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April/May Book Review:

Light from Lucas--Lessons from a Fragile Life by Bob Vander Platts is a powerful, tender story of a family’s response to the life of a severely disabled son.  It includes stories of things that happened to both Bob and Darla before Lucas was born—experiences that molded their faith and prepared their hearts to receive and nurture their son.  Most of the chapters are written by Bob (Lucas’ dad) but one is written by Darla.  All are filled with clear accounts of the struggles that filled the Platts family’s life.  Each chapter ends with a poignant letter to Lucas—including one from Darla, one from one of his brothers and one from a special friend/caregiver.

Each chapter has a spiritual message.  While the theme of each chapter is unique, there are recurring messages:

-Of Lucas’ fight and resolve despite frequent and painful medical interventions and life-threatening illnesses

-Of spiritual battles lost and won as the family sought to trust God and live lives that modeled that trust to others

-Of an emotional rollercoaster encountered every time Lucas faces a new intervention, medical crises, or decision-point

-Of the pressures on the marriage when going through crisis and on the importance of maintaining a strong marriage

-On the importance of supporting the typical siblings

-Of increasing respect for God’s perfect workmanship and plan—of recognizing that God has displayed His workmanship through Lucas’ disabilities and through others as they respond to the disabilities

-Of thankfulness for those who walked alongside—particularly their church and one special friend, Ruth

-Of thanksgiving for his wife/ Lucas’ mother

-Of offering hard-learned suggestions for coping with difficult times and for learning to walk intimately with the Lord

I enthusiastically recommend this book—you cannot help but read this honest account without feeling your heart molded and changed.

Recommended Books for Families and Churches:

Note:  A link at the bottom will lead you to book reviews for any book preceeded by **

 

For and about Parents of Children with Special Needs:

A Caregiver’s Survival Guide by Kay Marshall Strom

A Special Kind of Love by Osborn and Mitchell

After the Tears by Robin Simons

 Barbara and Fred—Grownups Now by Lotte Moise

Challenged Parenting by Bonnie wheeler

Different Children Different Needs by Charles Boyd

Extraordinary Kids by Fuller and Jones

Helping Kids Through Tough Times by Doris Sanford

I’ll Love You Forever by Norm and Joyce Wright

**Light from Lucas by Bob Vander Platts

Love Letters-Responding to Children in Pain by Doris Sanford

Meeting the Challenge of Disability or Chronic Illness by Goldfarb, Brotherson,Summers and Turnbull

Nobody’s Perfect-Living and Growing w/Children who have Special Needs  by Nancy B Miller

Special Children Challenged Parents by Robert Naseef

The Disabled Child and The Family: An Exceptional Parent Reader by Schleifer and Klein

Working with Parents of Exceptional Children by Richard Gargiulo

 

Living and Interacting With Others as an Individual with Disabilities:

Circles of Friends by Robert Perske

Barrier Free Friendships by Joni E. Tada and Steve Jensen

 

Disability Ministry:

All God’s Children by Gene Newman and Joni Eareckson Tada

Basic Disability Training for Christian Minsitry by Jim Pierson

Body Language by Mary Jane Ponten

Each One Uniquely Gifted by God by Bethesda Lutheran Home Services

Enough Room For Joy by Bill Clarke

Give them Jesus by Pat Verbal

How to Create an Effective Disability Ministry in Your Church by Joni and Friends

Ministering With the Family Experiencing Disability by Jim Pierson

No Disabeled Souls by Jim Pierson

**Responding With Compassion by Debbie Lillo **Special Needs Special Ministry by Pierson, Tucker Jones and Verbal

**The Art of Helping by Emily Barnes

 

Sunday School Programming:

52 Lessons for Learners With Disabilities by CCFH Ministries

A Place for Me in God’s Family—Lesson Plans by J Heck and J Pierson

Austism and Your Church by Barbara J. Newman

Exceptional Children by Jim Pierson

Friendship Ministries lessons

Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities by Barbara Newman

Including Students with Autism by CCFH Ministries

Let all the Children Come to Me by MaLesa Breeding, Dana Hood, and Jerry Whitworth

Understanding and Including Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities by Jim Pierson

Understanding and Including Students with Mental Retardation by Jim Pierson

Understanding and Including Children with Learning Disabilities by Jim Pierson

A Place for Me in God’s Family—Lesson Plans by J Heck and J Pierson

 

Support Groups:

Creating the Moms Group You’ve Been Looking For by Jill Savage

Making Small  Groups Work by Cloud and Townsend

Sibshops by Meyer and Vadasy

Support Groups by Joni and Friends

 

 

 

Compassion Issues:

Barrier Free Friendships by Joni Earekson Tada and Steve Jensen

Be Compassionate by Warren Wiersbe

No Disabled Souls by Jim Pierson

**The Art of Helping by Lauren L Briggs

 

The Educational System:

Home-School Relations by Olsen and Fuller

Negotiating the Special Education Maze by Anderson, Chitwood and Hayden

Teaching Social Skills to Youth by Tom Dowd and Jeff Tierney

 

Inspirational Individuals With Disabilities:

A  Step Further by Joni Earekson Tada

Body Language by Mary Jane Ponten

If He Can Do It I Can Do It by Larry Patton

Joni by Joni Earekson Tada

The God I Love by Joni Earekson Tada

Light from Lucas by Bob Vander Plaats

When Today Becomes Tomorrow by Mary Jane Ponten

 

Children’s Picture Books:

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopman

All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! by Ellen Senisi

Don’t Call Me Special by Pat Thomas

The Little Cupcakes by Anthony King

We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen

You Are Special by Max Lucado

You’ve Got a Friend  by Joni Eareckson Tada

 

Communication Skills:

The New Language of Toys by Schwartz and Miller

 

Sibling Issues:

Being the Other One by Kate Strohm

Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs by Donald Meyer and Patricia Vadasy

Love Letters-Responding to Children in Pain by Doris Sanford

Sibshops by Meyer and Vadasy

Special Siblings by Mary McHugh

 

General Medical Issues:

Children With Disabilities: A Medical Primer by Batshaw and Perret

 

Autism/Aspergers:

Autism and Your Church by Barbara J Newman

Emergence Labeled Autistic by Temple Grandin and Margaret Scariano

Facing Autism by Lynn Hamilton

Navigating the Social World by Jeanette McAfee, MD

The Autism Book by S Jhoanna Robledo and Dawn Ham-Kucharski

The Ultimate Stranger by Carl Delacato

Thinking in Pictures  by Temple Grandin

Too Wise to be Mistaken, Too Good to be Unkind by Cathy Steere

 

ADHD:

Why ADHD Doesn’t Mean Disaster by Swanberg and Passno

 

Visual Impairments:

Parenting Preschoolers by Kay Ferrell

 

Down Syndrome:

Early Communication Skills for Children with Down Syndrome by Libby Kumin

Family Makers—Joyful Lives With Down Syndrome by Janette Mandema

The Down Syndrome Nutritional Handbook by Joan Medlin

 

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities:

The Nonverbal Learning Disorder Guide by Rondalyn Varney Whitney

The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disabilities by Sue Thompson

 

RAD:

Dandelion on My Pillow, Butcher Knife Beneath by Nancy, Terena and Beth Thomas

When Love is Not Enough by Nancy L Thomas

 

Sensory Integration Dysfunction:

The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz

 

Epilepsy:

The Epilepsy Diet Treatment—The Ketogenic Diet by Freeman, Kelly and Freeman

Your Child and Epilepsy by Robert Gumnit

 

Death of a Child:

Good Grief:  Helping Groups of Children When a Friend Dies by Sandra Sutherland Fox

Once There Were Three by Mack W Hampton

Talking About Death—a Dialogue between Parent and Child by Gisela Heau

What Happens When We Die? By Carolyn Nystrom (picture book)

 

Sign-Language:

A Manual of Religious Signs by Bearden and Potter

 

 

Special Education College Texts:

Evaluation and Management of Infants and Young Children with Developmental Disabilities

    By Copeland and Kimmel

Exceptional Learners by Hallahan and Kauffman

The Exceptional Child by Smith and Neisworth

 

Devotionals/Bible Studies:

Be Comforted by Warren Wiersbe

Be Comforted by Warren Wiersbe

Caring for Physical Needs by Intervarsity Press

Developing Your Shape to Serve Others by Zondervan Press

Quiet Moments for Caregivers by Betty Free

**Special Strength for Special Parents by Nina Fuller

 

Resource Lists:

Special Needs Reading List by Wilma K Sweeny

The Selpa 1CAC Parent Handbook

United Way Directory of Human Services for Santa Clara County (2000)

 

 

 

 

 

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