Disability Across the Developmental Lifespan: An Introduction for the Helping Professions

This is the only text to examine the experience of disability in relation to theories of human growth and development. It provides a foundational and comprehensive examination of disability that encompasses the intellectual, psychiatric, physical, and social arenas. The second edition is updated to underscore its versatility as an introductory text about the developmental tasks of people with disabilities for all the helping professions. Reorganized to illuminate the book’s interdisciplinary focus, it includes new demographics, new case studies and first-person accounts, discussions on cultural aspects of disabilities, family concerns, and more.

The text delivers practice guidelines for each of the conventional life stages and describes the developmental tasks of individuals with disabilities (IWDs). It emphasizes the positive trend in the perception of IWDs as normal and underscores the fact that IWDs have the same motivations, emotions, and goals as those without disabilities. Learning activities, suggestions for writing exercises, and websites for further study reinforce learning, as do graphs and charts illustrating trends and demographics.

NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION:
• Introductory chapter on understanding disability
• Demographic updates throughout
• New case studies and first-person accounts
• Expanded discussions about cultural considerations, intersectionality, and family considerations
• Updated Instructor’s Manual and an Instructor’s Test Bank

KEY FEATURES:
• Examines the conventional stages of human growth and development from the perspective of individuals with disabilities
• Integrates disability concepts with developmental theories and stages of the lifespan
• Addresses common ethical issues to illuminate the real-world implications faced by individuals with disabilities and their families
• Includes learning activities, suggestions for writing exercises, and websites for further study
• Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers.

Julie Smart, PhD, was on the faculty at Utah State for 24 years, teaching in a graduate Rehabilitation Counseling program.