Disability Definitions, Diagnoses, and Practice Implications

Julie Smart, PhD, was Professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University for twenty-four years. For ten years, she was the Program Director of Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation Counseling. She is also the author of Disability, Society, and the Individual

"Dr. Smart, like all of her other scholarly contributions on disability, has once again written an outstanding book for new and advanced social science students and practicing counselors about working with people with disabilities. This book ties together so many loose ends other similar books do not cover. She explains what disability is for the many professionals who remain unsure and explains various diagnoses using the ICF and DSM-V contemporary classifications. She blends current ethical, legal, and practice guidelines for counselors that crosses practice disciplines in excellent fashion. Finally, she interweaves personal account excerpts across various counseling disciplines, noting attitudes, empathy, societal injustice issues and gender identity concerns, which are exemplary and contemporary matters. This is a must-read for undergraduate and graduate students alike across disciplines." Irmo Marini, PhD, CRC, CLCP, FVE, certified rehabilitation counselor, certified life care planner, Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley"Dr. Smart is, indeed, a disability scholar. The strength of this book is the thorough discussion of the impact that societal attitudes and perceptions have on IWDs. This work integrates various models of research, technological, and medical advances that positively transform the quality of life for IWDs. It comprehensibly defines and interprets complex laws, policies, movements, and disability classification systems that govern programs, services, and systems for IWDs. Dr. Smart’s passion for the multicultural nature of humanity drives this work."Mark A. Stebnicki, PhD, LPC, CRC, CCM, DCMHS, Professor, Coordinator of Military and Trauma Counseling Program, Department of Addictions & Rehabilitation, East Carolina University

• 1. A New Reality for Counselors 2. Defining, Diagnosing, and Measuring Disability 3. Models of Disability: Another Way to Describe Disability 4. Six Core Beliefs About Disability of Highly Empathetic Counselors 5. Ethical Considerations and General Practice Guidelines 6. Understanding the Experience of Disability: Counseling Practice Guidelines 7. Integrating Counseling Interventions with Societal Issues 8. Understanding the Individual’s Response to Disability: Counseling Practice Guidelines 9. Understanding Social Role Demands of Individuals with Disabilities: Counseling Practice Guidelines 10. Responding to some Unique Demands of Disability: Counseling Practice Guidelines 11. New Horizons for the Counseling Professions