What is autism really like? Academic literature often defines autism in a clinical, pathology-orientated way, whereas personal testimony can tell health and social care professionals how it feels. This book presents personal accounts from people whose lives have been touched by the day-to-day realities of autism: people with autism, professionals who interact with them, their parents and their siblings. The stories are mostly told ‘straight’, with brief introductory comments and a few reflect...

Drawing extensively on personal experiences, this important volume looks at sexuality and relationships in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, painting a genuine picture of the range of sexualities and relationships people want.Honest and reflective, it shows how sexuality has been managed and controlled in different countries. It explores a range of issues such as rights, resilience, protection, sexual oppression and the lack of privacy for those living in care ins...

Most health and social care service providers claim to value those with a learning disability. Yet there can sometimes be a huge gulf between stated intentions and what happens in everyday practice. In a few cases that have recently hit the headlines, there have even been allegations of systematic abuse. This timely book asks three vital questions:• What do we mean by valuing?• How does the process of valuing work?• What needs to happen to ensure that we value people with a learning disabilit...

The Handbook of Reading Assessment, Second Edition, covers the wide range of reading assessments educators must be able to use and understand to effectively assess and instruct their students. Comprehensive and filled with numerous authentic examples, the text addresses informal classroom based assessment, progress monitoring, individual norm-referenced assessment, and group norm-referenced or ‘high-stakes’ testing. Coverage includes assessment content relevant for English languag...