The trusted core disability textbook gets a comprehensive update in this second edition, now thoroughly revised to include all the critical topics today's professionals need to know about as they work with people who have disabilities. Brought to you by a new team of world-renowned experts and contributors, this volume fully prepares future educators, social workers, researchers, and clinicians to provide the best services and supports to children and adults across the life span. Tomorrow's professionals will discover what to do and how to do it as they prepare for their important work, and they'll refer to this user-friendly compendium year after year for information, insights, and answers. A cornerstone text for any course focused on developmental disabilities-and an essential reference for every in-service professional's library. THE IDEAL CORE TEXT FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY COURSES: * Broad and deep, with thorough, up-to-date information on intervention, education, family roles, health issues, specific disabilities, and much more * Life-span-focused, with topics ranging from genetics and development to aging issues * Multidisciplinary, blending research and personal experiences of more than 70 esteemed authors from diverse fields * Immediately applicable, presenting both the facts and practical, real-world advice on meeting the individual needs of people with disabilities * Student-friendly, with learning objectives, instructive case stories, stimulating questions for reflection, and key Internet resources WHAT'S NEW: New co-editors and contributors * New and extensively updated chapters on critical topics, including AAC and technology, autism spectrum disorder, advocacy and self-advocacy, communication challenges, family issues, human development and genetics, legal and ethical considerations, and psychopharmacology