Exceptional Life Journeys

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.

"Jac Andrews and Peter Istvanffy have given us a real gem. This book, which is very different from any that I’ve read before, speaks to a variety of audiences at a wide number of levels, but it does ‘speak’ to us…we see real people grappling with ‘exceptional life journeys,’ and not simply the ‘diagnoses’ and ‘psychopathologies.’ In our deficit-oriented society, and profession, this is an eye-opener and a breath of fresh air."—Canadian Journal of School Psychology, December 2013

"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