putting together my daughter's IEP. By following the quidelines you are able to organize and decide what is most important to your child and you when planning the IEP. COACH. also, is a big proponent of inclusion which is what parents of special needs children are wanting. Using its format you can plan a very workable education plan and the child can be educated in a regular classroom the majority of the time. We have been doing IEP's for years but using COACH made this years IEP much easier.

As a parent of a 3 year old with Down syndrome, I found this book extremely helpful as Andrew moves toward inclusion in a private school. It is helpful for parents to become aware of inclusion issues and processes for their children's sake. This book provides a helpful understanding of inclusion and is readable for non-educators as well as professional teaching staff. COACH encourages teamwork of family and educators to best create appropriate, meaningful and beneficial IEP plans. I gave my copy to the principal of my son's school and she immediately asked me for the publisher's catalog so she could order a copy and implement COACH processes with other families affected by disabilities as well.

"Comfort" is a perfect word for the title of Maria M. Meyer, Paula Derr, and Susan C. Imke's book "The Comfort of Home." The authors are accomplished registered nurses as well as caregiver educators and advocates. Ms. Imke contributes a wealth of specialized knowledge of, and experience with, Parkinson disease. "The Comfort of Home for Parkinson Disease" brings comfort and peace of mind to families of people with Parkinson disease. The authors have successfully compiled a complete collection of the latest Parkinson disease-specific information, resources, caregiving options, record-keeping templates, home safety tips and illustrations, and much more. The material is presented with clarity and compassion. Two imporant and fundamental premises permeate the book: 1) that Parkinson disease affects not only the patient, but the caregiver, and the entire family system; and 2) that PD demands a holistic, team approach to care. This book not only validates, but also elevates, the role of the family caregiver as someone who is intimately involved in, and knowledgable about, the disease, and who is an integral member of the care team. The book goes the extra mile (actually, miles) to help any family caregiver navigate the systems of health care, home care, and Parkinson disease. I heartily give this book 5 stars.

Diane B. Breslow, MSW, LCSW, Center Coordinator, Northwestern University Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence

"One of the many definitions of comfort is "the capacity to ease well-being", which certainly applies to our homes when we are seeking well-being. The word, care, may have many meanings in different scenarios, but one I like best is "to treat with dignity". The Comfort of Home is truly the best resource for caregivers I have seen. The basic descriptions, pictures, quick bullets of information and tips are just what caregivers need to learn, provided in an easy to "read and see" version. The myriad of helpful topics condensed here is just what caregivers I work with have requested and will benefit from. I highly recommend this resource to all caregivers of those with Parkinson's disease."

[Neurology Nurse Practitioner and Faculty member, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Nursing Gwyn M. Vernon, MSN, CRNP]

Now in a newly and substantially revised and expanded third edition, "The Comfort Of Home: A Complete Guide For Caregivers" continues to earn its reputation as the 'bible' for providing home caregivers to aged, ill or handicapped loved ones with a thoroughly 'user friendly' illustrated guide that covers everything necessary from daily living tasks to preparations for hospice care, to making funeral arrangements. This is a complete and superbly organized, 216-page, comprehensive 'how to' manual that will help the caregiver to develop their skills, expertise, and confidence, which will in turn enhance their peace of mind with respect to the quality of life they helping to afford their charge. Also available in a Spanish language edition, "The Comfort Of Home: A Complete Guide For Caregivers" is a 'must' for anyone having responsibility for helping another to continue to live in their home, prepare them for having to move into an extended care facility, or to help make final arrangements. Three other outstanding and highly recommended specialized manuals for professional home care from CareTrust Publications include: "The Comfort Of Home For Parkinson Diseases: A Guide For Caregivers" ; "The Comfort Of Home For Stroke: A Guide For Caregivers" ; and "The Comfort Of Home Multiple Sclerosis Edition: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide For Multiple Sclerosis Caregivers".

An updated edition of this book has been out for a few years. I don't know why Amazon doesn't list it. You can get it from Educators Publishing Co.

I stumbled across this book by chance in my local library. What a gem! I can't give this book enough stars! What a pity it is out of print, I really wanted to buy a few copies and distribute it to every child educator I know!

I am not a teacher, but rather, I am a parent of a child who is "lazy", underachieving, not paying attention - you name it, you know the spiel. I was hoping to find some kind of clue as to what was going on in his mind - I did not expect to find a full scale map!

As I was reading the first few chapters about attention controls and alertness, I found myself going "aha" every two seconds. What he described fit perfectly with the behavior I see in my child, and now I have a more complete understanding of why he acts the way he does - always a plus for a parent.

This book was certainly not written for parents, that is obvious. It reads like a textbook, with mostly technical terms and concise explanations for each one. Even so, it is clearly written, and very easy to understand, if you invest the time to read it through slowly. He explained the problems with mental energy and efficiency (I know I am using the wrong words, but the book is not with me right now), so well, that I felt as if he was standing there looking right into my brain. And as if he had been standing there all through my school years. How else would he have known "exactly" what everyone said to me (parents and teachers), and "exactly" what I was feeling as I was sitting in class?


Not only did I find validation for behaviors and learning patterns which I have never understood, but I have also found a lot of tips, even for myself, in getting better organized. When I mean organized, I mean organizing the BRAIN. I was amazed at how much more efficient I could be, when I had previously thought that I was running at top efficiency (for me). Dr. Mel Levine does not offer "excuses" but rather, he explains what the problem is so that you have a point of reference as to where to start fixing it.

I have not yet finished the book, if you have seen it you will know why, but there is no question in my mind that this is THE book for every educator to have as a reference. I have so far read only the parts on attention and memory, but if I have given the impression that this book describes only ADD, I will have been giving a very wrong impression.

Dr. Levine does an impressive job in describing all kinds of learning problems, all kinds of hidden learning problems that are not obvious to parents and teachers, and how these hidden problems are impacting on a child doing the best that he/she can in school, and I guess, eventually in life.

He has written other books on learning problems, such as "The Myth of Laziness" and "A Different Kind of Mind", which are written in a more conversational style, and are directed towards parents, but I found this book more helpful in getting to the "core" of the problems, as opposed to "how my learning center can help" which is the theme of almost every book I have picked up on learning disabilites, etc.

There is one slight point that I disagree with him however. He talks about colleges accomodating themselves to different students learning styles. I have read educators complaining about his attitude in different Amazon reviews, and in this I feel he is going a little too far. Elementary schools have a mandate to educate each child that comes in throught their door, and to make them into human beings who leave knowing the basics of education. In this, I think that schools have an obligation to accomodate themselves to different students' learning styles. But colleges are different, and I think that a college has a right to accept a student who can show good test scores in whichever format they (the college) chooses to test in. For those students who cannot meet their criteria, there are other, less demanding colleges that will accept them. Because after all, if they cannot pass the entrance test, how will they pass the courses? Isn't that the point of the entrance examinations? But of course, that's just my rant.

This book was extremely helpful to me as a parent. My son's teacher kept telling me to get him tested, but I had no idea how to start as I saw that he is extremely bright, and could see no obvious reason for his scholastic failures. This book pinpointed exactly what his problem is, and I am now armed with the knowledge to further help my child. Knowledge is power, as they say. I have another child with language issues, and I have yet to read the chapters that deal with his problems, but I am confident that I will obtain an excellent understanding of his problems as well.

This is a beautiful, excellent, wonderful, book, that should ideally be in every educator's hands. Every school should implement the ideas presented in this book. (Of course they won't). I only wish that Dr. Levine would write another book, in this format, for parents, sort of "dumb it down" a little bit, so us parents can understand the child's problems without all the scientific jargon which makes it difficult reading. I know that he has written some other books, and I have read through them quickly, but I found the other books more anecdotal, without the clear and concise presentation that this book contains.

I also wish he would write a book about how learning problems affect ADULTS, and what they can do about it. I did find it pretty easy to convert the tips into "adult" tips, but of course, I would love to read a book that is directly written for adults with these learning problems. As strange as it may seem, I realized that a lot of adults have some of the poor learning strategies, only translated into adult behavior, and obviously, causing corresponding havoc and stress.

In any case, this book was wonderful, thank you, Dr. Levine!

Educational Care, A System for Understanding and Helping Children With Learning Problems at Home and in School by Dr. Mel Levine is a book that all professionals in the field of education should be required to read.

As a special education teacher, the topics Dr. Levin presents are paramount to the education of all children. Today, with curriculum frameworks and standardized testing, general education teachers are being pushed and pulled in too many directions. Teachers in the general education setting have many diverse learners; teachers need the valuable information from this book to assist them in guiding/coaching the children in their charge. It is imperative, as the educational system moves forward and the bulk of students that were once serviced by specialist are now being instructed within the general education setting, that these students are provided with the tools that will assist them in learning and retaining information. Many general education teachers have minimal knowledge of the differentiated practices that can be implemented within their repertoire in educating students with diverse learning needs. Teachers whom have been in the general education setting for the past years have a wealth of knowledge, techniques, and strategies to service their low average, average, and gifted/talented learners. However for children that do no fall within these categories, general education teachers have not been instructed or equipped with strategies to help guide these students with specific learning deficits. Educational Care is an excellent resource for all educators to use to assist them in better developing their craft of teaching.

Educational Care presents a wealth of information regarding weak attention control, phenomena related to: reduced remembering, to chronic misunderstanding, deficient output, delay skill acquisition, and to poor adaptation. In addition, this book has chapters for the provision of education care, assessment and management, and implications and applications for the misinterpreted child. The Appendixes is a valuable resource for every teacher to peruse and use for those students whom could benefit from such helpful planners and organizers.

Educational Care gives tremendous assistance on both fronts:educational strategies in the classroom and strategies that the home caregiver can provide to assist children with learning problems.

This is a book that I will be lending to many colleagues in hopes that they too may learn how to help those students that are struggling in the educational/social setting.