Overview

Most students in training to become teachers, psychologists, physicians, and social workers as well as many practicing professionals in these disciplines do not get the opportunity to fully understand and appreciate the circumstances of children ,parents, and teachers who have had to cope and adapt to childhood disorder. Most professionals in the field of childhood disorders are well trained in assessment and treatment methods and are aware of the clinical, theoretical, and empirical foundations of the work they do. In their training, they get some experience in diagnosing the educational, psychological, social, and medical problems of children through their supervised clinical internships. In their training and in their professional practice they get to interview, discuss, consult and collaborate with children and their families regarding developmental issues and treatment plans, however, they rarely get an opportunity to fully realize and understand what it is like to have a disorder and what it is like to be a mother, or father, or teacher of children with disorders. This book provides an opportunity for students in training and professionals in the field to gain some awareness of the life journeys of some exceptional children, their families and their teachers.

Full Product Details

9780123852168

Table of Contents

Reviews

The rich narratives within the book are crafted through an array of diverse writing styles that speak to the exceptional life journey of each author, keeping readers interested throughout. In terms of utility, this resource is a must-have for practitioners working with clients diagnosed with a childhood disorder. I also see this text as essential for undergraduate and graduate students training for careers in the helping fields, particularly (as the editors suggest) for students studying within the realms of counselling, education, social science, social work, medicine, and related mental-health professions. I would encourage those who are teaching and supervising in such training programs to strongly consider incorporating this text into their program curriculum. In fact, I've been recommending it to fellow counsellor educators since the first day I picked it up. It should also be noted that this book can be understood and used by 'everyday people' who might be interested in or experiencing the impact of childhood disorder themselves or within their family. For this reason, Exceptional Life Journeys could potentially be a helpful reference resource for clients (situation dependent) and/or their parents. I offer a personal confession in concluding this review-I am typically not a dichotomous thinker; however, when it comes to educational literature, I tend to harshly classify textbooks as either good books or bad books ... and this, in my opinion, is hands down a great book. --Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 46, No.3, Pages 277-280

Author Information

Dr. Jac J.W. Andrews is currently a Professor and past Chair of the School and Applied Child Psychology program (2010-2023) in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Over his career, Dr. Andrews has produced over 200 publications (e.g., peer and non-peer reviewed articles, book chapters, instructional manuals, and evaluation, and research reports) has conducted over 200 presentations, workshops, and seminars and has co-written/edited 12 books (1990-2024), 3 Provincial and International Teaching Manuals (1986-1991), and 3 Special Editions in Education and Psychology Journals (1993-2017). He is currently on the Editorial Board of a few journals including Canadian Psychology and Canadian Journal of School Psychology. The breadth and quality of his work has had a cohesive focus and strong theoretical and empirical foundations (Humanistic, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Psychodynamic). Dr. Andrews has been involved in numerous professional organizations has undertaken many administrative functions and has been involved with several evaluation projects within and across numerous areas (for example, Health, Social Service and Justice, Psychology, and Education). His work relative to education and psychology has resulted in over 25 honours and awards including the Werklund School of Education Distinguished Research and Lecture Award (2018) as well as the Werklund School of Education Leadership Award (2018), the University of Calgary Group Leadership Award (2019), the Psychologist of the Year Award from the Psychological Association of Alberta (2020), the Canadian Psychological Association Fellowship for his significant contributions to psychology in Canada (2022) and the Order of the University of Calgary for his exemplary service to the University and outside communities (2023).

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