Book Recommendations for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which raises awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, as well as potential barriers.

Student Services Librarian Matthew Conner has curated book recommendations (including a book he co-authored), which are available at Shields Library and/or through our Interlibrary Loan service. Check out the titles below and view them on display near the Circulation Desk at Shields Library.

The Positive Psychology of Personal Factors: Implications for Understanding Disability by Michael L. Wehmeyer and Dana S. Dunn

This study, from the field of positive psychology, addresses personal factors that are part of many socio-economic models of disability that are not fully acknowledged or addressed.

Libraries and Reading: Intellectual Disability and the Extent of Library Diversity by Leah Plocharczyk and Matthew Conner

This study offers a comprehensive overview of library services for those with disability, including history and theory. And it provides a case study for a grassroots practice of informal book clubs, which shows that libraries, by repurposing traditional library practices and core skill sets, already have the tools for helping those with intellectual disability.

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Disabilities, and the Criminal Justice System by Nick Dubin

This study discusses the intersection of autism with the criminal justice system and offers a practical guide to those with the disability seeking a criminal defense from charges, as well as a context to help with prevention of crime and appropriate responses by the law.

Advances in family-school-community partnering: A practical guide for school mental health professionals and educators by Amanda Arthur-Stanley, Gloria E. Miller, and Rashida Banerjee

This study explores the family-school-community-partner (FSCP) model as a multi-dimensional process. After legislative and historical background, the study goes into detail on practical suggestions for all stages of education.

Intellectual Disability: Definition, Diagnosis, Classification, and Systems of Supports by Robert L Schalock

This manual from the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disability is the definitive guide (now in its 12th edition) to all aspects of the condition. It synthesizes the research of the last 10 years to update the basic concepts of the field.

Understanding Ethics in Applied Behavior Analysis: Practical Applications by Ann Beirne and Jacob A. Sadavoy

This work, in its second edition, provides a comprehensive overview for ethical practice in the treatment of autism and other developmental disorders by professional staff broadly defined to include teachers, managers, employers, advocates, and members of interdisciplinary teams as well as medical professionals.

Differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder by Katherine Stavropoulos and James McPartland

Based on the innovative diagnosis of autism as a single condition behind disparate symptoms, this study continues to refine the boundaries of this basic definition that has stood the test of time since the 1940s. Chapters differentiate autism from other, apparently, similar conditions.