Books on Parenting Children with Special Needs or Disabilities

Disability Books Home

Don't Swear with Your Mouth Full! When Conventional Discipline Fails Unconventional Children By Cary S. Chugh "In this self-published parenting book, Cary Chugh (a child psychologist in private practice in New York State) explains his theory that traditional parenting techniques may not work over the long term with certain children. He provides advice on teaching the rules and enforcing more appropriate behavior, including proper expression of emotions and carry-through.It is helpful for parents to have many techniques, especially when dealing with more difficult behavior, and this book provides an interesting insight into ways to be more effective." (Allison Martin) Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon

The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family By Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine "This book deserves a wide audience; not only is it beneficial for among parents struggling with attachment or behavior issues, but it will also benefit health care professionals and therapist working with these families. Based on practical experience and research, this book provides detailed and practical techniques parents can use in teaching their children appropriate ways to behave, while responding in a loving manner. It is especially useful for children from preschool to early middle school age with special needs such as sensory integration dysfunction, ADD/ADHD, mild autism, and other developmental impacts." (Allison Martin) Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs: Stories of Love and Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Heather McNamara, and Karen Simmons "This collection of personal stories from the sublime to the heartwarming makes a wonderful gift for anyone who has been touched by a child with special needs. Real life vignettes are clustered under topics from community, milestones, breaking barriers, gratitude and fostering independence. These sweet stories exemplify the struggles, fears, battles, and celebrations of life with a child with special needs, including mental retardation, autism, sensory integration, cystic fibrosis, and many other disabilities." (Allison Martin) Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon

Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs By Suzanne Kamata "A thought-provoking and emotional literary journey through the voices of their parents into the lives of families of children with serious disabilities. This professional edited collection of short stories and poems provides a glimpse into the struggles of living with long term disabilities that are rarely visible to the "normal" world. The breadth and intensity of this collection will take your breath away while captivating your interest." (Allison Martin) Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan "1-2-3 Magic is a truly life changing child discipline method that has helped many parents over the years. For the right situation it really is akin to magic, as Dr. Phelan's methods work where many other parenting approaches are quite ineffective. The techniques described in 123 Magic work even with children who have only a emerging understanding of cause and effect, thus they are helpful for children who have ADD/ADHD, high functioning autism, sensory integration dysfunction, mental retardation, emotional delays, or other special needs." (Allison Martin) Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon

Battle Cries: Justice for Kids with Special Needs by Miriam Edelson A comprehensive and thoughtful analysis of the serious, lifelong difficulties facing families of children with severe disabilities, with emphasis on interaction and support within their communities. These struggles (and joys) are given human face through detailed interviews with eight Canadian families who have children with severe disabilities, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Trisomy 18, deafness, CMV, and brain damage related to oxygen deprivation. In sum, Battle Cries is an excellent resource for policy makers, professionals working with special needs children, and parents of children with special needs. (Allison Martin) Order Book from Amazon | Read Full Review | Author Interview

When Your Child Has a Disability By Mark L. Batshaw, M.D. "If you are the parent of a child who has multiple special needs or are looking for a scholarly and readable introduction to children's disabilities, then When Your Child Has a Disability is a "must read" resource. Relevant and reliable, it is the most comprehensive overview for parents of special needs of children that has been published to date." Order Book | Read Our Review | Author Interview

The Child with Special Needs; Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D and Serena Weider, PhD. "Offers lots of good info and advice. The cover says, 'The comprehensive approach to developmental challenges including autism, PDD, language and speech problems, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADD and related disorders." I like their attitude, approach and perspective. Chapter 2, called "Biological Challenges" starts with:  'Frequently, children who are born prematurely, with low birth weight, who don't get enough oxygen at birth, or who have injuries to their nervous systems may have biological differences that compromise development.' The categorise the differences in three different ways:  1) sensory reactivity 2) sensory processing and 3) muscle tone, motor planning and sequencing." (Joan Mckenty) Order Book

Brothers and Sisters by Laura Dwight "Heartwarming children's picture book about children with special needs and disabilities, written from the point of view of their siblings. I highly recommend this special needs children's book for libraries, schools, doctors, therapists, or home." Read My Full Review | Order Book from Amazon | (More children's book reviews).

A Parent's Guide to Developmental Delays : Recognizing and Coping with Missed Milestones in Speech, Movement, Learning, and Other Areas by Laurie Fivozinsky LeComer "The quality of the identification and explanation of the various types of delays and disabilities is exceptional and will be useful to any parent who is worried about these issues. Normal development, indications of problems, specific examples, parenting suggestions, and treatment are presented in each chapter in a well thought out and informative manner. The overall tone of the book is encouraging and supportive for parents who are concerned about their children. This book provides a wealth of information for parents and professionals. It would be an invaluable addition to any library and for any teacher, doctor or therapist who works with parents." (Allison Martin) Order Book | Read Full Review

A Parent And Teacher's Guide to the Special Needs Child by Darrell M. Parke "This parenting book provides provides suggestions and anecdotes on parenting children with chronic illnesses or medical conditions, based on Foster Cline's Love and Logic parenting theory. The goal of Parenting Children with Health Issues is to avoid being overprotective as a parent, stifling your child's eventual competence or independence. Examples are given in this book for many types of health condition and special needs. Parents of children with cystic fibrosis with find many of the tips and real life experiences to be of special interest, as Lisa Greene parenting two children with cystic fibrosis." Allison Martin Order Book from Amazon | Read Our Full Review

A Parent And Teacher's Guide to the Special Needs Child by Darrell M. Parker "An overview of difficulties children with special needs may face in daily living with a introduction to practices and products that an occupational therapist can use to provide assistance to children with special needs." Allison Martin Order Book from Amazon | Read Our Review

You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children With Disabilities by Kim Schive and Stanley D. Klein (Editors) A touching collection of stories and writings from parents of children who have special needs. The disabilities confronted include cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome, mental retardation, illnesses, and more. Order Book from Amazon

Special Children, Challenged Parents : The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child With a Disability By Robert A. Naseef "A traveler's guide to the emotional journey of parenting a child with special needs. This is a terrific book, which melds personal insight with psychological theory on coming to terms with your child's disabilities and caring for their special needs." Order Book | Read Our Review | Author Interview

Pediatric Massage Revised for the Child with Special Needs by Kathy Fleming Drehobl, Mary Gengler Fuhr "A workbook and guide for infant therapists and caregivers looking for new techniques to use with children with special needs. It provides a holistic approach to massage for children with special needs, fully addressing concerns about which techniques to use and the latest research on massage." Order Book from Amazon

Discipline That Works: 5 Simple Steps by Joyce Divinyi "There is a lot of good advice packed into this excellent little book on behavior. It provides five methods for parents of children who are elementary age through teenage to guide their children to behave appropriately. These methods include using short positive commands, questions, and teaching skills. Topics include coping wth boredom, being bumped in the hall, doing chores when asked, redirecting to proper behavior and much more. This advice is useful for all parents, including those whose children have ADD, LD or Asperger's Syndrome." Order Book

Port in the Storm: How to Make a Medical Decision & Live to Tell About It by Dr. Cole A. Giller "Exceptional advice on collecting information and making a decision on medical care. This book covers using hte internet, understanding statistics, reading scientific literature, choosing a doctor, clinic and medical option, and much more." Order Book

The Parent to Parent Handbook, Connecting Families of Children with Special Needs By Betsy Santelli, Florene Stewart Poyadue and Jane Leora Young "Every parent support group, and every person starting a local parent support group, will find that they refer to this book over and over. Written with compassion and experience, it would be hard to find a better guide for your journey - both personal and as an organization." Order Book | Read Our Review

When You Worry About the Child You Love : Emotional and Learning Problems in Children by Edward Hallowell "This compassionate book provides an overview of a number of special needs and personality variations in young children. Dr. Hallowell present concrete information in a parent friendly manner. An excellent book for parents who wonder if their child has a emotional or psychological disability. Also recommended for parents who are in the early stages of understanding the various special needs labels." Order Book

Living in My Skin, An Insider's View of Life with a Special Needs Child By Lori Hickman "Parents of children with a variety of disabilities speak about their lives with searing honesty... I recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand special needs families." Order Book | Read Our Review | Interview with Author

Parents' Complete Special Education Guide By Roger Pierangelo, Robert Jacoby "An overview of the complex procedures and criteria for special education in the United States." Order Book | Read Our Review

In Time and With Love : Caring for the Special Needs Baby by Marilyn Segal "Puts the guidance directly in the hands of those who need it - parents raising their special children. An overview of various developmental areas in which young children might need extra assistance, with detailed advice on how best to meet their needs as they grow." Order Book | Read Our Review

After the Tears : Parents Talk About Raising a Child With a Disability By Robin Simons "Wonderful advice and inspiration for parents of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers." Order Book | Read Our Review

Children's Disability Books
Author Interviews
ADHD | Adoption | Allergies and Asthma | Autism |Behavior | Cerebral Palsy
Learning Disabilities | Parenting (Special Needs) | Parenting (General)
Prematurity | Seizures | Sensory Integration | Speech | Vision

Children's Disabilities Information www.childrensdisabilities.info