Disability Parenting Books

“My brain is always sending me off on little missions, whether or not I want to do them. And if I don’t obey, then I have to fight a feeling of horror. Really, it’s like I’m being pushed over the brink into a kind of Hell. For people with autism, living itself is a battle.”

~Naoki Higashida from The Reason I Jump

Very profound words, right? That book was life-changing for me. If you haven’t read it and have a autistic child, it’s a must-read. There are many first-person books from people living with disabilities, and hearing their words and their thoughts can be life-changing.

best books for parents

Let me just put it out there–I have the phrase “special needs” in the title and I really dislike that phrase. As do many disabled people. However, not everyone is there yet, and if I want to people to see this post, I have to use words that they are searching.

I asked my readers what they have read that are life-changing books for them. Books, that when you’re reading them, you’re having that Oprah “a-HA!” moment. It has changed the way you interact with your child, helped you understand your child better.

Sale
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
11,639 Reviews
The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism
  • Higashida, Naoki (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 208 Pages - 03/22/2016 (Publication Date) - Random House Publishing Group (Publisher)
Sale
Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure
303 Reviews
Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure
  • Offit M.D., Paul (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 328 Pages - 03/29/2010 (Publication Date) - Columbia University Press (Publisher)

Side note: I am aware that I am not using people-first language, and I am also using disabled rather than special needs. All are acceptable to use. Neither people first nor using identity first is better than the other. And avoiding the word disabled implies that it’s a bad/negative word. It’s not. There is a movement right now called #SayTheWord to take back ownership of the words disabled and disability.

So, here is the list of books from my readers, books that gave them an “a-ha!” moment and were life-changing for them, as far as raising a child with disabilities or learning disabilities. I realized when I was grabbing the pictures and links from Amazon that they have a feature where I can grab a widget with the price too. So the price you are seeing on these life-changing books should be current, though it might vary for Kindle and so on. And there’s always the library!

Special Needs Parenting Books

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The Explosive Child [Fifth Edition]: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children
6,472 Reviews
The Explosive Child [Fifth Edition]: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Greene PhD, Ross W. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 304 Pages - 05/20/2014 (Publication Date) - Harper Paperbacks (Publisher)

Sale
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
4,594 Reviews
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
  • Great product!
  • Robison, John Elder (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 302 Pages - 09/09/2008 (Publication Date) - Three Rivers Press (Publisher)

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Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism
1,627 Reviews
Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism
  • Temple Grandin (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 270 Pages - 01/10/2006 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)
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No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior
383 Reviews
No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-Of-Control Behavior
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Baker, Jed (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 150 Pages - 04/01/2008 (Publication Date) - Future Horizons (Publisher)
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School Struggles: A Guide to Your Shut-Down Learner's Success
25 Reviews
School Struggles: A Guide to Your Shut-Down Learner's Success
  • Selznick, Richard (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 222 Pages - 08/16/2012 (Publication Date) - Sentient Publications (Publisher)
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Trauma-Proofing Your Kids: A Parents' Guide for Instilling Confidence, Joy and Resilience
341 Reviews
Trauma-Proofing Your Kids: A Parents' Guide for Instilling Confidence, Joy and Resilience
  • Levine Ph.D., Peter A. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 248 Pages - 03/04/2008 (Publication Date) - North Atlantic Books (Publisher)
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Trauma Through a Child's Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing
324 Reviews
Trauma Through a Child's Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Levine Ph.D., Peter A. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 536 Pages - 12/26/2006 (Publication Date) - North Atlantic Books (Publisher)


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Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
1,340 Reviews
Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 336 Pages - 06/30/2020 (Publication Date) - Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (Publisher)
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Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
936 Reviews
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
  • Hardcover Book
  • Heumann, Judith (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 232 Pages - 02/25/2020 (Publication Date) - Beacon Press (Publisher)
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About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times
125 Reviews
About Us: Essays from the Disability Series of the New York Times
  • Hardcover Book
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 304 Pages - 09/03/2019 (Publication Date) - Liveright (Publisher)
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The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder (The Out-of-Sync Child Series)
2,545 Reviews
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder (The Out-of-Sync Child Series)
  • Great product!
  • Stock Kranowitz, Carol (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 384 Pages - 04/04/2006 (Publication Date) - TarcherPerigee (Publisher)
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The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up: Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder in the Adolescent and Young Adult Years (The Out-of-Sync Child Series)
241 Reviews
The Out-of-Sync Child Grows Up: Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder in the Adolescent and Young Adult Years (The Out-of-Sync Child Series)
  • Stock Kranowitz, Carol (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 320 Pages - 05/24/2016 (Publication Date) - TarcherPerigee (Publisher)
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Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids
27 Reviews
Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids
  • James R. Delisle Ph.D. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 224 Pages - 10/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Routledge (Publisher)
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Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids
27 Reviews
Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out: A Guide to the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids
  • James R. Delisle Ph.D. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 224 Pages - 10/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Routledge (Publisher)

 Wrightslaw Books

Some of the most popular IEP advocacy books are from Wrightslaw. Here are a few of their more popular ones.

Sale
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
508 Reviews
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 311 Pages - 01/01/2006 (Publication Date) - Harbor House Law Press, Inc. (Publisher)
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Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition
476 Reviews
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 442 Pages - 03/01/2007 (Publication Date) - Harbor House Law Press, Inc. (Publisher)
Wrightslaw All About Tests and Assessments, 2nd Edition
111 Reviews
Wrightslaw All About Tests and Assessments, 2nd Edition
  • Melissa Lee Farrall (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 173 Pages - 01/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Harbor House Law Press, Inc. (Publisher)
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Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
576 Reviews
Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 166 Pages - 01/01/2010 (Publication Date) - Harbor House Law Press, Inc. (Publisher)
Sale
Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
576 Reviews
Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
  • Used Book in Good Condition
  • Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 166 Pages - 01/01/2010 (Publication Date) - Harbor House Law Press, Inc. (Publisher)

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