Disabled Books

Papers on adults with learning disabilities from the 1994 Summit on Learning Disabilities organized by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Topics include education, labor, justice, and health and human services. The section on employment is interesting and includes perspectives from several adults with learning disabilities who can serve as role models.

This review was originally published in the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living, A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder and Dyslexia.

As a special education teacher for students with multiple disabilities, I am always looking for materials to use with my students. Because I insist on having my students access as much age & grade appropriate content as possible, I often wind up making my own materials. That takes quite a while, and if the student is actually included into an elective class, I may not receive the information I need to create materials from the other teacher with enough time to create. This book, like most materials published by Attainment/IEP Resources, is fantastic for exactly that kind of situation! Both this health book, and another book from the same company, are nicely aligned with a middle-school to high-school aged health curriculum, but at a reading level that is accessible for my students with assistance. By using these materials, I can actually loan the book to the teacher for the year, and encourage them to use it not just for my students, but for the students with learning disabilities or our ESOL students as well. I highly recommend all of the books in this series!

Cordoni wrote from the perspective of her job as coordinator of a support program for LD students at Southern Illinois University. The students she describes are college undergraduates. Target audience: parents and anyone who works with LD students. Dr. Cordoni addresses what she calls the "social skills" deficits of LD college students. In fact, the book deals with certain personality traits that seem to accompany LD; their effects on the LD student's social interactions with others; and what the student and his family, friends and educators can do about them. What can and should be done about undesirable behavior is emphasized throughout the book. Some behaviors (e.g.insensitivity to body language) appear to be symptoms of LD. Others (e.g. unwillingness to accept responsibility) may develop as defense mechanisms. Regardless of the causes, Cordoni believes: (1) that the student is often unaware of it; (2) that the student can be made aware of the behavior so that he can correct it; and (3) that tutors and parents have the responsibility to address and correct these problems. There is little discussion of younger students; what there is, is provided by Cordoni's observation of her own children. Reviewed by Stowe Davison

This book describes the findings of research which involved interviewing children with dyslexia, their mothers, teachers and other professionals involved.The book is aimed at teachers, and there is a focus on the impact of teachers and school on these children's lives. As a parent (and not a teacher) of a child with dyslexia,this book has been very informative. It is grim reading in parts because it describes the negative attitudes in parts of the education system to children with dyslexia. However it is easy to read, jargon free, clearly structured and has useful summaries at the end of each chapter.I found the children's views about their experiences of dyslexia particularly interesting as other books have not included this crucial subject. Their perspective highlights the problems of dealing with a hidden disability. Reading about the mother's views and ways of coping was equally important and reassuring. This is the book I choose to read when I need help to understand my child and his difficulties. A 'must have' for any parent of a child with dyslexia.

This is a great text for those interested in the cause of children with disabilities. "Making a Place" is easy to read, with detailed descriptions of real children and their families. Throughout its pages, the author challenges us to look again at how to make our communities more accessible.

Of particular interest to me was the discussion of "inclusion as nondiscrimination" (pp.178-179). Treating children "the same" is not the core commitment of inclusion. Rather, it is providing each child with the opportunity to access and participate in the activities of his or her age group. Dale Fink's book provides practical ideas for moving forward in achieving this goal.

My 10 year old son and I read this book together because he was resistant initially. He immediately connected with the mountain climbing analogy that the author uses to explain the challenges of a learning disability. He smiled and acknowledged his strengths and weaknesses when the text challenged him to do so. The book also has a very helpful and clear explanation of different learning disabilities, the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing, and methods of intervention. While I am a psychologist, and have explained a fair amount to my son, it is always helpful for him to hear it in another way and from another source. We plan to return to some of the tips for school when school begins. I think we will return to the mountain climbing analogy often.

I have found this text to provide an excellent review of RTI as it relates to learning disabilities

Steve Centore's memoir is both a compelling read and a public service. Brutally honest, his book illustrates how a federal employee and serviceman was failed by the very government he faithfully served. His journey from health to illness is moving, even upsetting but the story is one that must be told.

This is a very interesting book. The subject is very up-to date and the references used are all relatively recent. I kept the book with me every where I went, and finished reading it in about a week. I strongly recommend it for those dealing with children with developmental disabilities.

This book is great and "user friendly" for the parent who is looking to start a home program. Better info and easier to digest than many of the books available. An excellent first book if you are thinking of ABA for your child.