Just Kids: Visiting a Class for Children With Special Needs [Hardcover]

Ellen B. Senisi (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

There is a special classroom in many schools for children with disabilities. With intimate photos, Ellen Senisi takes readers inside this fascinating but often overlooked place. The story is based on a true incident. A girl teases a disabled child and is asked to spend time in the special-needs classroom. Through her, readers are introduced to an engaging group of kids and to a wide range of disabling conditions--epilepsy, Down syndrome, autism, and more. Readers also see students run an obstacle course in physical therapy, mold clay in art therapy, and learn the sign- language story of the Little Red Hen in speech class. This is a thorough introduction to a special-needs program. It will make children feel familiar with this unique learning environment--one that isn't far from their own classrooms.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?When a teacher overhears Cindy call a girl in a special education class a "retard," he arranges for the second grader to spend some time in the special-needs classroom. Over the next two weeks, Cindy comes to know Ashley and her classmates and learns a bit about epilepsy, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and other disabilities. The full-color, sharply focused pictures are bright, vibrant, and upbeat. They project the powerful message that these children are not to be pitied; rather, readers, like Cindy, are encouraged to get to know them as unique individuals and to see that there are many different ways to learn. There is some oversimplification, primarily because the disabilities are so complex that they cannot be easily explained in brief and still cover the range of problems or issues. The narrative sometimes bogs down under the weight of trying to present all of the necessary information. Although children would be unlikely to pick up this book on their own, classes studying disabilities or schools hoping to increase awareness about the benefits of all types of special education will find this title useful.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5. Cindy isn't too keen about being assigned to spend time in her school's special-needs class, where she is sent to learn about what goes on. But during her visits, she gets to know an incredible group of kids who face their challenges with courage and enthusiasm. She learns firsthand about autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and more, growing very fond of the children she meets. Senisi, who based her story on a true incident, spent five months photographing an exceptional group of children in an upstate New York special-needs class. Using a fictionalized setting, a lively narrative, and excellent full-color photographs, she has created both an excellent source of information and an engaging story that allows readers to really get to know the kids. By presenting the children involved in a variety of activities, often with loving, dedicated teachers, she shows the physical and mental challenges the children face, at the same time humanizing conditions that are too easily categorized and labeled. An afterword provides easy-to-understand explanations of the conditions discussed and briefly explains the various schools of thought about mainstreaming special-needs children. A sensitive, informative book that immerses us in a world that many of us know little about. A short bibliography is also included. Helen Rosenberg

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525456465
• ISBN-13: 978-0525456469
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,295,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kids and adults, January 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Just Kids: Visiting a Class for Children With Special Needs (Hardcover)

This is a great book! Second-grader Cindy held a view most kids and even adults hold--children who are slow learners in school are retarded. After calling Ashley a name, Cindy is invited to spend a few days in Ashley's classroom, a classroom for special needs children. There Cindy learns that kids who can't add as fast as she can aren't necessarily retarded (Ashley has a learning disability.) The book also mentions Autism, Down's Syndrome, and ADHD, with easy to understand definitions and real-life pictures. Truly a great book to read.