If you know and love a child with autism, this book will warm your heart! R. Wayne Gilpin, founder of Future Horizons, Inc., compiled a book of anecdotes revealing his son Alex's wisdom and wit (Alex's sense of humor is legendary, and has been known to cause huge outbreaks of smiles!). Together with uplifting stories from other parents of children with autism, they comprise More Laughing and Loving with Autism. Be sure to also check out the two companion books: Laughing and Loving with Autism, and Much More Laughing and Loving with Autism.

Shortly after John Hull went blind, after years of struggling with failing vision, he had a dream in which he was trapped on a sinking ship, submerging into another, unimaginable world. The power of this calmly eloquent, intensely perceptive memoir lies in its thorough navigation of the world of blindness -- a world in which stairs are safe and snow is frightening, where food and sex lose much of their allure and playing with one's child may be agonizingly difficult. As he describes the ways in which blindness shapes his experience of his wife and children, of strangers helpful and hostile, and, above all, of his God, Hull becomes a witness in the highest, true sense. Touching the Rock is a book that will instruct, move, and profoundly transform anyone who reads it.

"John Hull goes a long way toward taking us with him through his descent into total blindness...He lets us see with no trace of self-pity or self-praise how blindness has become far him a genuine acquisition, an unforeseeably rich gift that has made of him what so few of us are: excellent watchers and hearers of the world...triumphant in the teeth of ruin". -- Reynolds Price

Kevan is just one of the guys. It's impossible to know him and not become a little more excited about life. He is an inspiring man permeated by joy, unafraid of sorrow, full of vitality and life! His sense of humor is infectious and so is his story.He grew up, he says, at 'belt-buckle level' and stayed there until Kevan's beloved posse decided to leave his wheelchair at the Atlanta airport, board a plane for France, and have his friends carry him around Europe to accomplish their dream to see the world together! Kevan's beloved posse traveled to Paris, England, and Ireland where, in the climax of their adventure, they scale 600 feet up to the 1,400-year-old monastic fortress of Skellig Michael.In WE CARRY KEVAN the reader sits with Kevan, one head-level above everyone else for the first time in his life and enjoys camaraderie unlike anything most people ever experience. Along the way they encounter the curiosity and beauty of strangers, the human family disarmed by grace, and the constant love of God so rich and beautiful in the company of good friends. WE CARRY KEVAN displays the profound power of friendship and self-sacrifice.

A practical and compassionately written handbook offering parents comprehensive help in fully understanding their disabled child's special problems. It focuses on ways in which parents can instill a sense of self-worth in their disabled child.

Raising an autistic child comes with its own unique set of challenges, not least of which is dealing with the constant scrutiny of your parenting. This collection of stories from all corners of the globe celebrates the love, commitment and heroism of mothers of autistic people. These intimate accounts reveal both the differences in cultural attitudes, and the universality of the autism experience. Mothers from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds speak out about the highs and lows of raising autistic children, and the shift in attitudes to autism as they watch their children enter adult life. Putting to bed the belief that autism is a result of poor parenting, this book not only lets parents know they are part of a supportive global community, it also highlights the positive aspects of autism and champions neurodiversity.

'GORGEOUS, VIVIDLY ALIVE' NEW YORK TIMES 'BOLD, HONEST AND SUPERBLY WELL-WRITTEN' ANDRE ACIMAN, AUTHOR OF CALL ME BY YOUR NAME 'GRACEFUL AND SOUL-BARING' MELANIE REID, THE TIMES 'WHAT A GIFT . . . HAS THE RIGOR AND PRECISION OF JOAN DIDION AND MAGGIE NELSON AND A FORTHRIGHT HUMOR AND NAKED TRUTH ALL OF ITS OWN.' SARAH RUHL, AUTHOR OF SMILE I am in a bar in Brooklyn listening to two men, my friends, discuss whether or not my life was worth living. So begins Chloe Cooper Jones's bold account of moving through the world in a body that looks different than most. Born with a rare congenital condition called sacral agenesis, she must contend not only with her own physical pain, but the emotional discomfort of others. It is only when she unexpectedly becomes a mother that she confronts the demand to live life fully, propelling her on a journey across the globe, reclaiming the spaces she'd been denied, and denied herself. From Roman sculptures to a Beyonce concert, from a tennis tournament to the Cambodian Killing Fields, Jones interrogates the myths of beauty with spiky intelligence, aesthetic philosophy, love and humor, inviting us to find a new way of seeing.

How can I help my child that has got dyslexia or dyspraxia? Perhaps you've just found out your child is dyslexic, or suspect your child may be dyspraxic. This can be a confusing time for any parent, full of worry and uncertainty. Author Sally McKeown gets right to the heart of the matter in How to Help your Child with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. She brings you expert knowledge of exactly what dyslexia and dyspraxia are and how they can affect your child's life. Through the experiences of other parents, Sally dispels common myths and helps you to better understand dyslexia and dyspraxia so you can support your child. Whether you want to help your child with everyday challenges caused by dyslexia or dyspraxia or specific tasks such as literacy and reading, this is a comprehensive parents guide to helping your dyslexic or dyspraxic child. From getting a diagnosis to making sure you get enough support from your school this guide is packed with advice to make your life easier. It's packed with practical ways to help your child, including: * how to build your child's confidence if it has been knocked * how you can help with homework, without doing it * games, activities and hobbies to improve co-ordination and motor skills * different ways of learning that your child will respond to Written in a friendly style with other parents' experiences littered throughout, you will find it easy to put this advice into action and help your child.

'What a story and what an inspirational human. Ed is a total legend.' Joe Wicks 'A life-affirming story . . . inspirational' Tim Peake As seen in the Daily Mail From tragedy to triumph, one step at a time - an inspirational story of triumph over adversity against the odds At just 28 years old, Ed Jackson was told he would never walk again. After a miscalculated dive into a pool, he suffered multiple cardiac arrests, a broken neck and a partially severed spinal cord. Lying paralysed in intensive care, the former rugby player knew his life would never be the same. But he wasn't ready to give up hope. Driven by relentless determination, Ed embarked on an incredible journey to independence. Millimetre by millimetre, he began to regain movement in his fingers and toes. Defying the expectations of even the most optimistic doctors, step by step, Ed began to walk again. Fuelled by a renewed appreciation for life and a determination to help others suffering similar injuries to his own, Ed set his sights on a new challenge: mountaineering. Embarking on a gruelling climb to raise funds for a spinal unit in Kathmandu, Ed realises that, once again, the odds are stacked against him. Will he be able to overcome his own life-changing injury and transform others' lives for the better? Lucky is the story of how Ed faced the impossible when it seemed all hope was lost, and shows how you, too, can overcome the biggest challenges that life sends your way. Lucky was a Sunday Times bestseller in the w/b August 9th 2021

The number of adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) retaining full-time employment is extremely low in comparison to those who may be considered to have more limiting conditions and disabilities. This book identifies why this is the case by asking the individuals concerned what they find difficult about working. Looking at expectations, motivations, working conditions and other factors, Sarah Hendrickx explores the reasons why work just doesn't work for many people with Asperger Syndrome and how to resolve these issues. Featuring personal stories from those with AS, the book highlights successful scenarios and provides suggestions for both employers and those in search of work on how to improve employment for the benefit of everyone. Asperger Syndrome and Employment provides essential information for those making the decisions and acknowledges what people with AS really want from a job so they can make employment work for them.

Drawing extensively on personal experiences, this important volume looks at sexuality and relationships in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, painting a genuine picture of the range of sexualities and relationships people want. Honest and reflective, it shows how sexuality has been managed and controlled in different countries. It explores a range of issues such as rights, resilience, protection, sexual oppression and the lack of privacy for those living in care institutions. Co-edited and with contributions by people with intellectual disabilities and allies, this unique book offers an authentic account of the challenges people face and what society needs to do to respect people's rights. Providing insight into a morally, ethically and legally complex area, this book will be essential reading for people with intellectual disabilities, their advocates, families and supporters; social care managers, social workers, and other professionals working in the field as well as academic researchers and students.

Award-winning writer Heather Lanier's memoir about raising a child with a rare syndrome, defying the tyranny of normal, and embracing parenthood as a spiritual practice that breaks us open in the best of ways.

Like many women of her generation, writer Heather Lanier did everything by the book when she was expecting her first child. She ate organic foods, recited affirmations and drew up a birth plan for an unmedicated labour in the hopes that she could create a SuperBaby, an ultra-healthy human destined for a high-achieving future.

But her daughter Fiona challenged all of Lanier's preconceptions. Born with an ultra-rare syndrome known as Wolf-Hirschhorn, Fiona received a daunting prognosis: she would experience significant developmental delays and might not reach her second birthday. Not only had Lanier failed to produce a SuperBaby, she now fiercely loved a child that the world would sometimes reject. The diagnosis obliterated Lanier's perfectionist tendencies, along with her most closely held beliefs about certainty, vulnerability and love.

With tiny bits of mozzarella cheese, a walker rolled to library story time, a talking iPad app and a whole lot of rock and reggae, mother and daughter spend their days doing whatever it takes to give Fiona nourishment, movement, and language. They also confront society's attitudes toward disability and the often cruel assumptions made about Fiona's worth. Lanier realises the biggest question is not, Will my daughter walk or talk? but, How can I best love my girl, just as she is?

Loving Fiona opens Lanier up to new understandings of what it means to be human, what it takes to be a mother, and above all, the aching joy and wonder that come from embracing the unique life of her rare girl.

'Uplifting and honest, [Tender is] about resilience and learning to look after oneself so as to be better able to care for others.' KATE MOSSE 'A beautiful and important book that is both deeply engaging and usefully practical. I loved it.' CATHY RENTZENBRINK 'An insightful and well-timed book ... forces us to confront the stereotypes - and prejudices - we hold.' SUNDAY TIMES 'profoundly important...full of wisdom and bright insights on what it really means to love someone, by a fearless and generous writer. ' CLOVER STROUD 'A beautiful and timely reminder that each and every one of us has the ability to care, the capacity for empathy, and the potential to grow.' ANDY PUDDICOMBE, FOUNDER OF HEADSPACE 'A wonderful book: compassionate, honest, carefully-reasoned and genuinely helpful... This will benefit many people.' KATHERINE MAY, author of WINTERING 'An invaluable tool for any invisible carers or anyone who wants to learn how to better support their loved ones... we ALL have many, many things to learn from Penny's beautiful, wise, charming, thoughtful words' - SCARLETT CURTIS, Sunday Times bestselling author 'Moving and beautifully written, nuanced and wise, alert to every paradox at the heart of love. A hugely important book not only for current or future carers, but anyone learning to accept that life tends to resist our control.' - OLIVIA SUDJIC, author of EXPOSURE 'Tender captures the powerful capacity of people to care for others, and all the heartbreaking and heartwarming complexity that this involves. Penny brings the crucial, yet often overlooked, role of caring into our collective consciousness and, in doing so, demonstrates what it means to be human.' -DR EMMA HEPBURN, author of A TOOLKIT FOR MODERN LIFE 'Penny Wincer's TENDER manages to combine both unromanticised honesty about the realities of care with a genuine uplifting hopefulness... is a must-read.'- RUTH WHIPPMAN, author of THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS We are all likely - at some point in our lives - to face the prospect of caring for another, whether it's a parent, child or partner. It is estimated that there are 7 million people in the UK caring for loved ones. And yet these are the unpaid, unsung people whose number is rising all the time. In Tender: the imperfect art of caring, Penny Wincer combines her own experiences as a carer with the experiences of others to offer real and transformative tools and insights for navigating a situation that many of us are either facing or will face at some time. Penny Wincer has twice been a carer: first to her mother, and now as a single parent to her autistic son. Tender shows how looking after oneself is a fundamental part of caring for another, and describes the qualities that we can look to cultivate in ourselves through what may otherwise feel to be an exhausting task. Weaving her lived experience with research into resilience, perfectionism and self-compassion, Penny combines the stories of other carers alongside those who receive support - offering an often surprising and hopeful perspective. Penny hosts a podcast Not Too Busy To Write.

Over 500,000 people of all ages in the UK have disorders in the autistic spectrum. About one-third also have varying degrees of learning difficulty. All of them have impairment of social interaction, communication and imagination - to them the world appears a bewildering and sometimes frightening place. This guide explains how people with autism experience the world and why they need an organized, structured environment. Ways of improving communication, developing abilities and enlarging social interaction are described, and advice is given on coping with stresses within the family.

The concept of a single condition known as 'autism' is quickly becoming outdated, and is now understood to be an umbrella term for a variety of predominantly genetic conditions. This can be confusing for parents of children who have been diagnosed as having an 'autism spectrum disorder'. An A-Z of Genetic Factors in Autism provides parents with a complete overview of the main genetic disorders associated with autism, including those linked to growth differences, cardiovascular issues, neurodevelopmental problems, immune dysfunction, gastrointestinal disturbances and epilepsy. Kenneth Aitken demystifies the umbrella term 'autism' by alphabetically listing these conditions along with information about how common they are, their causes, signs, and symptoms, and for many, appropriate methods of treatment and management. Information on support groups and sources of further information are also included to help parents obtain any additional support they need, and keep up to date with new developments in research and practice. This is a must-have book for any parent or carer who feels confused by their child's diagnosis, or who seeks a better understanding of the many genetic conditions linked to autism.

John and Martha were an exceptionally ambitious and driven all-American couple. With six Harvard degrees between them, and living in the refined and competitive atmosphere of the Harvard campus, the last thing they expected was to become parents to a Down's Syndrome baby. Refusing to believe her child was 'defective', Martha decided to trust in the tiny life she felt growing inside her. And her hitherto ordinary life was transformed by magical visions and strange, heartstopping experiences which persisted throughout her pregnancy. By the time Adam was born, Martha and John had to redefine everything of value to them, question their deepest beliefs, and put all their faith in miracles. And it worked.

Combining ethnology and memoir, this fascinating book describes the issues surrounding childbirth and motherhood for disabled women. The author, a paraplegic, tells about her own hunt for medical advice before getting pregnant--and then about the normal births of her two children--before widening the conversation to other disabled women and sympathetic members of the medical community.

In the United States alone, there are roughly three million individuals living with a developmental disability, but less than a third are active in the labor market. This book provides a comprehensive approach to developing a successful jobs program for persons with developmental disabilities, drawn from the author's extensive experience and real success. The majority of persons with developmental disabilities are unemployed, underemployed, or still work in sheltered programs where it is almost impossible to reach their full potential. Job success is possible, but it requires a system based on a business model based on proven economics, rather than the traditional social services model. By employing a step-by-step procedure for gaining insight into the client, analyzing market opportunities, matching the client to a job, and supporting the client after placement, service providers can help individuals make a successful transition into good community-based employment. Job Success for Persons with Developmental Disabilities will be essential reading for profit and non-profit rehabilitation service organizations, private job development businesses, government funding agencies, special education job placement programs, transition specialists, and families of persons with developmental disabilities.

Parenting a child with autism can be isolating, draining, and stressful. Parenting a neurotypical child alongside them is even more complicated and confusing. Coach Yourself through the Autism Spectrum offers an opportunity to access your inner creativity, resourcefulness, strengths, and abilities in order to create positive change in your family. Short sections on common problems such as visits to the doctor, community outings, bullying and child care make this book easy to read from start to finish, or dip into as needed. There are tips for taking care of your own physical and emotional health, and each section features relevant examples from other families in the same situation, and practical and thought-provoking coaching exercises to help you decide on an action plan that's right for you. This book offers hope and support for anyone parenting or caring for a child on the autism spectrum.

In his groundbreaking book, Talmer Shockley (himself a love-shy individual) presents a thoroughly accessible and motivating read for those suffering from love-shyness... Pay attention to his words of wisdom. They will help you find the partner that you so richly deserve' - Nick Dubin, author of Asperger's Syndrome and Bullying For many people, romantic and sexual relationships are complex and cause feelings of anxiety. For people who are love-shy, this anxiety is so overwhelming that it can make finding a partner feel like an impossible dream. Although relatively unrecognised, and therefore often undiagnosed, love-shyness is a condition which causes an intense phobia of romantic and sexual situations. This book is designed to help Love-Shys overcome this fear and allow themselves to meet, date, and eventually maintain romantic relationships with members of the opposite sex. A self-confessed Love-Shy, Talmer Shockley explores the condition, its links with Asperger's Syndrome and how it differs from normal shyness. He gives candid advice on how to deal with being love-shy, make dating an enjoyable experience, and survive the "relationship jungle". While love-shyness is predominately a male problem, it can also affect women, and the book offers tips on relationship success for both sexes. Refreshingly honest and insightful, The Love-Shy Survival Guide provides essential advice for love-shy people wanting to overcome their anxiety and form successful romantic relationships.

One of the major difficulties for children with autism is in developing communication and language. The earlier this problem is addressed, the more effectively these skills can be improved. Inspired by research and clinical practice, this book addresses communication and language development of children with autism, from teaching non-verbal communication such as pointing, to moving towards spoken language. This book champions initial intervention with children at an early stage of communication, but the many practical ideas and strategies can also be usefully applied to children of school age, if they are at an early stage of communication. First Steps in Intervention With Your Child With Autism is perfect for parents looking to understand their child better and, in turn, help improve their child's development and communication. This will also be a useful reference for all professionals working to support families with a child on the autism spectrum.

While paediatric healthcare professionals view play as the treatment tool of choice for children under school age, the theory and practice underpinning play-based therapeutic approaches often remain less clear to individual practitioners. Paediatric intervention approaches are increasingly being questioned, and individual practitioners constantly asked to provide evidence-based practice. In response, a more coherent understanding and fresh discussion on children's play and utilisation of play for therapeutic purposes is needed, especially as societal expectations and lifestyles change. Play as Therapy provides background theory and practical applications of original research on play assessment and interventions used in therapy. The book offers a solid foundation for identifying and assessing play dysfunction, understanding play in different cultural contexts and considerations when intervening with play. The practical approach is underpinned by theory, research and case vignettes to explain how to utilise play as therapy with challenging children.

Every child's education relies on a partnership between parents, professionals and, of course, the child. This book gives parents of children with Asperger syndrome (AS) practical advice on how to make the most of this important partnership and work with schools to ensure their child's needs are being met. The book explores how parents can prepare their child for school life and how they can work with teachers to improve the classroom environment, as well as the school environment as a whole, for their child and consequently for the benefit of all pupils. Strategies include peer education, the use of visual cues and rules and effective communication between parents, teachers and teaching assistants. This clear, accessible book will be an invaluable guide for parents of children with AS and will also be of interest to the teachers and educational professionals who work with them.

People with severe autism experience the sensory information they receive from the world completely differently to those not on the spectrum. They feel cut off and overwhelmed, and their behaviour can become very distressed. This handbook shows how we can engage with people who are non-verbal or semi-verbal and sometimes even those who have speech but lose the power to process it when they are in crisis. We can help them to make sense of the world. Intensive Interaction uses a person's own body language to make contact with them and Sensory Integration develops the capacity of an individual to receive, process and apply meaning to information provided by the senses through targeted physical activities. These techniques can be used to develop an environment tailored to the particular sensory needs of the person with severe autism, reducing factors that cause distress. With illustrations, case examples and a wide range of tried-and-tested techniques, this practical guide provides indispensable tools for parents, carers and other professionals supporting people with severe autism and other learning disabilities.