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s S y if a ACA
id a y a tu D EMI
- H a c h m a PRE
M a u la ni R
a h SEN C
- H a n i f T
ON A ATI
e i d i n a e s u m a
- M y a n a t a K DISC ND
. S u r r ad i ta USS
- M s y i n a F a ION
S i t i H a
- KUN
A NG
KUN
ADD A FOOTER A NG
 Child
r en
Liter
ature

" Po o r
little
thing
s" a n
The d "B
portr souls“ rave
a ya l little
disab of in
ilitie divid
s in uals
child with
ren's
liter
a tu r e

By Em
iliano
C. Ay
ala
 T RA CT
ABS

- Using a collection of 59 books for young children portraying characters with

disabilities were reviewed to determine their literary quality and how far the
story line and characters mirror the educational and demographic trends in our
society.
-The results indicate, there are increase of diversity of disabilities being
potrayed in recent publications.
-However, few books contained diversity of ethnically, language, place and
specific cultures.
- But, considering the cultural and linguistic diversity of our public schools, the
limited number of children's books representing multiethnic characters with
disabilities reflects a tremendous imbalance in this literature base. 3
 T RA CT
ABS
1. Tremendous Imbalance in this literature base
First, children's literature is being used as a means for helping children understand and cope with
difficult decisions they must face in an increasingly complex society (Barclay & Whittington, 1992;
Cuddigan & Hanson, 1988; Ouzts, 1991).
Second, there has been a renewed educational focus on increasing literacy skills through the use of
authentic stories and illustrations in children's literature (Kibler, 1996).
These two theories are two primary influence on the increase of topic that surrounded about deals
with personal and social problems.
Although publishers' catalogs and libraries contain a wide range of topics that will interest the
general public, few if any, have accumulated a collection of children's literature portraying the
cultural and linguistic diversity of individuals with disabilities who are increasingly reflected in our
society

4
 T RA CT
ABS
2. Lack of relevant Children Literature
This is somewhat surprising considering the powerful disabilities movement in the United States and the
increasing ethnic and linguistic diversity within the public school system.
- In an effort to facilitate this integration, children's books have become a useful tool for educators
attempting to increase children's understanding of disabilities (Cuddigan & Hanson, 1988).
- Books written about individuals with disabilities offer an inexpensive, entertaining, and authentic way for
communicating with children in general about disabilities, provide individuals with disabilities with stories
about themselves and portray how they cope with their disabilities in their daily lives (Baskin & Harris,
1984; Cuddigan & Hanson, 1988; Kupper, 1994

- Similarly, it is not unusual for civil rights efforts to be documented in children's literature and many
examples exist which portray characters struggling with racial integration, gender issues, and ageism
(McGuire, 1987).
The practice of inclusive education for individual's with disabilities, a significant movement within education,
has not yet surfaced as a common theme in children's books 5
 T RA CT
ABS
5. The primary purpose of this project was to review and analyze a selection of children's
literature portraying individuals with disabilities, review their literary quality, and
determine the extent to which the story line and characters mirror the educational and
demographic trends in our society.
6. This conducted in three separate phases:
- In phase one, a compilation of the existing bibliographic and literary reviews of children's literature
portraying individuals with disabilities was collected in order to document the significant trends
and patterns identified by previous researchers
- Phase two consisted of collecting and reviewing the books including setting parameters as to
which books were to be included in this study, a critical methodological issue. Phase three
consisted of organizing and analyzing the data collected from the books
- Finally, the data were analyzed to identify any new trends emerging from more recently published
children's books not yet identified by previous studies.
6
 T RA CT
ABS
3. Reveals inequities
- Demographic data across the nation indicate a tremendous increase in the number of school-aged
children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Ramirez, 1988).
- Dunn (1993) project that by the year 2010, the Hispanic population will become the largest ethnic
group in the nation. As the number of young children from diverse backgrounds continues to rise.
- Kibler (1996) reports that for Latino populations, a slight rise has been documented in the number of
books representing Mexican American life and culture. However, the number of books representing
Latinos is still significantly underrepresented compared to their demographic size.
The use of children's literature portraying diverse cultures provides a balanced perspective for the
multicultural classroom in two important ways.
- First, the authentic portrayals of individuals from different cultures in children's books accurately
reflects the lifestyles of some children, thereby validating their personal experiences and histories.
- Second, these books provide a realistic view of that culture for those who are unfamiliar with these
lifestyles and set the stage for cross-cultural discussions and insight. 7
 T RA CT
ABS

State of The Art

Indeed, most of these reviews are simply annotated bibliographical
lists of children's books organized by disability with little or no
discussion on the literary quality of the books. The remaining
reviews provide more detailed discussions on the portrayal of the
characters and quality of the books but still do not address related
themes including issues of cultural and linguistic diversity.

8
 T RA CT
ABS
Methods:
 In phase one, a compilation of the existing bibliographic and literary reviews of children's literature
portraying individuals with disabilities was collected in order to document the significant trends
and patterns identified by previous researchers.
 Phase two consisted of collecting and reviewing the books including setting parameters as to
which books were to be included in this study, a critical methodological issue.
 Phase three consisted of organizing and analyzing the data collected from the books. Using the
patterns and trends identified by previous researchers, the books selected for this study were
compared to these existing trends to determine if these trends are still evident in the literature.
 Finally, the data were analyzed to identify any new trends emerging from more recently published
children's books not yet identified by previous studies.

9
 A variety of authors have documented the historical
changes of how individuals with disabilities are portrayed
in children's literature (Baskin & Harris, 1977, 1984;
Friedberg, Mullins & Sukiennik, 1985; Carlin, Laughlin &
Saniga, 1991).
1. In Notes From a Different Drummer and More Notes
From a Different Drummer, Baskin and Harris (1977, 1984)
HISTORY conducted an extensive historical analysis on the
portrayal of individuals with disabilities in over 300 books.
1976-
1940- 1976-1980
OF LITERARY 1975
1980

INVESTIGATI character portrayal, roles

ON assigned to the characters,

types of disabilities portrayed,
expressions of reality, literary
quality, illustrations, depiction 10
of professionals, and revealing
titles
 2. Heim (1994)
Heim provided five criteria for the evaluation of children's
literature:
- Accuracy of Information
- Lack of Stereotypes
- Literary Quality

HISTORY
- Confronting the Disability
- Not "Using" Disabled Characters.
3. Friedberg, Mullins, and Sukiennik (1985) and Baskin and
OF LITERARY Harris (1984)
- Many authors, however well intentioned, write out of a

INVESTIGATI "zealousness to convert unaware readers to their cause"

- Quality books recognize the natural anxiety that
children sense when confronted with physical differences
ON
11
 4. Mellon (1989)
- Many of the texts portraying individuals with disabilities
focus solely on the differences caused by the disability
rather than the similarities evident among all children
- Mellon also noticed that individuals with disabilities,
particularly those with physical limitations, were cast in

HISTORY
two distinct roles. “Poor little thing” and “Brave little
soul”

OF LITERARY
INVESTIGATI
ON
12
Background
 In this investigation, a total of 59 books for
young children published between 1974 and
1996 portraying individuals with disabilities were
reviewed in an effort to verify the patterns and
trends identified by previous investigators as
well as identify any new themes that may have
surfaced since the previous investigations were
conducted
Objectives/Purposes
 A unique focus of this investigation was to
determine the extent to which cultural and
linguistic themes are evident in the story lines.
Concept
 For this study, a comprehensive review of the
existing research on individuals with disabilities
in children's literature elicited a total of 15
content areas from which to compare and
contrast the books selected for this review. The
content areas provide a framework for
cataloging and analyzing each book reviewed
for this study.
 Method
 The data collected from these content areas were organized on a
computer generated database in an effort to classify and quantify the
resulting trends. Simple descriptive statistics were used to organize the
data and assist in extracting the relevant themes that surfaced from the
results.
 The criteria for book selection was limited to picture books and
intermediate readers written between 1974 and 1996 which contained
a primary character who had a handicapping condition.
 As each book was collected, a cursory review assisted in determining if
the book fit the search criteria and was read a second time to collect
the data for the 15 content areas.
Method
 A variety of resources were used to collect the books for this
investigation including San Diego State University (SDSU)
children's library collection, Riverside County Public Library,
Palm Springs Public Library, a private book collection owned
by an SDSU professor interested in this topic, and a book
distributing company (Nana's Book Warehouse) who assisted
in locating relevant titles using the search criteria. Frequently,
the books encountered among the various resources
overlapped leaving 59 titles obtained for this review.
o Title : Someone Special Just Like You
o Author : Brown, Tricia
o Year : 1984
o Publisher : Henry Holt & Company
o Category : Docu-Biographical
o Disability Portrayed : Multiple
Disabilities
o Story Setting : Children at school
o Character Portrayal : Photographs of
people
o Gender : Male & Female
o Ethnicity : Multi-Ethnic
o Language Of Text : English
o Disability/Labeling : Positive
Portrayal
o Cultural Emphasis? None infused
o Educational Information? None
o Age Focus : Preschool age
 Title : El Sol es un Techo Altisimo
 Author : Santiago, Lilliana
 Year : 1988
 Publisher : Amaquemecan
 Category : Fiction
 Disability Portrayed : Autism
 Story Setting : Child at home
 Character Portrayal : Cartoon
sketches of child
 Gender : Female
 Ethnicity : Hispanic
 Language Of Text : Spanish
 Disability/Labeling : Positive
portrayal
 Cultural Emphasis? Minimal
emphasis
 Educational Information? None
 Age Focus : Primary ages
Result / Finding
 The results of this literature review support the investigations
conducted by Baskin and Harris (1984) and Friedberg, Mullins,
and Sukiennik (1985). Many of the specific patterns identified in
the literature review continue to exist with the more recent
publications providing evidence that the patterns have become
stylized within this genre. However, several new trends not
discussed in previous investigations emerged from this review
verifying statements that certain selections within this literature
base also change in response to societal perceptions, including
the types of disabilities being portrayed and the characterization
of individuals with a disability.
 Number and types of publications
Of the 59 books reviewed, a new genre appears to be emerging in this field with
6% (4) of the books classified as informational/educational. They are not at all
similar to traditional non-fiction books but rather informational manuals that
provide factual information about the disability is to help the children
understand the origin, characteristics and treatment of the disability portrayed
in the book. 63% of the books review that published for young readers
(kindergarten through third grade) are picture books, and the remaining
publications (31%) were clearly geared for intermediate readers and were
organized by chapters with few illustrations.

 Types of disabilities portrayed:

The most common disabilities represented in children's literature included
characters with either orthopedic or visual impairments. More recent
publications (1989-1996) include individuals with multiple disabilities (14%) as
well as more recently recognized disabilities including learning disabilities (12%),
medical concerns including AIDS, asthma, and leukemia (12%), autism (5%) and
attention deficit disorder (5%). Not a single book reviewed contained a character
with a primary emotional disability, although this was reported by Baskin and
Harris (1984) as a frequently occurring disability in this literature base.
 Characters portrayal
As with previous investigations, males-only portrayals (52%) tended to out-
number the females (30%) as the primary characters with disabilities,
although a growing number of publications contain a variety of individuals
with disabilities from both sexes (18%).
With respect to culture and language, Caucasian characters (50%) continue
to dominate the literature. Characters from Hispanic backgrounds represent
9% while African American characters are represented by less than one
percent of the books reviewed. Interestingly however, a quarter of the
literature (26%) includes individuals with disabilities from various ethnic
backgrounds within the same book as either main or supporting characters.
Single parent families (15%) and grandparents taking care of children with
disabilities (12%) are increasingly becoming com- mon examples of family
constellations portrayed in the literature.

 Roles assigned to characters

The results of this research indicate that a majority (63%) of the literature
continues to categorize the protagonist as a hero, typified as the "brave
little soul."
 e r s i ty a nd
i s o f Di v
An a ly s
Disability

 Reviewing 59 books for young children published between 1974 and 1996 to potray individuals with
disabilities.
 A comprehensive review of the existing research on individuals with disabilities in children’s literature
elicited a total of 15 content areas which to compare and contrast the books selected for this review.
 Other resources to collect the books for this investigation including San Diego State University children’s
library collection, Riverside County Public Library, Palm Springs Public Library, a private book collection
owned by the SDSU professor interested in this topic, and a book distributing company (Nana’s Book
Warehouse) who assisted in locating relevant titles using the search criteria.
o Title : Someone Special Just Like You
o Author : Brown, Tricia
o Year : 1984
o Publisher : Henry Holt & Company
o Category : Docu-Biographical
o Disability Portrayed : Multiple Disabilities
o Story Setting : Children at school
o Character Portrayal : Photographs of people 
o Gender : Male & Female
o Ethnicity : Multi-Ethnic
o Language Of Text : English
o Disability/Labeling : Positive Portrayal
o Cultural Emphasis? None infused
o Educational Information? None
o Age Focus : Preschool age
 Title : El Sol es un Techo Altisimo
 Author : Santiago, Lilliana
 Year : 1988
 Publisher : Amaquemecan
 Category : Fiction
 Disability Portrayed : Autism
Story Setting : Child at home
 Character Portrayal : Cartoon sketches
of child
 Gender : Female
 Ethnicity : Hispanic
 Language Of Text : Spanish
 Disability/Labeling : Positive portrayal
 Cultural Emphasis? Minimal emphasis
 Educational Information? None
 Fi n d in g s

 The results of this literature review support the investigations conducted by Baskin and Harris (1984) and
Friedberg, Mullins, and Sukiennik (1985). Many of the specific patterns identified in the literature review
continue to exist with the more recent publications providing evidence that the patterns have become stylized
within this genre.
 Of the 59 books reviewed, a new genre appears to be
emerging in this field with 6% (4) of the books classified
as informational/educational. They are not at all similar to
traditional non-fiction books but rather informational
manuals that provide factual information about the
disability is to help the children understand the origin,
characteristics and treatment of the disability portrayed in

Number the book. 63% of the books review that published for
young readers (kindergarten through third grade) are
picture books, and the remaining publications (31%) were

and types clearly geared for intermediate readers and were

organized by chapters with few illustrations.

of
publication
25
 The most common disabilities represented in children's
literature included characters with either orthopedic or
visual impairments. More recent publications (1989-1996)
include individuals with multiple disabilities (14%) as well
as more recently recognized disabilities including learning
disabilities (12%), medical concerns including AIDS,
asthma, and leukemia (12%), autism (5%) and attention
deficit disorder (5%). Not a single book reviewed
contained a character with a primary emotional disability,
Types of although this was reported by Baskin and Harris (1984) as
a frequently occurring disability in this literature base.

disabilities
portrayed
26
 • As with previous investigations, males-only portrayals
(52%) tended to out- number the females (30%) as the
primary characters with disabilities, although a growing
number of publications contain a variety of individuals
with disabilities from both sexes (18%).
• With respect to culture and language, Caucasian
characters (50%) continue to dominate the literature.

Characte Characters from Hispanic backgrounds represent 9% while

African American characters are represented by less than
one percent of the books reviewed. Interestingly however,

rs
a quarter of the literature (26%) includes individuals with
disabilities from various ethnic backgrounds within the
same book as either main or supporting characters.

portrayal
• Single parent families (15%) and grandparents taking care
of children with disabilities (12%) are increasingly
becoming com- mon examples of family constellations
portrayed in the literature.

ADD A FOOTER 27
 • The results of this research indicate that a
majority (63%) of the literature continues to
categorize the protagonist as a hero, typified
as the "brave little soul."

Roles
assigned
to
characters
ADD A FOOTER 28
 A variety of formats
Realistic drawing of people Photographs Cartoon images
Animal as people the rest

6.00%

6.00%
36.00%

ILLUSTRATI 26.00%

ON

26.00%
29
 The multifaceted dimensions encountered when
attempting to portray an individual with a disability in a
children's book.

CONCLUSIO
N

30
Th a n
k Yo
u!