The Best Kind of Different

I saw Curt and Shonda Shilling doing an interview about this book on tv and decided to reserve it at the library. As a Red Sox fan I was familiar with their work on skin cancer and ALS, but I had not heard of their experiences with Aspergers.

My first experience with Aspergers was with a student about nine years ago. Our school provided great resources for teachers on learning disabilities, but our resources on behavioral disorders were not as wide. I found myself utilizing outside resources to educate myself on the topic. It was frustrating as an educator that practical resources were hard to come by and I can only imagine how parents felt. I was fortunate to find parents groups that welcomed me online and shared their wealth of knowledge and places to look.

This book was a great read. I was thinking this would be a great book to share with family and friends as one is trying to introduce them to the topic of Aspergers. The book is autobiographical, but it does address the factual issues of Aspergers and parents and teachers who have walked with families through a diagnosis can relate to the story. For family who may be sports fans it introduces the topic through the story of a sports family. I can think of some people this would have been useful to have given this to as an early read. For family members who may not be able to relate to the behaviors, the technical terms, and issues that start with the diagnosis, this may be a good introductory point.

I was able to find this book through interlibrary loan. That may be a great place to test the book to see if you find it helpful. I will be purchasing a few copies as gifts.

Special Education Resources

As I continue to sort through material I have on hand, more entries suggest themselves. My hope is to post the information for others and to have the information sorted so I can easily locate it as well.

General Special EducationResources:

Great Schools.Net

Able2Able Directories

Understanding Special Education Rights and Laws:

Links to Special Education Advocates:

Massachusetts Links For Special Education Advocacy DOE (MA Dept Of Ed

Massachusetts Department of Special Education

Massachusetts Department of Ed: Parent’s Rights in Special Education

A Parent’s Guide to Section 504

Parent's Rights Under Title I

Special Education a Practical Primer

Special Education FAQ

WrightsLaw

Specific Groups

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA)

Autism Society of America

Children and Adults with ADHD CHADD

National Resouce Center ADHD

Learning Disabilities Association of America


Curriculum:

Autism Resources:

Free Downloads of Resources For Parents and Teachers

Tinsnips

Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities Checklists and Resources

Additional article on the topic:

Accessing Help For Your Child in the Public Schools