Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability (Paperback)

by Pat Thomas (Author), Lesley Harker (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This delightful picture book explores questions and concerns about physical disabilities in a simple and reassuring way. Younger children can find out about individual disabilities, special equipment that is available to help the disabled, and how people of all ages can deal with disabilities and live happy and full lives. Titles in this series for younger children explore emotional issues that boys and girls encounter as part of the growing-up process. Books are focused to appeal to kids of preschool through early school age. Written by psychotherapist and counselor Pat Thomas, A First Look At books promote positive interaction among children, parents, and teachers, and encourage kids to ask questions and confront social and emotional questions that sometimes present problems. Books feature appealing full-color illustrations on every page plus a page of advice to parents and teachers.

From the Back Cover
This delightful picture book explores questions and concerns about disability in a simple and reassuring way. Younger children can find out what a disability is, and learn how people deal with their disabilities to live happy and full lives.

Written by psychotherapist and counselor Pat Thomas, these superb information books promote interaction among children, parents, and teachers on personal, social, and emotional issues.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 1 edition (November 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764121189
• ISBN-13: 978-0764121180
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,456 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Physical Disabilities
  #15 in	Books > Children's Books > Issues > Special Needs > Nonfiction

• This item is part of The A First Look At ... Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE THIS BOOK, October 21, 2007

By	Lin - See all my reviews

I love this book. First I'd like to point out that this is a children's book - for children. Don't Call Me Special is intended for the typical child audience. The title itself is refreshing and pulls away from the idea that "Special Needs" children are different. We donate this book to our childrens' school libraries and have asked and been granted that our county libraries carry this book. This book is not a book about specific disabilities or about rights for your child. This information can be found in other books, at your local support group, through state agencies and your local schools. What this book DOES do is open dialog for elementary school typical children. We read this book in many of our childrens' elementary school classrooms. The first thing that the book points out to children is that we are all different and that each of us has things we are good at and things we need help with (and to not assume things just because a person has a disability). The secondary lesson is to explain why children who have disabilities get help and what some of that help is. I feel this information helps demystify where children with disabilities go if and when they leave the classroom and why they get additional help in school. To me, reading this book in the classrooms with typical students helps those students realize that having a disability is no big deal. This book is not intended to help those with disabilities. The book is intended to help typical children address concerns they have for students they share a classroom with that may have learning or physical disabilities. Get this book and use it as a tool to open up a great discussion!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great seller. Just as discribed, June 9, 2008

By	Charlotte Rogers Methodist Church "Child care... (Shreveport, La. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

With our new state regulations this will be perfect! The book was even better than I though it was going to be. Thanks so much

2 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Parents need to be careful here..., May 11, 2007

By	Joseph Johnson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

The problem with books like this is they do not address the problem of dealing with disabilities in he Real World.

Unlike a book such as Greg Perry's Disabling America: The Unintended Consequences of the Government's Protection of the Handicapped, Don't Call Me Special is more of a reactive book instead of a proactive book that teaches children - and more importantly PARENTS - how to cope in society and how to give your kids the VERY BEST CHANCE AT SUCCESS no matter what challenges they may face.

I doubt it was the author's intent, but this book is almost like a "feel good about yourself and that you're different" and focuses on self-esteem, etc., without giving any guidance on the best way for parents and their disabled children to have the best chance to be happy and content AND, yes, successful however you define it.

If a feel-good-about-yourself book is important to you, this will probably work. But if you want answers, you need to look elsewhere. The first place to find the answers is in Perry's Disabling America: The Unintended Consequences of the Government's Protection of the Handicapped - be warned - it's a caustic book that pulls no punches about problems with the ADA, etc. But do you want answers or not? Don't you want the VERY BEST FOR YOUR CHILD? It's a prescriptive book.

Once you get a better perspective there on today's world of disability problems and how your kids can copy not only better but FAR better, then you need to check some NLP titles such as PsychoCybernetics. It's not psycho-babble in spite of the title, it's a general approach that allows anyone to overcome their challenges.