Life story work is an approach designed to enable traumatized children to explore, question and understand the past events of their lives. It aims to secure their future by strengthening attachment with their carers and providing the opportunity to develop a healthy sense of self and a feeling of wellbeing. This new edited volume documents innovative ways in which life story work has been developed. It draws on the work of nine life story centres based around the world and provides understanding and guidance for those working with children who have experienced trauma. The book illustrates current theory and practice and looks at how the approach is being used in a variety of settings including schools, intensive services, youth justice, and post-adoption support, highlighting its versatility. The importance of trauma-informed practice when working with vulnerable children is emphasised throughout, to help practitioners provide the best for the children in their care.

Increased interaction between sign language communities and the mainstream societies in which they function is creating the potential for greater equality of opportunity for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. In this volume, renowned scholars and policy makers from around the world present innovative and groundbreaking perspectives on the relationships among sign language, sustainable development, and equal opportunities. The contributors to this volume offer creative and open-minded explorations of the construct of sustainability that are informed by their work with deaf individuals, deaf communities, families of deaf children, and other stakeholders. Sign Language, Sustainable Development, and Equal Opportunities describes sustainability in relation to: identity, resilience, and wellbeing partic ipatory citizenship historical perspectives on sign language use in educational contexts sign language learning and teaching human rights and inclusive education literate thought and literacy the sign language factor and the development of sign language communities in sub-Saharan Africa sign language legislation These changing communities' understanding of what is required to become sustainable in areas such as full participation and citizenship in society, economic well-being, access to quality education, and cultural and linguistic identity is also taking new forms. This work contributes to the paradigm shifts regarding deaf emancipation and deaf education taking place around the world.