Representations of diversity and otherness in cartoons offer metaphors for identity that can affect children's perceptions and attitudes towards the potential and challenges associated with various forms of disability. This contribution analyses a corpus of animations made up of feature films, series, and short films with a focus on how disability…

The purpose of this brief is to help families and educators understand the right of students with disabilities who need accessible educational materials to receive these materials in a timely manner. This right is based on provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as in the disability civil rights statutes…

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a condition characterized by difficulty in the development of motor coordination and learning new motor skills. It impacts on a child's ability to carry out everyday tasks such as getting dressed, using cutlery, writing or drawing, running, and playing sport. It is not due to any intellectual difficulty…

Every year, under the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), millions of children with disabilities receive special services designed to meet their unique needs. Early intervention services are provided through the state to infants and toddlers with disabilities under three years of age and their families. For…

Tips for childcare and babysitting with special needs children are divided into the categories of physical handicaps, epilepsy, mental impairment, general safety, and general babysitting suggestions. Also provided is an information sheet that parents of special needs children should complete to alert the babysitter to special needs and emergency…

The parent of a child with a physical disability that has not been conclusively diagnosed recounts the family's frustrations in seeking medical diagnosis and treatment. (DB)

Twenty-four manufacturers of wheelchairs in the United States, along with one in Canada, are listed with addresses and telephone numbers, including toll-free telephone numbers when available. (PB)

A parent of a six-year-old son with spina bifida examines common accessibility problems in the form of six steps involved in taking the child shopping from finding a parking space to finding an entrance ramp and maneuvering in the store. (DB)

Parents of a child with muscular dystrophy recount their reactions to learning of the diagnosis, their gradual acceptance, and their son's resistance, which was gradually lessened when he was provided with more information and treated more normally as a member of the family. (CL)

This article offers an overview of factors important in positioning the child with physical disabilities including proper techniques, multidisciplinary assessment, selection of equipment, trying equipment, and ongoing team evaluation. Specific terms concerned with clinical aspects, seating, standing, and seating components are defined. (DB)

The brochure offers guidelines on the everyday care and handling of infants with low muscle tone, in order that positioning, carrying, and other daily activities can be done in ways that will enhance the development of the child and prevent abnormal postures and patterns of movement. Proper positioning in the prone, supine, side lying, and sitting…

A variety of head-mounted aids have been developed in the past decade to fill in the functional gaps of children and adults unable to use their hands at standard capacity. For those with speech difficulties, the optical pointer, headstick and mouthstick also provide communication alternatives. This handbook discusses the characteristics of several…

This booklet offers information regarding adaptive equipment for positioning and mobility of children with disabilities from birth to age three, with reproducible pages discussing and illustrating particular positioning systems. Types of equipment are organized by position, including equipment for prone, supine, side lying, seating, standing,…

Developing effective communication for the physically handicapped child involves establishing a communication system which comprises many nonspeech modes as well as intelligible speech. The child can develop communication readiness skills as the parents develop an attachment between parent and child, acknowledge the child's methods of…

The material in this manual was selected to help non-therapists carry out feeding activities with children who have a neuromuscular disorder such as cerebral palsy. The manual attempts to develop the following competencies: selecting foods of an appropriate consistency, ensuring that the child is positioned correctly for feeding, feeding a child…