EDUC-SPED 210 Book Selection
Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice; Fawcett Books, 1994. She was a beautiful doelike child, with an intense, graceful fragility. In her first year, she picked up words, smiled and laughed, and learned to walk. But then Anne-Marie began to turn inward. And when her little girl lost some of the words she had acquired, cried inconsolably, and showed no interest in anyone around her, Catherine Maurice took her to doctors who gave her a devastating diagnosis: autism. Let Me Hear Your Voice is a mother's illuminating account of how one family triumphed over autism. It is an absolutely unforgettable book, as beautifully written as it is informative.
Eric's Gift: A Mother's Discovery of Unconditional Love in the 47th Chromosome by Kimberly Thompson; Eric's Gift Enterprises, Tampa FL, 1998. The National Association for Down Syndrome wrote a review on Eric's Gift in their November 1998 Newsletter that read: "Be careful when reading this book because the reader's tears will mingle with the author's own on many pages. To say this mother experienced a roller coaster of emotions is an understatement. Not only did her newborn son have Down syndrome, but also he was a very, very sick baby with life threatening heart problems. Through the support of wonderful friends, family and medical professionals and through much inner searching, the mother finally let herself love little Eric unconditionally (not holding back because of the 'what ifs') and realized that this was his gift to her also -- unconditional love. The ending is happy; Eric's heart has finally been mended and his mother has shared her heart eloquently, intimately and hilariously with the reader."
Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child by Michael Berube; Pantheon Books, 1996. A moving, intensely personal chronicle of a father's struggle to realize the full potential of his Down syndrome son discusses his child's first four years of life, the stages of his development, and disability law, health care, education, and other key issues.
Broken Cord by Michael Dorris, Louise Erdrich; HarperCollins, 1997. Michael Dorris' story of his adopted son Adam, born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), explores the enormous scope of the disease and parallels one father's endless battle to overcome the problem.
Speak to Me! By Marcia Calhoun Forecki. Tells the true-life story of a single parent coming to terms with her son’s deafness.
Children of Silence: The Story of My Daughters’ Triumph over Deafness. Robinson, Kathy. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1991.
Life As We Know It: A Father, a Family, and an Exceptional Child. Bérubé, Michael. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1996.
Other suggestions (contact instructor for permission): ______