Disabled Books

Teaching children is very difficult. Teaching a class of thirty is very very difficult. Having so many different types of learner in front of you it is hard to ensure that all the students are learning something. This book is a very helpful resource to have on my bookshelf and I refer to it for assistance when the need arises or when I find myself lacking inspiration. Worth having in your collection.

This is a slightly dated travel book (1987) aimed specifically at the disabled traveler. There is lots of good information to be had here, from what to pack to year-round temperatures around the world. There are sections on Airline Services for Disabled Passengers, hotels and transportation, Health and Travel, Tours for the Disabled, and appendices on everything from Access Information in the U.S. and foreign currencies, and clothing sizes for shopping, to Visas and traveler vocabulary tips. (Simple phrases translated into many languages.) There are even directions for making your own Passport and Visa Bag, to wear around your neck!
Because I traveled a great deal before I became disabled, I was most eager to read things like "Where to rent an Electric Disability Scooter abroad." Well, there was no mention of that sort of mobility assistive technology. That will have to wait for the next edition of the book.

The best thing about this book is that it's aimed at the person with LDs, not at the parents. This was the first time my high-school-age son did any kind of analysis of his own needs and differences, and the book guided him through it without intimidating him. It was well worth the price.

This book by Paula Jacobson has been a lifesaver for my aspie son and his teachers. So many of the books on this topic are technical and all encompassing. This one captures the "spirit" of the issues that most affect day to day survival in the neuro-typical world. The many examples are very helpful in seeing the subtleties that are often not noticed but make all the difference.

Clear, accessible and without jargon... this book will be a valuable tool for therapists, teachers, parents and others looking to develop alternative ways of communicating with children and young people.

It makes so much sense, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it all myself !

I also liked the print and the layout of the book.

This book is an excellent summary of provisions for blindchildren and mainsteam education. A good source of information mainlyfor professionals but also for parents who want to know and bit more and get more involved in the education of their children. Well written, not too "heavy" and certainly not boring.

Read this book in 2 days. Fascinating. Answered all my questions
and gave lots of suggestions for parents dealing with an ADD child.

Concerned Mom,

Before 86-ing this book, look at your own source, which is 5 years old. Also consider that the vast majority of the psychiatric profession in Europe believes ADD is a figment of the American psychiatric community's imagination. If they're right, anyone who believes ADD is a genuine disorder is a pseudoscientist, whether they believe it can be conclusively diagnosed or not.

In addressing ADD and ADHD Dr. Phil and Frank have both maintained that a thorough attempt at a differential diagnosis MUST be made(ruling out other learning disorders, stressors in the home, other possible disorders or chemical imbalances, depression, etc.) PRIOR to reaching a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. They also insist that this must be done in CONJUNCTION with an EEG. The EEG reading alone is persuasive, but not diagnostic. If they have claimed to the contrary then they are going against everything they have maintained in their shows addressing this issue.

You may agree or disagree with them and I'm sure some qualified professionals disagree with them as well. That's not uncommon in the medical community, and it certainly doesn't make this pseudo science.

If their claim were simply that the EEG ALONE were diagnostic in the absence of a thorough examination of patient history, etc., then you're beef would be legitimate. But why the hostility? These days children are often overmedicated based solely on the reommendation of tired parents or teachers. By contrast Dr. Phil is advocating a careful thorough screening prior to reaching that diagnosis, and consideration of all available therapies, not medical therapy alone. At the same time the screening process he's advocating will no doubt help some people who haven't been diagnosed but should have been finally get the help they need. So many are written of an depressed or looking for excuses for a lifelong struggle with frustration and attention span (my wife for example), but thanks to a rigorous screening process followed by a careful neurological exam including an EEG, most of the red herrings can finally be ruled out and effective treatment can begin. This is a total middle of the road position between throwing pills out willy nilly and just telling people to get over their disorder. Who loses here? And where is the argument that the EEG IN CONJUNCTION WITH a careful differential diagnosis, detailed patient history and examination of past behavior, academic struggles, etc., can't be diagnostic of this disorder? Some may disagree, but what's new about that?

The three star rating is because I haven't finished reading the book.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for a parent lost in the sea of ADD/ADHD information. The author's conservative approach is sensible and educated. I also appreciate the subtle spiritual insight he offers which helps the reader understand some very positive aspects of ADD. This book has become my main resource while we deal with this situation.

I am an adult with ADHD inatintive type. I have struggled all my life with this condition. Howevere, I have managed to earn a BA in psychology and I am currently working on a masters degree. Because of my expierences in psychology classes I know something about scientific research and empirical evidence. This book was a major dissapointment to me because it lacks the simple scholary research to prove the claims made by Dr Lawless. I am afraid this book is nothing more then modernday snake-oil that will cause more harm then good.

This book is so full of pseudo-science that I fear it may cause a great deal of harm to children and adults with ADHD. Dr. Lawless is a psychologist and should now how to read the scientifice research on the subject found in peer reviewed journals. While, I believe that the chemeicals in the foods we eat are a major cause of illnesses, ADHD and obesity, There is little scientific evidence that add is caused by diet. However, their maybe more evidence in the future. One of his clames of red dye has been proven completly false. Another one his claims about magnet theropy are so out of the scientific mainstream that he comes of as a snakeoils salesman. Please do not buy this book. If you want reliable information by on of the Driven to Distraction books.

There are many great ideas presented in this book about dealing with your add child, BUT the chapter on meds is completely off base. Let me preface the following with MY opinion (I am not an MD or an expert) that children with ADD need a team approach in helping them deal with the condition (if you choose to call it one) and there is a place for meds for many kids, BUT it is only a piece of the puzzle. Parents, teachers, family members, Md's, and behavioral specialists are all crucial. I happen to work indirectly with many of the world thought leaders and experts on ADD (ie. Joseph Beiderman, Mass General Hospital, Boston MA/ Harvard Medical School, ... look up his credentials). First Dr. Frank Lawlis is not an MD, this means he has not been to medical school- that is not to say he isn't a great psychologist, just that he HAS NOT and DOES NOT write prescriptions for these meds and has NO first hand experience with directly managing these meds himself. In this book there are many things that are completely false regarding ADD meds. For example he states that they only work for about 50% of kids. FALSE Let me cite 3 credible sources that disputes this (notice in the book that he does not talk about HIS credible source)
1. "approx 70% of patients respond to the first stimulant agent administered with resulting improvement in their ADHD symptoms." - Practical Considerations in Stimulant Drug Selection for the ADHD Patient- Efficacy, Potency and Titration Beiderman, Today's Therapeutic Trends, 02'
2. "Improvement occurred in 65-75% of 5,899 patients randomized to stimulants." - Practice Parameter for the Use of Stimulant Medication in the Treatment of Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Feb02'
3. "At least 80% of children will respond to one of the stimulants if they are tried in a systemic way." Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of the School-Aged Child with ADHD, Published in American Acedemy of Pediatrics, Oct 01'.

All of these quotes are credible and are opinions based on evidence-based medicine from the experts. Lawlis also states that there has been little research in children and that most studies have been done on adults and rats/mice. This is Completely False! The Journal noted above, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (that was a review of "161 randomized controlled trials that have been published encompassing 5 preschool, 150 school-age, 7 Adolescent, and 9 adult studies" Where does Dr. Lawlis get his information?
The review noted above by the American Acedemy of Pediatrics, identified for analysis 2405 citations, 92 reports, and 78 different studies. This is American Acedemy of Pediatrics- They are only interested in children and adolescents! Not Rats, Mice, and Adults.
These are the most credible Medical Journals published. These are not the biased trials sponsored by big pharma. The information in these Journals is taken very seriously by Pediatricians and Child Psychiatrists, and is heavily relied upon by these professionals.

Lastly, he also states that these drugs are identical to cocaine in their affect on the brain. This is not true, they have similarities, but by NO-Means identical. Yes it is true that stimulant medications can be abused and can also be addictive, but some of the newer formulations of these meds have lessened their abuse and addictive potential by altering the speed at which the drug is released into the bloodstream thereby somewhat flattening the curve (Cocaine use produces a curve that is almost straight up-this is what gives the "high") The most common way for these drugs to be abused is by crushing them and snorting them (which allows for fast absorption and steep curve), and some of the newer meds are crush resistant and/or cannot be turned into a fine enough substance to be snorted. There has also been data published that shows a DECREASE not increase in drug abuse for patients who have taken stimulants. It is believed that kids who are treated (drug treatment and otherwise) are less likely to associate with kids who are failing academically/socially and who are more likely to be using drugs. (This is not to say that high all high achievers abstain from using OR that ALL children who are failing ARE using) It is just a point that kids who are treated are more likely to be focused on school and their responsibilities and are less likely to be involved in drug use. Kids who are failing in school academically/socially are often looked at as outcasts and are often looked down upon by peers, teachers, and family, and this can cause a child to look for an escape... sometimes drugs. Children who Do benefit from stimulant medication sometimes have more self-esteem because of their success, and certainly less scrutiny from peers, teachers etc.

Lastly, Lawlis tells a story about a man who died from long-term stimulant medication. I am not going to say that this did not happen, but I will say that stimulants have been used since the 1950's, and the medical community agrees that they are safe when managed properly. The medical community and FDA have pulled MANY medications that were deemed unsafe from the markets (many times against the will of BIG Pharma) and the stimulants would not have remained on the market for OVER 50 YEARS, if stories like this were common or the least bit likely.

I am not at all stating that stimulant meds are the answer because they are not, but they can be a small piece of the puzzle that is helping these kids with ADD. The book is full of great ideas and approaches to ADD, but he is not accurate about the stimulant medications. Parents who see value in them should not feel ashamed and or frightened by what he says because most of it is just not accurate. Good luck and I hope this was helpful.

The gloomy tone that pervades this novel which seemed to turn a lot of people off was actually what I found interesting. The Inspector, recovering from an illness goes to visit an elderly priest who is a family friend at a home for people with degenerative diseases. When he arrives he's informed that the priest has died, but Dalgliesh begins to wonder if it was natural or murder. My only complaint with the story was partially to blame on my own attention span: Many of the suspects began to bleed together, and my inability to consume long passages at once left me looking back to keep the characters straight in my head. As a result I didn't find the book as absorbing as some of her others. Yet at the same time, the final forty pages was some of the most suspenseful of anything I've read thus far, and Dalgliesh's personal struggles throughout the book gave a human dimension to the character that up to now hadn't been seen.

This book begins in a gloomy mood and in a setting that seems hardly designed to hold a reader's attention: a nursing home. But the writing is so good that I stuck with it, and it all comes to a thrilling finale. Then I did something I rarely do: reread the book. This time I was completely bowled over by the quality of the writing. This is one of the most perfectly crafted books I have ever read. As such, I would rate it with such works as The Great Gatsby, Jude the Obscure, and Appointment in Samarra. What a surprise from a mystery novel.

First I should admit that I'm not a PD James fan. In fact this is the first of her books that I've read. It may be that the darkness of this book gives me the wrong impression as to how she writes. It does remind me of Agatha Christie's type of stories but it may also be because the singular character of Commander Adam Dalgleish is going through a dark time related to a recent illness.

The story itself is nothing special, though it may have been in 1975, but now it's kind of dated. It may also be because I find her style to be a little slow or ponderous and I'm used to the writings of Ian Rankin and James Lee Burke. No I don't think that there needs to be a shooting or car chase every other page, but it would be nice to read about something other than a description of the scenary.

To be fair about it I am planning on reading one of her later stories in the series, and to catch up on the character by watching some of the episodes on PBS. Just one man's opinion.

Adam Dalgleish is back in this well written, though ultimately depressing and bleak thriller. Recuperating from a near-death illness, Adam is summoned to a small village by an old friend, a priest named Father Michael. However, when he gets there, his old friend has died of a heart attack, and Adam finds himself involved with a hospice for the young disabled, i.e., terminally ill patients. James serves up a host of pathetic, sad creatures and as usual, a cast of mostly unlikeable characters. Dalgliesh serves more as an observer than a detective, since he is having his own crisis of whether to retire or not, but he nonetheless manages to investigate a series of deaths that may or may not be murder.
James continues her mastery of atmospheric tension and the culprit's identity is expertly hidden until the end.

Unlike some authors (Jonathan Kellerman, Maeve Binchy, Steve Martini) who write some terrific books and then go downhill, PD James's books get better and better with time. It's her early works I can't stand. It's not just me, either. Some of her early novels were entirely rewritten for television to get people to watch. I once contacted PBS to see if I had missed some of her books that seemed so good on Mystery! They actually told me this. This book was about in the middle of her long career, but it just never captured my interest. Look at her settings--hospitals, nursing homes, monastaries, hardly the locales for a hotbed of action to keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is set at a home for the disabled with progressive diseases out in the middle of nowhere. Dalgliesh is working alone, in fact recovering from mono and pneumonia and goes there to visit an elderly priest who turns up dead of a heart attack. There isn't much to suggest crimes have in fact been committed and Dalgliesh's sudden deduction of what is going on at the end is not even remotely believable. The only interesting thing anyone does in this book is drop dead occasionally. It's not a police procedural. When I compare it to something like Death in Holy Orders, there's no reason to read this book. It isn't awful (and some of James's other books are really awful) but she has much better ones in her repertoire.

Is a very helpful way to deal with "ADD". I agree with the author that there are several ways for us to learn and experiment our world.

After being told by my son's second grade teacher that she thought my son had ADD, my husband and I took him to three different professionals. The first two wanted to medicate him. The third tested him and gave us this book to read. It turned out that our son had many allergies to both foods and environmental items. He also was above average intelligence and was bored with his classwork. We bought a computer and got him learning software. We also signed him up for piano lessons and had him read many books. We took care of his allergies through diet and shots. He is now a high school sophomore who is in all honors classes. He is planning on going to school to become a surgeon. Please take the time to investigate all your options before going straight to the Ritalin. Some children will still need the medication but use that as your last resort. Another good book to read is "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Doris Rapp. She discusses the allergy aspect to behavior problems.

I'm amazed at the negative reviews on this book. Apparently when a psychologist has the gall to suggest we should stop drugging our children, it causes an uproar.

Whether you chose to medicate your ADHD child or not, there is a wealth of information here. And it goes beyond the obvious of "limit TV." The 50 suggestions are a quick read, and they not only introduce things that might work, they explain WHY they work.

I especially liked his discussions on why ADHD kids are so kinetic and how they are haptic (hands-on) learners. Also, he explains why ADHD kids benefit from full inclusion in a regular classroom. And he introduced a concept I hadn't considered before, that ADHD kids might not get distracted from overstimulation, but from understimulation (i.e. they act out from boredom).

It's obvious Armstrong has learned a lot from his years of working with these kids. Reading this book and trying his suggestions has made us a beneficiary of that knowledge.

I've read many books on this subject, and I consider this to be one of the most useful. I recommend it to any parent raising a child with an ADHD/ADD diagnosis...whether or not your child is on meds.

If you suspect you or your child has ADHD ("A.D.D." is not the correct acronym), please look elsewhere for treatment and practical strategies. Any ADHD intervention book worth its salt includes a variety of approaches to treatment. If you want to avoid medication, there are plenty of options - this book is nothing novel. However, medication does work best for many children and adults and the benefits definitely outweigh the "costs" (which are relatively minor - these medications are considered quite safe). Stimulant medications do not "change" children's personalities or "break" their spirits - they help them improve their ability to function academically, emotionally, and socially. Why wouldn't you want these things for your child? Please talk to a physician or psychologist and ask for book recommendations. This book is a waste of time!

There's a reason why I gave this book 3 stars, and it's because there are indeed other problems that share SOME of the symptoms of ADHD. And it's absolutely true that if you take Adderall, for instance, and you don't truly have ADHD, you can get into trouble you may never be able to get out of again. It's not necessarily a bad idea to read books like this. BUT... and it's a big but...

All you have to do is take ONE dose of a psychostimulant, and you will KNOW if you really have ADHD or not!! This isn't rocket science. It's EASY if you know what you're looking for. Let's look at Adderall, for instance. Virtually everyone who takes it will feel good. That's not what you're trying to figure out. You will feel only one of two possible ways. Either you'll be speedy high, rather manic, and unable to sleep for three days... and that's the NORMAL reaction... or you'll be relaxed, calm, and thinking seriously about a nice nap. (That was me.) This is how you know!! These meds are indeed addictive and dangerous for people with normal brains, but they are very safe for us ADHD folks. They've been around for one hundred and twenty years. They're not "new" or "untested" or "controversial." As a matter of fact, they are the only psychiatric medication that originally came from traditional Chinese medicine, which has been around for more like five thousand years. (Amphetamines were synthesized from ephedra.)

In addiion, the AMA and APA and all medical or psychiatric associations of EVERY kind accept the ADHD diagnosis. The basic ingredient in Adderall has been prescribed for seventy years, and the ingredients in Ritalin for thirty. There's a lot that still isn't known about ADHD; I, for one, think it is a much more comprehensive disorder of personality that anyone realizes, especially in adults. But saying ADHD doesn't exist is in the same category as young-earth creationism. No thinking person has any obligation to respect that kind of assertion.

To sum up, correct diagnosis and medication saved my mind, my sanity, and my life.I have tried every natural remedy, elimination diet, supplement, herb, fast, cleansing regimen, therapy, and exercise there is to help ADHD. Many of them help. They really do. But they work as SUPPORTS to the right medication. I would REALLY like to see this author live with my ADHD without it. I guarantee that he would get off the high horse VERY fast. So apart from the fact that yes, you really do have to be sure you or your child have/has ADHD before you take the meds, this book deserves a rating more like a hundred negative stars.

A "must read" book if you are working with "special needs" children. The information in this book makes you think about different ways to teach and possible reach some of the children that we think are unteachable. This book is a great source of information for all parents.

Many other reviewers already discussed how enjoyable and heartwarming this story is. I agree. I also wanted to add how important a tool this book is for the Speech Pathologist, parent, doctor and educator who have encountered children such as Whitney. Unfortunately there are many children who will come through our professional doors with Autism or severe deficits in verbal communication. Dr. Florance offers a new way of looking at these children that can help break though their silence. A MUST READ FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS and PARENTS.

Some readers have contributed negative reviews of this book, saying Dr. Florance "reinvented the wheel" with therapies already in use by "autism professionals" as of the date of publication. Please remember that Whitney was born 20 years ago, before autism was the "epidemic" it's been called today -- and long before many parents of "autistic" children were comfortable discussing their children's diagnoses. This has been only a recent development. It was not so long ago that autism was a taboo subject, blamed on "refrigerator mommies" for "withholding" affection from their children -- so who would want to "confess" to being the mom of a child with autistic symptoms? And, then, as now, a child's untreated autistic symptoms can force parents to withdraw from society along with their children. It's hard enough to get a sitter for "normal" children; try to find someone willing to mind a child who bites instead of talking! The therapies Dr. Florance used were unique at the time, and her rationale for what works -- and what fails -- is much better articulated than in many newer books on the subject. In the early days, as the book makes clear, Dr. Florance was alone to figure out how to help her son, with little research to guide her. It was her good fortune to discover that her own professional training and experience, as well as her scientific mindset, allowed her to "unlock" Whitney's mind so she could understand him. What's more important, she allowed him to develop social and academic skills that others told her were inconceivable for a boy in Whitney's condition. Spoiler alert: this book has a very happy ending. If you have or work with a child diagnosed as autistic, it's worth your while to read Maverick Mind to begin to understand that diagnosis is far less important than finding what works -- if a happy ending is YOUR goal.

I have read this book several times and my son is a client of Cheri Florance's. I noticed several complaints in the other reviews. One that I saw several times was that Dr.Florance's son Whitney was obviously very high functioning and only had Aspergers or PDD. You need to go back and re-read the book. Whitney had no speech and was urinating on people up until the age of almost seven. He was showing the symtoms of someone considered severely autistic at an age when most of our current methods of intervention would consider him hopeless. Secondly, there were many complaints that Dr.Florance did not do anything that had not been done before. I can tell you that her program is different and contains elements not detailed in the book that I have not seen before and my son has had PECS and four years of ABA. One must also keep in mind when reading this book that only a subset of kids on the spectrum and the population at large fit this profile. Dr.Florance is not promising a cure for all autistic kids, nor has she made any promises to cure my son. She offers hope to the parents of children who fit this profile. She mentions her credentials, and they are impressive, because she has to.The book details the personal attacks she has had to fight and, reading many of the responses to her book,still fights.Cheri Florance's book is inspiring and I think parents and professionals should be able to find something enlightening and useful instead of being so quick to criticize. We need more people willing to find creative ways to help children on the spectrum as current methods are only effective in providing a quality of life for a select few.

Although this was an interesting book, the author does not explain how this new "syndrome" is different from Asperger's or other Autism spectrum disorders. How she goes on and on about herself and her credentials is tiresome.