Disabled Children: Challenging Social Exclusion

When I was young I wanted to be a geologist, you know, dinosaurs and stuff. But as I got older I became aware of my being in a wheel char and it dawned on me it wouldn′t be possible."
This quotation from a disabled student interviewed for this book graphically illustrates how disabled boys and girls experience their childhood differently from most children. The challenge for those working with disabled children and young people is to enable them to negotiate their childhood successfully, and to help them in a world which may crush their hopes and dreams, confront them with barriers and prejudices, and exclude, bully or abuse them because of their difference.
Thinking inclusively means designing services to meet the needs of all children, not just those who are able bodied. Placing the experiences of disabled children at the heart of service planning will create high quality provision for all service users, addressing key issues such as communication, family support, protection, confidence in services, advocacy, children′s rights and anti–oppressive practice.
Key features:

draws on disabled young people′s own accounts of their childhood
describes their experiences of the health, education and welfare systems
offers explanations for continued prejudice against disabled people in an age of equal opportunity
assists professionals and organisations to understand and dismantle discriminatory practices
makes suggestions for more inclusive provision
Written by a leading authority in the field, this book is a valuable text for childcare professionals in all sectors as well as anyone with an interest in promoting social justice.

Spis treści:
Foreword.
Preface..
1. Children′s Voices; Hopes, Wishes and Dreams.
Families.
Making Friends.
"It chips away at you inside′: the experience of bullying.
Adult Abus ers.
Failure to Protect.
Growing up in care: Alice′s story.
Education.
Choices and rights.
Medical Interventions.
Images of disability.
Messages.
Discussion: a disability rights issue?.
Ways forward.
Summary and conclusion..
2. Building Disadvantage.
Introduction.
The political lead..
Section I: Abnormalisation – the creation of special need.
Health care services.
Education.
Welfare services.
The independent/statutory divide..
Section II: Explanations for the exclusion of disabled children.
The survival of the fittest.
Conclusion..
3. Conceptual Frameworks.
The SEAwall.
The NVQ model.
The 3–D Jigsaw..
4. The Professional and Personal Challenge.
Introduction.
Attitudes and values.
Working with disabled children.
Changing professional behaviour.
Good practitioners/good practice.
Conclusion..
5. Organisational Change.
Introduction..
Section I: Valued–based organisations.
Consulting service users.
Valuing staff..
Section II: The seamless service.
Community care: health and social services.
working together.
Towards inclusive education.
Conclusion..
6. Disabled Children: Excluded Citizens?.
Introduction.
Disabled children and citizenship.
Strategies for change.
the research relationship.
The role of disabled adults.
Conclusion.
Appendix 1. Research Studies Cited in the text.
Appendix 2. Letter to the Social Exclusion Unit.
Appendix 3. The Process of Assessment.
References.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Laura Middleton works for the Commission for Social Care Inspectorate and is a Visiting Fellow at the University of East Anglia.

Okładka tylna:
"When I was young I wanted to be a geologist, you know, dinosaurs and stuff. But as I got older I became awa re of my being in a wheel char and it dawned on me it wouldn′t be possible."
This quotation from a disabled student interviewed for this book graphically illustrates how disabled boys and girls experience their childhood differently from most children. The challenge for those working with disabled children and young people is to enable them to negotiate their childhood successfully, and to help them in a world which may crush their hopes and dreams, confront them with barriers and prejudices, and exclude, bully or abuse them because of their difference.
Thinking inclusively means designing services to meet the needs of all children, not just those who are able bodied. Placing the experiences of disabled children at the heart of service planning will create high quality provision for all service users, addressing key issues such as communication, family support, protection, confidence in services, advocacy, children′s rights and anti–oppressive practice.
Key features:

draws on disabled young people′s own accounts of their childhood
describes their experiences of the health, education and welfare systems
offers explanations for continued prejudice against disabled people in an age of equal opportunity
assists professionals and organisations to understand and dismantle discriminatory practices
makes suggestions for more inclusive provision
Written by a leading authority in the field, this book is a valuable text for childcare professionals in all sectors as well as anyone with an interest in promoting social justice.