Specific Disabilities Books

I recommend this book to many teachers in K-12 classrooms and use it a lot in my own work as an advocate. This book is filled with hundreds of ideas and most of them are appropriate for students with any need, ability, or challenge including those with cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, autism, and physical disabilities.

I found this book to be very helpful in learning how to make inclusion within my classroom successfull. It states clear examples of how to make meaningful modifications of classroom activities for students of various learning ability.

On Sight and Insight is a wholly remarkable and wondrous book that should be read by anyone with an interest in blindness, perception, embodiment and human existence. In this book John Hull documents his journey from the world of sight into the world of blindness, by describing what it is like to make this transition, through detailed and revealing descriptions of his daily activities, and by giving us his dreams, thoughts and reflections. His journey, in fact, is from a world of sight into one of insight, for it is not only a story of a courageous and emotionally complex life-transformation, but a profound study of who we are, how we see or do not see, touch or do not touch, how we relate to our world-and most of all an insightful study of what it means to be with one another. Anyone who reads this book will not quite hear a voice or touch or see a face in the same way again.

A book review, by Carlton Griffin:

"On Sight & Insight, a Journey into the world of Blindness", by John Hull

After losing much of my vision over the past four years due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, I went looking for more information about going blind.

I recently finished this book and I've had a few days to reflect upon it. The book is written by John Hull, who tells about going blind as an adult. As a young man, John has blinding cataracts. He was blind for quite some time in the hospital, long enough to teach himself braille and read several chapters in the Bible.

The corrective surgery for the cataracts detached both of his retinas, one of which they were able to correct. He was blind in his left eye for the rest of his life, but his right eye stayed pretty dependable until he was about 45, and over the following three years he went completely blind.

It's a new book, John went blind in the 1980's and his book reads like a diary or journal. It's very easy to read and John easily holds the reader's attention.

John mostly tells what it is like, emotionally, to go blind. He talks about all aspects of blindness, but the focus on the book is to share how it affected and affects his emotions and his spirit; his soul. John really shares of himself in this book, it's very frank and in some places painful.

However, I enjoyed having read the book because it provided me with some information I was lacking, helped me come to terms with some things that before I could not conceive. I've been worried so much, the nagging question is always "What will it be like to go blind, how will I live my life?".

While John's book certainly doesn't fully answer that question, it does allow the reader to gain much insight into what it is like, at least from one man's perspective. While it did confirm a few fears I have, at least I feel more informed now; certainly the unknown is still more frightening than my actual fate.

I wish I could say more about this book, I think Mr Hull did a fine job. I refer to him as John in this review because I feel so close to him and his family, having read the book. If you want to know what it's like for an adult to go blind, John's perspective is wonderfully told in this book.

Carlton Griffin

this is the type of book you need to read with others and discuss as a group. It is full of a lot of information and is very informative.

(Please add this from the description from the publisher.)

While most children learn to read fairly well, there remain many young Americans whose futures are imperiled because they do not read well enough to meet the demands of our competitive, technology-driven society. This book explores the problem within the context of social, historical, cultural, and biological factors. Recommendations address the identification of groups of children at risk, effective instruction for the preschool and early grades, effective approaches to dialects and bilingualism, the importance of these findings for the professional development of teachers, and gaps that remain in our understanding of how children learn to read. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.

This book covers alot of subjects in deaf culture and the individuals of that culture and those who participate in it. It's alot more than just a culture book, yet it does touch in that area. Just as the title says, it covers. I feel it goes beyond culture to understand the individual within that culture, the Deaf and those that play a role in their lives.

I think it is interesting, and not a boring at all. Because of this, I'm learning alot. This book has so many areas, that after you read it, it is one of those books you would have on hand as reference for later.

This book is definatly typed as a textbook is but is full of great information regarding Deaf culture. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Deaf culture.

There is a very nice review of Reading Lips from the popular 'disability community' website, Disaboom.

[...]

The review, written by Debbie Marsh, says: Editors Diane Scharper and Dr. Philip Scharper, Jr. have selected works from gifted storytellers across the country who are united by their experience with disability - either in themselves or someone close to them. What is remarkable about this award-winning collection is the unadorned, poignant style that grabs the reader from the first sentence and shakes up their previous perceptions

From poems to short stories, the collection encompasses a world of viciousness and love, calculated hurt and thoughtless caring that exposes the depth of ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances. The stories get maximum impact by plunking the reader down in the moment, whether it be immediately before a three-year-old is shot in the face by his older brother, or when a woman of nearly 70 awakes from back surgery completely dependent on those around her.

You can read more about disabilities and assistive technology from one of the contributors of the book, Suzanne Robitaille, whose blog is Profoundly Yours.

Tucked away on page 171 is an excellent inspirational story by Barbara Neal Varma titled Claire's First Song. This heartwarming story is worth the price of the book.

As a classroom teacher, I appreciated the authors' explanation of RTI in a clear and consise manner. The authors answer the question of "Why RTI?", give explanantions of implementation, and then give examples of implementation. That can get most teachers started on implementing, and even evaluating their school's RTI process, thereby participating in the school discussion on what RTI should look like. The authors do appeared removed from classroom realities when it comes for time for implementation, however. Labeling teachers as "negative about time prohibitions" fails to take into account the number of mandates, school, district, state, and federal, in addition to the million and one other things, that teachers are told MUST be attended to. Time limitation is a reality and it would serve busy teachers well if the authors could come up with a ready-to-go intervention package, which would include scientifically validated curricula, along with data sheets, for specific deficiencies.

As a special education teacher on special assignment this year to implement RTI, I will be brief and to the point. I attended a lecture by this professor and now have read his book. If you want clear cut information about how to implement RTI and what choices would best serve you, this is the book to use. His lecture was impressive and cut through much of the blatheration that education professionals seem to love that confuses themselves along with everyone else. RTI is not rocket science. It is a practical approach to early intervention with struggling learners that has as a side benefit their escape from the doldrums of special education and the dreaded disability labels. I highly recommend this book.

I had a child diagnosed with sensory integration dysfunction at age 8. If anyone has an older child who has a hard time with life, this is a great book. It is written from the perspective of a 12 year old. It's written by a peer. I read this to my 12 year old (yes he can read himself). I felt it more effective to read it to him. It made him feel good that he is not the only one have problems with the things he struggles with. There were good motivationals in it. Very friendly reading, and helpful tips at the end.

This book is great for elementary age children to help them deal with the challenges of ADHD or Autism spectrum disorders. Well written and positive.

My vote of many others who believe Helen Keller was Person of the Century. She was an incredible human being. Personified what should be the "Human Spirit".

This is a beautiful 100th year anniversary edition of Helen Keller's The Story of My Life, originally published in 1903. In his introduction, editor James Berger stresses the importance of offering Helen Keller's text in its original form, but he has greatly enhanced the original story by including additional background information, a section of Keller's own letters from the age of eight, and finally, commentaries on Keller's personality, education, speech, and style written by Annie Sullivan and others.

Although Helen Keller's story is familiar to all, to read it described in her own words is even more compelling. Using wonderful, descriptive prose, Keller does a masterful job of depicting her transformation into a sentient being after the arrival of her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Of particular note is Keller's frequent use of sight-oriented language (e.g., "very soon the green, pointed buds showed signs of opening") despite her disabilities. Although Keller tells of several dark periods in her life--including the "Frost King" incident and her struggles at college--what shines through most clearly is her incredible optimism and unfailingly cheerful disposition.

As amazing as it is to read Keller's story in her own words, it is her letters which leave the reader feeling truly astonished. Just three and a half months after Sullivan first arrived to teach Helen, Keller was able to write simple declaratory statements such as "helen write anna george will give helen apple." The progression of Keller's language is truly extraordinary; just five months later, she is writing nearly as well as--or perhaps better than--other children her age: "I am glad to write you a letter. Father will send you a picture." Soon it is nearly impossible to believe that this young woman spent her first eight years without thought or speech. Included within Keller's letters are some of the replies she received from her many famous friends, such as the poet John Whittier.

Following Keller's letters are supplementary accounts from various sources, most notably the letters of Annie Sullivan. My one complaint about the book is that I wish these letters had been printed side-by-side with Keller's; it would have been truly captivating to read the accounts of pupil and teacher in tandem. Still, Sullivan's accounts are appealing in their own right, and her life's dedication to her student was truly remarkable. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to get the clearest, most true account of one of the 20th century's most fascinating women, Helen Keller.

After a particularly tough few weeks getting back to school, I bought this book for my 14 Y-O daughter, who has some Learning Differences after surgery, & radiation for removal of a brain tumor. Today, she was bouncing again and all smiles, as she read aloud to me some of the paragraphs from the book.

She felt normal again ! Priceless !

If you have a teen with LD, you know what I mean. Just buy it and wait for them to start leafing through it. It has simple and straightforward paragraphs that are not threatening to a teen with LD, and it helps them focus on what matters to them. Parents be warned it is not all about school work, so be prepared, but also about getting a job, dating, driving, etc.

Discusses using your high school and teenage years to become the best possible adult. Includes sections on making and keeping friends, using the IEP process to get a good education, relationships with the opposite sex, and whether or not you should get a part time job.

This book is well-laid out and is written in an engaging style.

This review is adapted from the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disdorder, and Dyslexia

Wonderful book. Deshler knows what he is talking about and writes a wonderful guide for teachers, great suggestions that are very practical.
If you only buy one resource, this would be the main one to purchase.

This book is full of strategies and techniques that are porven to work with adolescents through adults with learning disabilities. It is a rich resource of the theorectical underpinnnings and the everyday realities that edcators face with this unique population.