Reflections from a Different Journey: What Adults with Disabilities Wish All Parents Knew

By John D. Kemp and Stanley D. Klein

Book Overview

Comprises forty essays by adult role models who share what it is like to grow up with a disability. This book presents glimpse into the lives and minds of people with different disabilities - cerebral... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071422692
• ISBN13: 9780071422697
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, The
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great advice & full of inspiration

The personal essays in this book are incredibly helpful for anyone whose life is touched by a child with a physical or emotional challenge. As a parent of a child with a chronic illness, I found the first-hand advice unique and straightforward. The essays are short and really diverse -- each one of them had a gem that I could apply to my child's situation. This peek into the lives of the authors helps parents create a life that is blessedly ordinary for their kids when life may not feel very ordinary at all. The greatest gift of this book is that most solutions are quite simple -- it's our desire to overcome the disability that prevents us from treating it as another normal part of life. A great read for anyone touched by a child who faces medical challenges.

"Reflections" Is For Everyone

"Reflections from a Different Journey" is one of the best books I've ever read. With grace and kindness, the authors selected by John Kemp and Stanley Klein give parents the wisdom they need to understand and nurture children with disabilities. This isn't just a book for parents--it's a book for everyone. Buy it for yourself or someone you love. Chris K. Olander, Executive Director Emeritus, The JM Foundation and Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation

This book changed my life

This book changed my life. I grew up with a disability and have been an advocate for years. This book gave me a huge sense of pride to be a member of the disabled community that was never there before. Many of the stories reflected my parents and my struggles and triumphs, the every day life of growing up with a disability. Many of the authors echo the advice I give parents. The book reminds me how important all our stories are and I find myself wanting to write mine. I tell everyone I know or meet that they should read this book. I bought many copies of the book to give family members, friends and colleagues. I want everyone who knows me well to read it so they can have a fuller understanding of life with a disability, that I'm neither to be pitied nor thought extraordinary. So I recommend this book to you if you want a picture of life for 40 people who had disabilities as children. Read this book if you want help to think about your own children or your children's friends, read this book if you want a human picture of families where one or more children had a disability. Read this book if you want to know the success stories of these 40 people.

Journeys in reality

The simple but real situations of growth and maturation are easy to read and flow from one essay to the next. The perspective of the "children" is an essential piece of the puzzle when you are raising a child with a disability. As a mother of 2 such children I value the insight and hope these essays give me.

Hope for the future

I originally read Dr. Kline's inspirational book, You Will Dream New Dreams in 2001. It was wonderful to read about other parent's experiences and feel that you were not alone. Reflections, goes one step further and allows parents to actually go into the future to read about accomplished adults with disabilities who were willing to share their experiences, both good and bad. I couldn't put it down and wanted to meet each and every one of the essay authors. Shortly after finishing the book, I got my wish and met Darren Cecil. His essay immediately made a difference in my decision to enroll our son in t-ball, something he showed an interest in, but I didn't think he was ready for. Mr. Cecil, born with his left arm missing below the elbow, successfully talked a coach into letting him play on the high school basketball team on a trial basis, after originally being turned down because he couldn't dribble with his left hand. He did this without his mother's knowledge because he had been taught to stick up for himself. Mr. Cecil ended up being the second highest scorer and went on to play in college, became a successful business owner, husband and father of three children. "Perhaps if the mother had known then of her son's life purpose, she would have felt a deeper peace. The ties that bind and being able to tie one's life together are far more important than shoe ties that keep a child from tripping. Her boy may have fallen, but he always landed on his feet. If his mother had only known...." This was just a small excerpt of the many essays that will warm your heart, give you hope for the future, help you make some important changes, and feel good about things you are already doing. Leslie Fauquet M.A. CCC SLPParent and Professional(...)