618195

research-article2015

TCXXXX10.1177/0040059915618195Council for Exceptional ChildrenTeaching Exceptional Children

Original Article

By the Book
Using Literature to Discuss Disability
With Children and Teens

TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 151158. Copyright 2015 The Author(s). DOI: 10.1177/0040059915618195

Kathleen Artman-Meeker, Thomas O. Grant, and Xueyan Yang

Mr. Rodriguez is passionate about using
literature to promote discussion of
important issues in his middle school
English class. Over the course of the year,
though, he has been troubled by what he
considers hurtful and biased language in
the classroom. During group work today,
he overheard a boy jokingly call his
classmate a retard. Mr. Rodriguez was
proud to hear another group member
respond that the word was offensive, but
this was not the only time something
like this had happened. He wants to
make sure that his classroom is a
welcoming place for all learners and that
his students model inclusivity and
respectful communication. He and the
other teachers have had several
discussions about how they can build a
stronger community in the school,
communicate expectations for
inclusiveness and respect, and build
empathy and social skills among the
middle school students. They have
struggled with the need to do so within
the complex demands of their Common
Coredriven curriculum. Mr. Rodriguez
realizes that his English class is, in fact,
the perfect platform for discussion.
Literature might be the perfect way to
spark the discussion, critical thinking,
and problem-solving skills demanded by
the curriculum while still addressing
important social issues. Several
questions linger, however, for Mr.
Rodriguez: Where should he start? How
will he find books that represent human
diversityincluding disabilityin

appropriate ways and can serve as

launching points for discussion? What
resources are available to him?
Like many teachers, Mr. Rodriguez has
recognized the potential of literature
for opening conversations about
human diversity and ability. In our
increasingly diverse schools, teachers
have both a responsibility and an
opportunity to help students see
themselves and others through the lens
of literature. Teachers can use
childrens and adolescent literature to
open minds, counter bias, and reflect
on students experiences. Although
literature alone cannot solve complex
school-based social issues such as bias
and bullying, it can be an important
supplement to research-based
approaches to supporting friendships
(e.g., Pelligrini & Long, 2004) and
preventing bullying (e.g., Olweus,
1993). Literature can increase students
knowledge and awareness of human
diversity and can increase
opportunities for friendships and social
connections among students (Yu,
Meyer, & Ostrosky, 2013). There are
more choices than ever in the
childrens literature market, but the
portrayal of individuals with disabilities
in childrens literature is not always
positive (Dyches, Prater, & Leininger,
2009; Leininger, Dyches, Prater, &
Heath, 2010). Given teachers limited
time and resources, it can be
challenging to evaluate the quality of

the books and make decisions about

integrating them into the curriculum.

In our increasingly diverse

schools, teachers have a
responsibility and an
opportunity to help
students see themselves
and others through the
lens of literature.
There are few resources available to
help teachers make decisions about
what literature to choose and how to
use that related to disability in the
classroom. In this article, we present a
series of questions that teachers can
ask themselves when evaluating
literature, and we provide sample
discussion guides and activities for
using books in early childhood,
elementary, and secondary settings.
Important Considerations in
Books Related to Disability
We developed a decision-making
framework to help teachers choose and
use quality literature in their
classrooms. This framework is based
on five key themes that we identified
from best practices in special education
and previous reviews of childrens
literature (see Dyches et al., 2009;
Higgins, 2000; Landt, 2006; Leininger
et al., 2010)namely, portrayal of

TEACHING Exceptional Children | January/February 2016 151

disabilities, family roles, cultural

diversity, voice, and self-determination.
We framed these themes as questions
that teachers can ask themselves as
they consider books to use in the
classroom.
To demonstrate how the framework
can be used to consider a wide range
of books, we applied the framework to
the 15 awardees of the Dolly Gray
Award from the Division of Autism and
Developmental Disabilities of the
Council for Exceptional Children (see
Figure 1 for information about the
award and Table 1 for a list of
awardees and how to apply the
framework). The award has both
recognized and inspired many changes
in the ways that disability has been
portrayed in childrens literature across
the past 15 years. Although Dolly Gray
awardees provide a benchmark of
excellence from which to explore issues
of equity and portrayal of disabilities,
there remain issues with each book
that teachers should consider carefully
while making curriculum decisions.
How Are Individuals With
Disabilities Portrayed?

If a teachers goal is to nurture a sense of

community among students with diverse
abilities, it is important that literature
show disability in an authentic and
accurate way. Literature should portray
the complexities of life with a disability
while maintaining a fair and positive
perspective. That is, there should be high
expectations for individuals with and
without disabilities, and those with
disabilities should make important
contributions to the story. This does not
mean that literature should sanitize

language or avoid discussing the

difficulties faced by people with
disabilities and their families. Layered
portrayals of all characters, including
people with disabilities, can spark
meaningful conversations and help
readers with disabilities see themselves
in the literature. Although it is not
necessaryor even helpfulfor all
portrayals to be completely positive,
teachers should be wary of negative
portrayals that amount to caricature or
stereotypes. For example, books in which
persons with disabilities are portrayed as
heroic victims or recipients of charity or
in a light that is scary, babyish,
heartwarming, or one-dimensional do
little to increase acceptance and
understanding.

Layered portrayals of all

characters, including
people with disabilities,
can spark meaningful
conversations and help
readers with disabilities
see themselves in the
literature.
In the Dolly Gray awardees,
individuals with disabilities are
generally portrayed positively, but
many of the books also offer realistic
portrayals of the negative aspects of
disability. Only in one instance is
disability portrayed negatively (So B.
It), but the main character in So B. It
comes to appreciate and respect the
strength of her mother, who has an
intellectual disability. Most characters
with disabilities in the chapter books

Figure 1.The Dolly Gray Awardees

In 2000, the Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD)

of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) established the Dolly Gray
Childrens Literature Award. This award recognizes authors, illustrators, and
publishers of high quality fictional and biographical children, intermediate,
and young adult books that appropriately portray individuals with
developmental disabilities. Every even year, awards are presented to authors
and illustrators (if appropriate) of excellent childrens picture books and/or
childrens chapter books. The 15 Dolly Gray awardees represent an excellent
starting point for teachers who want to explore concepts of disability in their
classrooms. The list contains books appropriate for early childhood through
young adult classrooms.

152Council for Exceptional Children

are portrayed as demonstrating high

expectations of their abilities or skills,
making intentional contributions, and
having self-determination, rights, and
reciprocal relationships. In short, books
should portray characters with
disabilities as authentic, dynamic
characters. All the chapter books
portray persons with disabilities as
dynamic characters, whereas this is
true for only one picture book (Just
Because)probably because there is
generally more room for character
development in chapter books. It seems
important, however, to ensure that
even in picture books, characters with
disabilities are portrayed more
dynamically, especially because picture
books tend to be geared toward
teaching young children about
disabilities.
Loaded language. Teachers should
be aware of how language is used to
describe disabilities. Although loaded or
offensive language can reinforce
negative images, teachers also should
beware of books that go to extremes to
sanitize language or use euphemisms to
mask the realities of disability (e.g.,
handi-capable). Disabilities are
described in various ways across the
books. The use of loaded words to
describe a disability is in the chapter
books, either with intent to hurt (e.g., in
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, the
bully, Tommy Swinden, calls Max Max
the Moron) or through a general
description of the character with
disability (e.g., in The London Eye
Mystery, Ted reveals that others at
school call him a neek, a cross between
nerd and geek, and in So B. It the
character is described as having a bum
brain). However, the use of loaded
words is often resolved in some way. In
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Max is
able to outwit Tommy despite being
fearful of him. In The London Eye
Mystery, a peer says Youre a neek
alright, Ted. Only its got nothing to do
with nerds and geeks. Its short for
unique (p. 312). In some cases, humor
is based on the disability itselffor
instance, in Tru Confessions, Trudy jokes
about her brothers condition as
autistic, I mean artistic, license.

TEACHING Exceptional Children | January/February 2016 153

Ians Walk: A Story About

Autism (2000)

Just Because (2012)

Keeping Up With Roo

(2006)

My Brother Charlie (2012)

My Brother Sammy (2002)

Understanding Sam and

Asperger Syndrome (2010)

A Small White Scar

(2008)

Me and Rupert Goody

(2002)

Memoirs of an Imaginary
Friend (2014)

Remember Dippy (2014)

So B. It (2006)

The Curious Incident of

the Dog in the Night-Time
(2004)

The London Eye Mystery

(2010)

Tru Confessions (2000)

Waiting for No One

(2012)

Lears

Elliot

Glenn & Andreasen

Robinson Peete &

Peete

Edwards & Armitage

van Niekerk &

Venter

Nuzum

OConnor

Dicks

Vernick

Weeks

Haddon

Dowd

Tashjian

Brenna

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Picture

Picture

Picture

Picture

Picture

Picture

Type of
book

Autism

Intellectual disability

Autism

Autism

Intellectual disability

Autism

Not clear

Not clear

Intellectual disability

Autism

Autism

Autism

Intellectual disability

Orthopedic disability

Autism

Type of disability

Positive / no

Positive / yesb

Positive / yesa

Positive / no

Mixed / yes

Mixed / yes

Positive / yes

Mixed / yes

Mixed / no

Mixed / no

Mixed / no

Positive / no

Negative / no

Positive / no

Mixed / no

Portrayal /
Loaded
language

Single parent;
sister as caregiver
Single parent

NC

Two parents; sister

as caregiver

Character with
disability

Sibling (twin)

Character with
disability

Character with
disability

Daughter

NC

Cousin

Imaginary
friend

Nonfamily
character

Sibling (twin)

Narrator

Sibling

Sibling (twin)

Narrator

Sibling

Sibling

Point of view

NC

AA

AA

Race

Single parent

Mother with
intellectual
disability; daughter
as caregiver

Single parent

Two parents

Foster family

Single parent;
brother as caregiver

Two parents

Two parents

Single parent

Extended

Two parents

Single parent;
sister as caregiver

Family roles

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Strong

Weak

Strong

Strong

Weak

Strong

Weak

Selfdetermination

Note. AA = African American; NC = not clear; W = White, non-Hispanic. Note that Race was coded in 8 categories, but only 3 categories were present in the books reviewed.
aLoaded language resolved. bInappropriate humor (humor about disability).

Title (award year)

Author

Table 1.Overview of Dolly Gray Awardees

Age-appropriate experiences.
Teachers should carefully evaluate how
characters with disabilities spend their
time in childrens books. In nearly all
of the books, persons with disabilities
spent their time in age-appropriate
activities. Examples include visiting
with neighbors (Remember Dippy),
going to the park (My Brother Sammy),
and joining soccer teams (Tru
Confessions). Teachers should watch
out for age-inappropriate experiences
as in one picture book, Keeping Up
With Roo, where an adult with
developmental disabilities waits all day
to play while a 5-year-old is at school.
Differences and similarities: Why
and how were they highlighted?. The
purpose of the book appeared to
influence the extent to which
similarities and differences among
people with disabilities were
highlighted. Picture books in particular
seemed designed to teach about
disabilities rather than feature
individuals with disabilities as equal
citizens. Differences are described in
detail, and these differences are often
embarrassing or unwanted. For
instance, in Ians Walk, Ian prefers to
sniff the brick wall of the post office
rather than a bouquet of lilacs,
embarrassing his sisters. Although
young siblings may experience a variety
of emotions throughout the sibling
relationship (Stoneman, 2005), it is
important to present a balanced view of
disability and highlight the strengths of
sibling relationships. A positive example
of how differences are mentioned but
described in a way that promote

acceptance is in the picture book Just

Because. Toby mentions differences
between him and his older sister, who
has orthopedic disabilities (e.g., She
cant walk, talk, move around much . . .
cook macaroni, pilot a plane, juggle, or
do algebra), but he accepts the
differences as occurring just because
(I dont know why she doesnt do
these things. Just because.).
How Are Families Portrayed and
What Are Caregiving Roles?

Family-centered practice is a cornerstone

of special education (Fults & Harry,
2012), so teachers should look for books
that offer an accurate and sensitive
portrayal of families. Teachers should
also consider whether books will
resonate with children and teenagers
who live with someone with a disability
or who have a disability themselves. The
Dolly Gray awardees are generally
representative of family structure in the
United States. All the characters with
disabilities portrayed in the books
resided at home with family. Of the 15
books in the list, nine portray singleparent families (typically with the
mother as the primary caregiver); four
portray two-parent families; one portrays
a child in the foster care system; and one
could not be discerned. It is notable,
however, that no books show lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender families or
grandparents as caregivers.
We were particularly interested in
the roles and portrayals of caregiving in
the Dolly Gray awardees. Father
figures, when present in the books, are
usually actively involved in their

childrens lives, and half had caretaker

and provider roles. Mothers are present
as well and were often actively
involved in the lives of the characters
with disabilities. Mothers took on
caretaker roles, particularly in chapter
books. In six of the books, sisters have
caregiving roles for their siblings with
disabilities, and in one book, a brother
has a caregiving role. Although
emerging research indicates that sisters
tend to have more frequent contact and
caregiving responsibilities for siblings
with disabilities (Hodapp, Urbano, &
Burke, 2010; Orsmond & Seltzer, 2000;
Stoneman, 2005), the portrayal of
sisters as caregivers in childrens books
runs the risk of confirming stereotypes
or putting expectations on female
siblings of individuals with disabilities.
Given the unique experiences of
siblings over the life span, childrens
literature can provide a window into
the experiences of children during the
childhood and adolescent years.
We found it interesting that there
were three pairs of twins in the books
we reviewed (My Brother Charlie, Tru
Confessions, and A Small White Scar).
In Tru Confessions and A Small White
Scar, the protagonist is the twin
without a disability and grapples with
the idea that he or she could have been
the one with disabilities. This may
have been a literary convention
intended to highlight the differences
between the twin with disabilities and
the one who is typically developing.
However, it also addresses the complex
emotions of many siblings: guilt, fear,
and affection mingled throughout the
books. For instance, in Tru Confessions,
Trudy makes it her lifelong mission to
find a cure for Eddie, exploring
avenues to help her brother. In A Small
White Scar, Will feels trapped by
having to look after Denny, and he
experiences guilt at wanting to leave.
However, he realizes in the end that
not only does Denny rely on him, but
he has learned a lot from Denny.
Do Characters Represent Cultural
and Linguistic Diversity?

Students look for themselves and their

families in the books that they read;
154Council for Exceptional Children

of the individual with disabilities. The

lack of a prominent voice from the
character with disabilities may reinforce
notions that persons with disabilities are
spoken for rather than speaking for
themselves. Occasionally, however, the
perspective of the character with
disabilities is revealed regardless of the
narrator. For instance, in Tru Confessions,
there is a poignant moment where Eddie
displays self-awareness of his being
different, and looking in a full-length
mirror, he sobs, I dont want to be
different, I want to be the same. Same as
everybody else (p. 111).
How Do Individuals With
Disabilities Make Decisions and
Influence Their Own Lives?

lack of diversity in books can be

harmful to students developing senses
of self and can reinforce the
invisibility of individuals from
minority groups (Naidoo, 2014).
Therefore, it is important that books
portray realistic characters from
culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds. Characters with
disabilities from culturally diverse
backgrounds are rarely depicted in the
Dolly Gray awardees. Where ethnicity
could be determined, nearly all the
characters with disabilities were White
and non-Hispanic. The exceptions
included one picture book, My Brother
Charlie, which portrays an African
American family, and a chapter book,
Me and Rupert Goody, which portrays
an adult man of mixed African
American and Caucasian descent.
Although disability exists across ethnic
groups, this was not captured in the
books that we reviewed. The limited
racial and ethnic representation may
mean that many people with
disabilities and their families will not

be able to see themselves in these

books.
Whose Point of View Is Dominant?

The point of view from which stories are

told can influence students
understanding of others perspectives
and can challenge students to think
differently about everyday events
(Giorgis & Johnson, 2002). Childrens
literature provides an opportunity to hear
directly from those experiencing or
affected by disabilities. To this end, three
of the books were told from the
perspective of an individual with a
disability. As we began exploring the
awardees, however, it became clear that
individuals with disabilities did not
frequently have a voice in the books;
they often played supporting roles and
were portrayed through the eyes of their
siblings, a nonsibling family member, or
an omniscient narrator. Rarely were the
persons with disabilities main characters
or narrators. The main characters often
talked about or described the experiences

One of the primary goals of special

education is to support selfdetermination, or the the attitudes and
abilities required to act as the primary
causal agent in ones life and to make
choices regarding ones actions
(Wehmeyer, 1992, p. 305). When
choosing literature, teachers should
consider how and whether those with
disabilities make decisions and have
control over their lives. In the awardees,
characters with disabilities are generally
portrayed as strong and independent,
although they still rely on other authority
figures. Characters with disabilities have
a sense of agency; they make their own
decisions and act on them. For example,
in The London Eye Mystery, Ted, a
teenage boy with Aspergers syndrome,
is the one who solves the mystery of his
missing cousin, owing to his ability to
pick up on details and piece facts
together. In Memoirs of an Imaginary
Friend, Max, who has Aspergers
syndrome and relies heavily on his
imaginary friend Budo, is kidnapped but
ultimately manages to escape without
Budos help. In addition, the chapter
books generally portrayed characters
with disabilities as eventually being able
to solve their own problems. None of the
picture books portrayed characters with
disabilities as being able to solve their
problemsperhaps because the picture
books tended to describe the individual
or the disability and rarely included
problems to be solved.

TEACHING Exceptional Children | January/February 2016 155

Table 2.Sample Discussion Questions and Activity Guides

Title
Discussion questions

Activity guide

My Brother Charlie (preschool/elementary)

1.How are you the same as your brother or sister? How are
you different?
2. How do you show people you love them?
3. Whats Charlie good at? What are you good at?
4.What kinds of things are hard for Charlie? What kinds
of things are hard for you? How can we help each other
when things are hard?

All About Me books. Use My Brother Charlie as an

opportunity to discuss the ways that each child is unique.
Create individual books for each member of the class. Label
pages with phrases from the book, such as I am good at so
much, Sometimes its hard for me to . . . I love . . . ,
I show my love by . . . Write the childrens words as they
complete each sentence. Then let children decorate their
own pages with photos, drawings, or other materials. You
could also use these sentence starters to write a whole-class
interactive book.

Tru Confessions (fourth to eighth grade)

1.Eddie says at one point, I dont want to be different.
I want to be the same. Same as everybody else (p.
111). Have you ever felt that way? How do you think
this might be same or different for people who have
disabilities? (This question can lead to a discussion on
diversity in terms of not just ability but also race, for
example.)
2.Trudy replies to her brother, Everyones different, not
just you (p. 111). Do you agree? In what ways do you
agree or disagree?
3.Trudy talks about some of the terms that have been used
to describe Eddie (p. 21). She concludes, These labels
dont give you a true picture. Why do you think that
might be so? How would this apply to people who are
different from you? (Note: This can apply to more than
just disability.)

1.Creating awareness project. Trudys video project was

about her brother, Eddie, and creating awareness of
the life of her brother. Students can create a project,
individually or in small groups, to create awareness of an
issue that persons with disabilities (general or specific)
may face.
2.Role-play/writing assignment. Create cards with roles
(e.g., person with disability; parent, sibling, friend, or
nonfriend/enemy of individual with disability) in
various situations (e.g., at school, in sports, in the park).
Have each student in a group randomly pick a role and
role-play, discuss, or write what his or her characters
thoughts might be. Switch after an interval of time. For
example, Trudy has a page on what she thinks Eddie is
likely to be thinking (p. 79). Ask: If you were in the body
of someone with a disability (specify one), what do you
think you would think/feel?

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (middle to high school)

1. How does Max demonstrate self-determination?
2.How does Budos perception of Max differ from that of
other characters in the book?
3.How does the authors portrayal of ability conflict with
your beliefs regarding disability?
4.What can Budos loyalty to Max teach others about
friendship?
Suggestions for Using
Childrens Literature in the
Classroom
The books recognized as Dolly Gray
awardees provide an excellent platform
for discussion and action. Teachers can
design lesson plans or activities around
any of the awardees. We have developed
discussion questions and activities for
three representative books, with activities

156Council for Exceptional Children

Students can create a drawing, collage, or set of trading

cards featuring the imaginary friends found in the book.
Similarities and differences among the imaginary friends
could be explored. Students also could contemplate how the
various characteristics could help to support someone with
a disability.

appropriate for early childhood, middle

school, and high school students,
respectively (see Table 2).
The types of questions and activities
presented in Table 2 can be used in
inclusive settings to encourage
awareness of human diversity.
However, during these discussions,
teachers should carefully consider the
experiences and perspectives of
children and teens with disabilities in

the classroom. It can also be helpful for

teachers to plan specific questions they
want to ask about a text and consider
the responses that they anticipate from
students. Just as during discussions of
racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity,
students should never be singled out or
asked to represent the perspectives of
all people with disabilities. Elementary
and secondary students can be
self-conscious about differences. This

Figure 2.Guide for Choosing Childrens Literature

Questions to Ask:

Notes

How are individuals with disabilities portrayed?

Is the portrayal of the disability realistic and consistent with the definition
of the disability?
Are there high expectations for the individual with disabilities?
Does the individual with a disability make intentional contributions to the
story?
Does the individual with a disability have age-appropriate experiences and
rights?
Is the individual with disabilities victimized or bullied?
Are there loaded words like retarded, normal, or weird?
How are families portrayed and what are caregiving roles?
Where does the individual with a disability live? Who are family members?
Who has a primary caregiving role?
Do siblings have caregiving responsibilities and, if so, are the
responsibilities age-appropriate?
Does the book accurately represent the emotional complexity of family life?
Do characters represent cultural and linguistic diversity?
Are characters from diverse cultural, linguistic, and social groups present in
meaningful roles?
Are characters genuine, authentic, and free from stereotypes of racial or
ethnic groups?
Do characters speech match their cultural traditions?
Whose point of view is dominant?
Does the individual with a disability have a voice (even if non verbal), or is
the individual only spoken of by others?
Does the book emphasize differences between individuals with and without
disabilities?
How do individuals with disabilities make decisions and influence their
own lives?
Does the individual with a disability have strengths that contribute to the
plot of the story?
Do the characters choices have an effect on the story or on that characters
development?
Do individuals with disabilities solve their own problems?
Additional questions to ask when choosing childrens literature
Does the cover art, title, or back matter portray stereotyped images or ideas?
Has the book been recognized for excellence (e.g., ALA, Newberry Honor)?

does not mean that conversations

should be avoided, but it does mean
that teachers must be sensitive to
individual and group dynamics. Think
ahead about signs that a conversation
is becoming uncomfortable for
students: withdrawing from
conversation, avoiding eye contact,
appearing upset, or beginning to act

out. Finally, teachers should take time

to reflect on how their own behaviors
or responses influence the class.
Final Recommendations
Although the Dolly Gray awardees are
recognized as examples of excellence in
childrens literature related to disability,

there has been a great deal of progress

in how disabilities are portrayed over
the past 15 years. Teachers need to be
careful consumers of literature. To help
make decisions, we developed a
worksheet (Figure 2) that teachers can
use to help make decisions about using
literature related to disability. Teachers
should consider the questions listed in

TEACHING Exceptional Children | January/February 2016 157

Figure 2 when selecting literature to

use in the classroom.
It is important to remember that an
answer of no to one or more of these
questions does not automatically mean
that a teacher should not use the book.
With older students or young adults,
these issues in a book can spark
important conversations. Students can
often learn from nonexamples in the
text. The key for teachers is to be
aware of these issues in advance and to
be intentional in addressing them with
students.
In conclusion, teachers have
tremendous opportunities to open
discussion about ability and
community in the classroom.
Childrens literature provides a lens for
reflection and action.
Mr. Rodriguez sat down with his
schools intervention specialist and
reviewed the Dolly Gray awardee list.
They completed the Guide for Choosing
Childrens Literature on the chapter
books, and he decided that Memoirs of
an Imaginary Friend would be a great
text to spark discussions about equity
and diversity in his class. He was
excited to get started and could not wait
to begin planning the discussion cues
and activities that would support the
text! He looked forward to using the
guide to evaluate the books on his
schools reading list.
References
Brenna, B. (2010). Waiting for no one.
Ontario, Canada: Red Deer Press.
Dicks, M. (2013). Memoirs of an imaginary
friend. New York, NY: St. Martins
Griffin.
Dowd, S. (2009). The London eye mystery.
New York, NY: Yearling.
Dyches, T., Prater, M. A., & Leininger,
M. (2009). Juvenile literature and
the portrayal of developmental
disabilities. Education and Training in
Developmental Disabilities, 44, 304317.
Edwards, B., & Armitage, D. (1999). My
brother Sammy. Minneapolis, MN:
Millbrook Press.
Elliot, R. (2011). Just because. Oxford,
England: Lion Hudson.

158Council for Exceptional Children

Fults, R. M., & Harry, B. (2012). Combining

family-centeredness and diversity
in early childhood teacher training
programs. Teacher Education and Special
Education, 35, 2748.
Giorgis, C., & Johnson, N. J. (2002).
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Kathleen Artman-Meeker, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Thomas O. Grant, MIT, Doctoral
Student, Xueyan Yang, MA, Doctoral
Student, College of Education, University of
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TEACHING Exceptional Children,
Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 151158.
Copyright 2015 The Author(s).

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