Books: Life Planning


New Sign Brookes Publishing publishes resources in early childhood, early intervention, inclusive and special education, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, communication and language, behavior, and mental health. These publications cover issues from early childhood through adulthood. Just a few of their titles include:

  • The Special Needs Planning Guide: How to Prepare for Every Stage of Your Child's Life

  • Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs, Fourth Edition

  • Believe in My Child with Special Needs: Helping Children Achieve Their Potential in School

  • Think College! Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

  • Real Work for Real Pay: Inclusive Employment for People with Disabilities

ABC's of Special Needs Planning Made Easy, The
By Bart Stevens

This simple, step-by-step comprehensive guide, helps families and professionals plan for the future care, supervision, security, and quality of life for a person with special needs. It is an invaluable tool that you will reach for time after time. This book is available for $34.95 and can be purchased on the Bart Stevens Special Needs Planning (BSSNP) website or by calling BSSNP at (888) 447-2525.

Disability and the Family Life Cycle
By Laura E. Marshak, Milton Seligman, Fran Prezant {Published by Basic Books, May 1999, ISBN 0465016324}

This book covers the life span of issues that face persons with disabilities within the family context with therapeutic interventions for families coping with disability. Each chapter focuses on a different time of life: Infancy and Early Childhood, School-Age Years, Adolescence, and The Bridge between Adolescence and Adulthood. In addition, this may be the only book that deals with adult sons and daughters with disabilities, the needs of disabled elderly and the needs of spouses and siblings. The book includes comments from 125 families representing many disabilities.


Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities
By Kathie Snow

This book helps parents replace today's conventional wisdom with common sense values and creative thinking that can lead their children with disabilities (regardless of age or type of disability) toward a more fulfilling life! In this user-friendly book, you will learn how to:

  • Define your child by his or her assets, instead of his or her disability-related "problems," and share this perspective with family, friends, professionals, and others.

  • Replace conventional therapeutic interventions and other services from the system with natural supports and services in your own community.

  • Create "new and improved" partnerships with educators to ensure your child is educated in inclusive, age-appropriate regular education classes.

You will also learn why parental advocacy in our communities, instead of in the system, is the most effective way to effect positive changes in the lives of your children with disabilities. This book is available for $26.95 and can be obtained, by calling (866) 948-2222 or on-line from Disability is Natural.

A Good Life
By Al Etmanski

If you have a family member with a disability and you're thinking about wills and estate planning, supported decision-making, developing a circle of support or alternatives to legal guardianship, A Good Life is an excellent resource. A Good Life covers seven steps of life planning, including sharing your vision for your family member with a disability, building relationships so to ensure the wellbeing of your family member, creating a home, making a contribution, ensuring choice, creating your will and estate plan and securing your plan.

Guardianships and their Alternatives

A current examination of the law affecting guardianships, alternative methods of protecting rights, (45 pages), published in 1996. Order this manual through the National Senior Citizens Law Center. NSCLC's manuals cover practice issues and are especially designed for the attorney/advocate, with complete and practical information about important current legal issues. Manuals are $50 each ($35 for non-profit organizations). To order, send check payable to: National Senior Citizens Law Center, 1101 14th St., NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005.

Laying Community Foundations: For Your Child With a Disability: How to Establish Relationships That Will Support Your Child After You're Gone
By Linda J. Stengle {ISBN 0933149670}

This book shows parents how to develop a volunteer support network that can provide lasting relationships to their son or daughter with a disability. They will learn how to assess their child's needs, interests and existing relationships. Practical advice and insight will help parents ensure that their child is taken care of and included in the community long after their death.

The Road Ahead: Transition to Adult Life for Persons with Disabilities
By Keith Storey, Paul Bates, and Dawn Hunter, Eds.

This new resource provides strategies and ideas for improving the lives of people with disabilities, from assessment and instructional strategies, to career development, supported living and postsecondary education. Written by 20 nationally recognized transition experts, this book is a must read resource. When you want cutting edge ideas to help students have a meaningful life after school, turn to The Road Ahead - it provides strategies for improving the lives of people with disabilities now and tomorrow. Publisher: Training Resource Network; ISBN: 1883302463; 1st edition (March 1, 2002).

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