The Bookshelf: March 14, 2017

Trib+Health is joining with respected books authority Kirkus Reviews to bring you select reviews of books of note in the field of health care. For more book reviews and recommendations, visit Kirkus.com.

HOW AUTISM IS RESHAPING SPECIAL EDUCATION: The Unbundling of IDEA

by Mark Claypool and John McLaughlin

A snapshot of the state of special education, 50 years after the launch of what became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Claypool and McLaughlin here provide an accessible crash course on the history of special ed. In the main, they leave the talking to a range of national experts that they’ve interviewed, but they bolster their arguments with verifiable, current data from government agencies and anecdotal testimony about families’ experiences within the system... The book’s recommendations for reform—such as a rethinking of definitions of “normal”—aren’t groundbreaking. However, the book finishes optimistically, and overall, it should motivate all parents of children with special needs. 

For the full review, visit kirkus.com.