Rhoda Olkin – författare

This book takes a nonpathological approach to disability, viewing it as part of diversity rather than as deficit. The opening chapters introduce basic knowledge of teaching in disability communities, covering attitudes and behaviors that may be difficult for instructors to relate to. Next, the book delves into the three activities sections that increase in difficulty over the course of the book. The activities highlight barriers and psychosocial impediments that hamper progress in disability communities. Designed by an expert educator and clinician who is also an insider in the disability community, each of the 34 activities translate well in classroom environments or as homework, and each can be done individually or in group settings. All activities include a list of required materials, time expectation, goal setting criteria, possible outcomes, and talking and debriefing points for reflection, thereby facilitating effective planning and execution. The activities also recommend possible modifications to adjust the difficulty of the activities. This flexibility makes this a valuable resource for a wider audience of expertise and settings, ranging from introductory to sophisticated readers and users, students and non-students, in classrooms, in workshops, or in other surroundings.Lastly, the book concludes with a chapter on accessing outcomes, with six measures for evaluating knowledge and skill. Teaching Disability is a well-rounded, highly applicable tool for instructors and students in the disability community.

Clinicians outside of rehabilitation psychology do not receive training on how to work with clients with disabilities. Nonetheless, given that people with disabilities comprise over 15% of the population, virtually all clinicians will have clients with disabilities in their practice. Without education or training in disability, clinicians are prone to make errors in estimating the role of disability in the presenting problems and the case formulation. Disability-Affirmative Therapy (D-AT) helps clinicians put the disability of a client into proper focus, without making one of the usual mistakes associated with cross-cultural therapy: overinflating the role of the disability, or underestimating its profound effects. D-AT provides a template for evaluation - nine areas to be discussed with the client - that allows understanding of the client's lifetime experiences with disability. The template is not a theory of therapy, but an overlay onto the therapist's own approach, thus having broad appeal and utility. D-AT is a positive and affirming approach to therapy with clients with disabilities, regardless of the theory of therapy used. The book contains many vignettes to illustrate key points and an extended case example to which the D-AT template is applied. Grounded in social and clinical psychology research, this book will be an important and unique guide to all clinicians working with clients with disabilities and their families.

Build a disability-affirmative practice that is inclusive, culturally responsive, and grounded in ethical care. Despite the prevalence of disability across clinical populations, it remains one of the least addressed areas in professional training, often resulting in misdiagnoses, exclusionary practices, and therapeutic environments that fail to meet the needs of disabled clients. This volume bridges that gap by offering clinicians concrete strategies for integrating disability into case formulation, treatment planning, assessment, and everyday practice.Therapists, counselors, and other helping professionals will find essential guidelines and tools for evaluating the needs of disabled clients, analyzing the accessibility of their practice, and navigating the complex intersections of disability with other identities. They will learn how to communicate respectfully and clearly with disabled clients while avoiding inadvertent microaggressions. Disability culture and community are also examined, with an emphasis on how disability intersects with other cultural identities and manifest at different developmental stages, helping clinicians build competency in working with a diverse array of clients. Guidelines for incorporating one's own disability into therapy and creating more opportunities and pathways for disabled students and mental health professionals are also provided.Whether working with clients managing chronic medical conditions or navigating physical, cognitive, sensory, or other disabilities, this book is an essential resource for mental health professionals committed to equity, competence, and inclusive care.