Specific Disabilities Books

Many hurdles confront all of us in our lives. This feat is a great read for those who appreciate outdoor adventure or for those who appreciate great achievement in the face of adversity. It is also a real good "growing up" story. Tom Whittaker was a bit of a rambunctious teenager. He is a weathered, maybe a bit feisty but gentle adult. One part of his achievement, a remarkable one, but not the key, is that he has had to adapt to a Syme's amputation in continuing to live the life he chooses.

In Caroline Janover's highly recommended novel How Many Days Until Tomorrow?, Young Josh is so lonely and unhappy that he things about running away from his grandparent's home on Seal Island, a remote island in Maine to New Jersey in order to stay with his friend Zipper. This is because of his teasing older brother, and Gramps, who is always barking at his grandsons and giving them backbreaking chores. It's Josh's attentive, sweet-natured grandmother Nana that he regrets having to leave behind. Then life on Seal Island captivates and challenges him, teaching Josh about self-sufficiency and respect for the rare sea animals that inhabit the rugged New England coast. Josh's biggest challenge comes toward the end of summer when he must face a life-threatening emergency and use skills he doesn't know he has to lead the rescue. How Many Days Until Tomorrow? is an engaging, inspiring, and realistic novel of coping with frustration and loneliness, and is enhanced for young readers grades 3 to 6 with ten black/white drawings by Charlotte Fremaux.

This book was very user friendly with some practical ideas for parents and teachers and some success stories of students with AD/HD. I highly recommend this book!

I purchased this book a year ago, but never got around to reading it until this past week. I am sorry now I didn't read it sooner. This book gives an excellent, behinds-the-scenes look at how Congress deals with controversial issues. It opened my eyes to the power that congressional staff have over legislation. It reads almost like an investigative report...there are some slow parts, particularly when it gets into details about the discipline issue which I am not really interested in, but the rest of the book is a very insightful and is an excellent read for anyone interested in politics, political science, or government. Get this book!!

Salome Thomas-El caught the attention of many readers in his previous book I Choose to Stay. With his latest book, THE IMMORTALITY OF INFLUENCE, he shakes things up a bit. The overarching theme of the book is that each of us as individuals make a difference in the lives of those around us and that the results of our actions (or inaction) has a lasting impact on the larger world. Because of his background in the field of education and in working with inner-city youth, the book's primary focus is on how we can make a positive impact on the lives of young people, particularly African-American males. In chapter one, titled "Failed Influence," the author shares a tragic event that changed his life and how he viewed his role in the world. The incident is one that will jar the emotions of readers and leave them eager to read what the author has to say. He then outlines the importance of acknowledging your individual influence and committing to using your influence in positive ways. From there, influence is discussed in the context of a number of subject areas including: parents, discipline, grooming, the workplace, forgiveness, purpose, faith, and the community. Each chapter highlights both strengths and weaknesses, provides real life examples, and tangible suggestions.

There have been countless books on the problems that exsist within the African-American community, but far fewer that actually offer tangible advice on how to address them. Salome Thomas-El has provided a realistic blueprint that parents, educators, churches, and really anyone can use to begin to address social issues that plague not only inner-cities, but American society as a whole. He is a strong advocate for personal accountability, parental involvement and discipline and he incorporates his views on these and other issues into the book while citing examples from his personal life, the lives of students he has worked with in the past, and from other books and interviews. The book has a conversational tone that is not only engaging and inspiring, but a pleasure to read. Rarely do I read a book that I would call "life changing," but THE IMMORTALITY OF INFLUENCE is one of the rare books that fall into the category. Readers may not agree with all of the author's points, and they may not incorporate all of his suggestions into their day-to-day living, but I am sure that they will touch them and make them want to become better people. My actions have an immortal influence on the lives of everyone I meet, especially the young people I encounter--now that, is something to think about.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Response to Intervention, or RTI, has fostered dramatic changes in elementary and middle school readers, and the handbook Implementing Response to Intervention by Susan Hall provides a key to what RTI looks like in practice, showing how educators can use it to help students acquire and stay on course with reading skills. A step-by-step plan for implementing the entire process provides tips on designing a development plan for training staff, teachers, and using data in parent and teacher encounters. College-level education collections and principals need this.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Improving Test Performance Of Students With Disabilities... On District And State Assessments by Judy L. Elliott (Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California) and Martha L. Thurlow (Director of the National Center on Education Outcomes and a special education researcher for the past fifteen years) offers classroom instructors and school staff members a wealth of strategies for improving instructions, optimizing student accommodations, and test preparation guidelines to aid students with unique learning challenges. Self-tests to double-check the depth of one's knowledge and understanding pepper this straightforward guide grounded heavily in practicality, and sample tables and worksheets designed to engage instructors and learners help with a "hands-on" approach above and beyond dry theory. An excellent resource particularly for public school educators.

This book is a great resource for speech language pathologists who serve students with Down Syndrome. As a professional new to the field of speech language pathology, I found myself serving two students with Down Syndrome in the elementary school setting and making decisions about their communication. Jon Miller's book explains old theories about Down Syndrome, and introduces new research findings in an easy-to-read format. It covers speech intelligibility and language comprehension and production patterns.

If you are a speech language pathologist who does not know a lot about Down Syndrome, this is the book to help you learn about it and how you can approach speech therapy with this population. It has greatly influenced my decisions regarding the overall communication abilities and potential in my students.

Outstanding! Inspirational! I hope he writes a sequel. Faith at its BEST.

Excellent source to learn more about what Inclusion is and how to implement it in your school.