How can we learn to notice the signs of disability? We see indications of disability everywhere: yellow diamond-shaped “deaf person in area” road signs, the telltale shapes of hearing aids, or white-tipped canes sweeping across footpaths. But even though the signs are ubiquitous, Stephanie L. Kerschbaum argues that disability may still not be perceived due to a process she terms “dis-attention.” To tell better stories of disability, this multidisciplinary work turns to rhetoric, communications, sociology, and phenomenology to understand the processes by which the material world becomes sensory input that then passes through perceptual apparatuses to materialize phenomena—including disability. By adding perception to the understanding of disability’s materialization, Kerschbaum significantly expands our understanding of disability, accounting for its fluctuations and transformations in the semiotics of everyday life. Drawing on a set of thirty-three research interviews focused on disabled faculty members’ experiences with disability disclosure, as well as written narratives by disabled people, this book argues for the materiality of narrative, suggesting narratives as a means by which people enact boundaries around phenomena and determine their properties. Signs of Disability offers strategies and practices for challenging problematic and pervasive forms of “dis-attention” and proposes a new theoretical model for understanding disability in social, rhetorical, and material settings.

This essential book offers an accessible, evidence-based guide to Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD) informed by the most current research, and clinical and educational practice. It provides a thorough explanation of the science behind the condition, alongside ideas, support, and practical tips for managing the everyday challenges of the disorder at school and in family life. Mammarella, Cardillo, and Broitman describe the main characteristics of the condition from both theoretical and practical points of view, as well as examining the similarities and differences between NVLD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. They explore the cognitive and academic weaknesses and strengths of children with NVLD, and the emotional and social difficulties they may experience. The book also provides a systematic review of scientific studies in this field whilst focusing on issues of diagnostic criteria, as well as assessment and intervention strategies. Practical examples are given for teachers and parents to help support children with NVLD in improving their visuospatial and motor skills, as well as peer-social relations, and in promoting the child’s individual abilities. Understanding Nonverbal Learning Disability is essential reading for parents and practitioners in clinical and educational psychology, and health and social care, and students in these fields.

McRuer makes a case that queer and disabled identities, politics, and cultural logics are inexorably intertwined, and that queer and disability theory need one another. Crip theory makes clear that no cultural analysis is complete without attention to the politics of bodily ability and 'alternative corporealities'.

Children living in poverty are more likely to have mental health problems, and their conditions are more likely to be severe. Of the approximately 1.3 million children who were recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits in 2013, about 50% were disabled primarily due to a mental disorder. An increase in the number of children who are recipients of SSI benefits due to mental disorders has been observed through several decades of the program beginning in 1985 and continuing through 2010. Nevertheless, less than 1% of children in the United States are recipients of SSI disability benefits for a mental disorder. At the request of the Social Security Administration, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children compares national trends in the number of children with mental disorders with the trends in the number of children receiving benefits from the SSI program, and describes the possible factors that may contribute to any differences between the two groups. This report provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and the levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. The report focuses on 6 mental disorders, chosen due to their prevalence and the severity of disability attributed to those disorders within the SSI disability program: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and mood disorders. While this report is not a comprehensive discussion of these disorders, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children provides the best currently available information regarding demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and expectations for the disorder time course - both the natural course and under treatment.

Learning disabilities are among the most common disabilities experienced in childhood and adulthood. Although identifying learning disabilities in a school setting is a complex process, it is particularly challenging in low- and middle-income countries that lack the appropriate resources, tools, and supports. This guide provides an introduction to learning disabilities and describes the processes and practices that are necessary for the identification process. It also describes a phased approach that countries can use to assess their current screening and evaluation services, as well as determine the steps needed to develop, strengthen, and build systems that support students with learning disabilities. This guide also provides intervention recommendations that teachers and school administrators can implement at each phase of system development. Although this guide primarily addresses learning disabilities, the practices, processes, and systems described may be also used to improve the identification of other disabilities commonly encountered in schools.

Manual signs are used worldwide to support the communication and language development of children who have developmental disabilities. This book provides an overview of forty years of research and practice by recognised experts, from a developmental perspective. Uniquely, the book includes contributions on both sign languages and sign systems, linking the two fields of Deaf studies and Augmentative and Alternative Communication which have historically been seen as separate. This text is the most authoritative single text to date on the topic, providing an invaluable resource for speech pathologists, researchers, psychologists and educators. The main sections of the book include: the typical development of sign language and of gesture; literature reviews on sign acquisition in children with disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, Llandau Kleffner syndrome and deaf blindness. An important chapter deals with the latest research on sign language impairments in deaf children with developmental language difficulties, or autism spectrum disorders. The third section of the book addresses assessment and intervention, covering vocabulary, sign production difficulties and intelligibility, grammar and multi-signing, and pragmatics and discourse skills. The final two sections are concerned with use of signs in context: in the home, in school, and in different cultures. Throughout, care is taken to ensure that the voices of users are present and vivid, whether these be family members, teaching staff or the children themselves, with an entire chapter given over to an interview with a young adult's reflections on her use of sign since childhood. The book concludes with a call for a multimodal perspective on augmentative communication to be adopted in the future.

With even more practical information and direct answers to families' questions, the second edition of this easy-to-read guide is a proven resource for helping parents meet the demands of raising a child with a disability. You'll get updated, expert advice on a wide range of medical and educational issues as well as detailed coverage of the daily and long-term care requirements of specific disabilities, including mental retardation autism hearing impairment Down syndrome visual impairment communication disorders seizure disorders spina bifida ADHD cerebral palsy genetic syndromes New to this edition are chapters exploring nutrition, dental care, legal rights and benefits, and the transition to adulthood, as well as information on development and commonly used medications. Answers to frequently asked questions follow the chapters, addressing common parent concerns like sleep, behavior, medication, and potential complications.