"This book will shake your preconceptions about the deaf, about language and about thought--. Sacks [is] one of the finest and most thoughtful writers of our time."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

Like The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, this is a fascinating voyage into a strange and wonderful land, a provocative meditation on communication, biology, adaptation, and culture.  In Seeing Voices, Oliver Sacks turns his attention to the subject of deafness, and the result is a deeply felt portrait of a minority struggling for recognition and respect--a minority with its own rich, sometimes astonishing, culture and unique visual language, an extraordinary mode of communication that tells us much about the basis of language in hearing people as well. Seeing Voices is, as Studs Terkel has written, "an exquisite, as well as revelatory, work."

A volume in Critical Concerns in Blindness Series Editor Edward C. Bell, Louisiana Tech University All parents hope for an independent future for their blind/visually impaired child. To turn that hope into a reality, parents need to understand the scope of skill development that must be addressed, along with the importance of equal expectations for the child's development, proper training, and opportunity to practice and develop skills. But what if expectations are low, training in blindness skills is scanty or even absent, and overprotection prevents the blind/VI child from learning and practicing skills? The idea of an independent future can remain a distant dream. The purpose of this book is to guide parents and teachers in fostering the blind/visually impaired child's skill development in such critical areas as academics, independent movement and travel, social interaction, daily living, and self-advocacy, so that he or she will truly be on the road to an independent future. A practical, easy to use guide, written in plain English, the book warns about common problem areas and provides ideas for getting and keeping the child's education and development on track. It highlights the interplay between skills and competence, confidence, self-respect, and the respect of others. Of the small number of books and videos available on the subject, most were written by professionals in the field and many begin with the supposition that blindness is at best sad and at worst tragic. Few --maybe none --have the ardent passion for independence that the parent of a blind/visually impaired child brings to the subject. Instead of overwhelming parents and teachers with the difficulty of the undertaking before them, Getting Ready for College Begins in Third Grade will inspire their confidence and enthusiasm for the task at hand.

Expanding William F. Pinar's notion of autobiography from an individual to a national scale, this book takes the reader on an inner journey to explore the fragmented condition of the post-9/11 American national psyche. It excavates the many layers of the emerging social context within which multiple, conflicting national narratives of identity compete, and uses notions of democracy, nation, and citizen as signposts of contested terrain inside a troubled nation. While reminding us that the old, enduring questions remain unresolved, the book identifies and grapples with new questions that are central to emergent visions of 'educating for democracy' in contemporary America, situated now within a frenetic post-9/11 world.

This is the first book to study adult and child art students actually participating in courses designed with their needs in mind in universities and schools for the blind. In doing so, it uniquely delves into the topic of the culture of education and society and its affects on an understanding of blindness and the visual arts. Furthermore, through an analysis of individual and group behaviour, the book also introduces a new cultural model for studying blindness and disability, investigates the social influences on the nature of blindness and the treatment of people who are blind, and examines the influences that have affected the self belief of blind students and the way they create art. There are a number of books on the education of people who are blind or deaf. However, these are largely descriptive or based on experimental rather than observational or social research. Furthermore, books that have analysed blindness and the arts only analyse tactile perception in the education of students who are blind, not social and cultural factors. In addition, although there have been many books and articles analysing research on the perception of aesthetics and blindness, there are only two, one first published in the 1950s and now long out of print (Lowenfeld V & Brittain WL, 1987), and the other published in 2003 (Axel E & Levent N Eds., 2003) that consider the practice of this subject in depth. In particular, there have been no books solely addressing the culture of arts education by non-visual means. This book represents a unique study of the theory of blindness and the arts. In its first section it analyses traditional models of blindness and disability, finding that the history ofdisability is more a reflection of changes in society towards its scientific study and classification. This book then presents a unique social psychological study of arts students, both children and adults, in situ, their understanding and practice of the arts, particularly the visual arts, and their reaction to the attitudes of their teachers, past and present. In researching the material for the book, the books author has collaborated with internationally renown charities in the area of blindness, galleries, exhibitions and art, such as Art Education for the Blind, New York and BlindArt, London, leading to interest from museum and gallery professionals in his work. University courses and practising teachers can also benefit from this book. In particular, there are few resources which directly relate to studies of teaching practise in undergraduate and postgraduate courses specialising in the education of students with physical disabilities, or students studying for undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees in subjects such as Disability Studies, Sociology, Social and Applied Psychology, and Fine Art and Design.

Creatures of an Exceptional Kind expresses Dorothy Whitney's talents as both special educator and artist, and intensifies her message of what it means to be different. Toulouse Turtle of the broken back, Selina Snake who has lost her hiss, and Belinda Bird whose wing will not heal are turned away into the forest by the other animals and find within themselves the resourcefulness to survive and rejoice in their own individuality.

This handbook for parents, family members and caregivers of children with visual impairments explains special education services that these children are likely to need and to which they are entitled--and how to ensure that they receive them. Edited and written by experienced parents and professionals, this helpful and easy to use resource addresses the effect of visual impairment on a child's ability to learn and the services and educational programming that are essential for them to get the best education possible. Chapters address early intervention, assessment, different types of services, IEPs, accommodations and adaptations, different types of placements, children with other disabilities in addition to visual impairment, and negotiation and advocacy.

How do children become social beings? When a child is unable to observe visually and imitate how other people react and interact, this complex developmental process can become fragmented and incomplete. As a result, providing specific information, direct instruction, and opportunities for social interaction to children who are blind or visually impaired is critical to their growth and education. Edited by two groundbreaking educators and researchers, with contributions from other outstanding educators and researchers in this area, Teaching Social Skills to Students with Visual Impairments explores what theory can tell us about how children who are visually impaired become socially skilled individuals. It then presents a compendium of techniques and strategies for helping youngsters, from preschoolers through young adults, including those with additional disabilities, develop and refine social skills.

A New Approach to Coping

This workbook provides more than 50 questions and exercises designed to empower those with physical loss and disability to better understand and accept their ongoing processes of loss and recovery. The exercises in Coping with Physical Loss and Disability were distilled from ten years of clinical social work experience with clients suffering from quadriplegia, paraplegia, amputation, cancer, severe burns, HIV/AIDs, and neuro-muscular disorders arising from accidents, injury, and disease. About the Author

Rick Ritter, MSW, a disabled veteran and social worker, has worked with more than a hundred clients who have experienced physical loss and disability. This workbook is a distillation of the very best questions and exercises to draw the client towards re-taking control of their life. He has competed in international events for disabled athletes. Ritter was also a major contributor to "got parts? An Insider's Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder." He currently resides in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Series Info

"Coping with Physical Loss and Disability: A Workbook" is the second book in the "New Horizons in Therapy Series." This series is specifically designed to empower clients to work on their own in a therapeutic setting. As many therapists will state, it's often what the client does outside the session that can make the biggest difference in recovery. What People Are Saying

This workbook is a very good stimulus for focusing on issues that are crucial for better coping with loss and disability. Just putting the questions with the blanks together is a great opportunity for self-reflection and might greatly help people raise their consciousness. As I believe the saying goes 'If you do not help yourself, then no one will be able to help you.'"
-Beni R. Jakob, Ph.D, Israeli Arthritis Foundation (INBAR)

"Ritter provides a valuable self-care plan for those suffering from the loss of physical capacity. He also shows readers how to find the mental, emotional and spiritual encouragement critical to the healing process." -Georgiann Baldino, Author and cancer support-group facilitator

"Losing one's bodily integrity or functioning ('physical loss') provokes mourning and a distorted self-image. The horror and recoil that disabilities elicit in the healthy only compound the victim's sense of deprivation and worthlessness. Though slender, the workbook is indispensable to victims of physical loss, their nearest and dearest, medical staff, and psychotherapists or grief counselors."
-Sam Vaknin, Ph.D., author of Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited

"Rick Ritter captures the depth of the emotional pain in the aftermath of physical loss and disability. This workbook format will surely provide a sense empowerment to those who feel helpless in these situations."
-Rev. James W. Clifton, Ph.D., LCSW

"I found the workbook useful in addressing the various aspects of the physical loss. The examples given by the author are very relevant and will help the sufferer relate to similar situations. I recommend the workbook to those who are trying to heal from past traumas or to those who are trying to help their near and dear heal."
- S.V. Swamy, Holistic Healer and editor of Homeopathy For Everyone

Young children who are visually impaired and have additional disabilities need to learn to use their sense of touch effectively to promote their growth, development, and ability to communicate. This manual provides teachers, early interventionists, and parents with critical information about alternative communication methods not based on the use of vision as well as countless practical strategies. Topics include assessing a child's skills, planning interventions, and selecting appropriate tactile strategies to meet the child's needs.

Advocates for the rights of people with disabilities have worked hard to make universal design in the built environment "just part of what we do." We no longer see curb cuts, for instance, as accommodations for people with disabilities, but perceive their usefulness every time we ride our bikes or push our strollers through crosswalks. This is also a perfect model for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework grounded in the neuroscience of why, what, and how people learn. Tobin and Behling show that, although it is often associated with students with disabilities, UDL can be profitably broadened toward a larger ease-of-use and general diversity framework. Captioned instructional videos, for example, benefit learners with hearing impairments but also the student who worries about waking her young children at night or those studying on a noisy team bus. Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone is aimed at faculty members, faculty-service staff, disability support providers, student-service staff, campus leaders, and graduate students who want to strengthen the engagement, interaction, and performance of all college students. It includes resources for readers who want to become UDL experts and advocates: real-world case studies, active-learning techniques, UDL coaching skills, micro- and macro-level UDL-adoption guidance, and use-them-now resources.

1920. Bruhn, the principal of the Muller-Walle School of Lip-Reading and the Muller-Walle Training School for Teachers in Boston, Massachusetts, presents a series of thirty lessons, including exercises, sentence practice and story studies in exercise form, that are intended for the use of those who have become deaf after having acquired a full knowledge of speech, as well as for use in schools for deaf children.

This easy-to-understand guide explains the role of paraeducators (sometimes called classroom aides, teaching assistants, or paraprofessionals) in working with students who are visually impaired and assisting other members of the educational team. When You Have a Visually Impaired Student in Your Classroom: A Guide for Paraeducators provides basic information about visual impairment, the learning needs of visually impaired students, and the special devices and materials they use. Includes easy-to-use forms to help organize information and tasks.

For every classroom teacher who works with students who have multiple disabilities in addition to visual impairments, this book includes information in concise, nontechnical language on: How visual and other impairments affect learning skills; Practical teaching methods and strategies for helping students with severe multiple disabilities and those who can participate in an academic program; Techniques for working effectively in the classroom with students who have a wide range of special needs.

Written by a teacher with many years' experience of teaching mathematics to primary school dyslexic and dyspraxic children with a wide range of abilities, this book is designed to be a practical teaching guide. It offers detailed guidance and specific teaching suggestions to all specialist teachers, support teachers, classroom teachers and parents who either directly teach mathematics to dyslexic and dyspraxic children or who support the mathematics teaching programmes of dyslexic or dyspraxic children.

Although the book has grown out of teaching experience it is also informed by widely acknowledged contemporary and international research, which explores the cognitive aspects of learning mathematics and tries to understand why it is that some children fail to learn mathematics.

Many of the teaching principles described in the text have specific and quite far-reaching implications. The theoretical arguments should therefore also be of interest to special needs co-ordinators, heads of maths departments, head teachers or other professionals who are responsible for designing or modifying the maths learning programmes of children with special learning and maths difficulties. In more general terms, the book hopes to contribute to the broad discussion of the cognitive features and educational needs of dyslexic and dyspraxic children.

A reliable and easy-to-use resource for general education classroom teachers working with students who are blind or visually impaired, this guide provides information on students' abilities and needs, resources and educational team members, special education requirements, the expanded core curriculum, and technology used by students. It is essential reading for general education teachers with visually impaired students, school administrators, school nurses, paraeducators, related personnel, and parents.

"Dyslexia: Students in Need" offers a positive approach to students with dyslexia in further and higher education. Students with dyslexia gain degrees and professional qualifications, and successes of this kind often depend on appropriate educational and technological support and upon funding. "Dyslexia: Students in Need", in an easy-to-read typeface, tackles the problems and challenges identified by students themselves. It provides information on applications and admissions to colleges and universities, and on seeking information, support and funding about dyslexia from institutions. It provides information on how to apply for funding from the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), and study skills relevant to dyslexia and to course requirements, with examples of how to maximise the strengths and abilities associated with dyslexia. It also presents ideas about the use of computers, software and other technologies relevant to dyslexia, and how to cope with revision and exams. It includes personal case studies written by undergraduate and postgraduate students with dyslexia. This book is not only invaluable for dyslexic students, but valuable reading for Heads of Departments, admissions tutors, Equal Opportunities co-ordinators, lecturers, personal tutors and librarians.

Innovative materials for helping youngsters start on successful careers Skills for Success details specific activities for preparing children with visual impairments for independence in daily life and success on the job. This comprehensive manual outlines how important capabilities can be developed through meaningful learning experiences at different ages. Contributors who are experts in their subject areas focus on suggestions for developing abilities leading to career and life satisfaction for preschoolers, elementary school students, and middle school students. Providing a wide range of information and resources, Skills for Success will prove an invaluable guide to teachers, parents, and others who work with children with visual impairments.

Making It Work is destined to be the definitive guide for years to come on how to make the regular school education a successful experience for blindvisually impaired children. With chapters flowing logically and full of detailed, useful information, it will be an essential handbook for school staff, specialized service providers, and parents of blindvisually impaired children. This is an exquisite, enlightened guide for the education of blindvisually impaired children in the new millennium.