Maybe you’ve adopted a child with disabilities, or you’re looking for a compassionate and well-informed way of helping your children understand disabilities. These books can help foster important conversations and normalize disabilities, so that children are more accepting and understanding of those who are differently abled.
Some Kids Use Wheelchairs
This book is part of a series on disabilities, including Some Kids Are Deaf, Some Kids Are Blind, Some Kids Use Leg Braces, and more. The book is more informative than it is playful, but it shows children in wheelchairs participating in their lives in the same sorts of ways that children who aren’t in wheelchairs do.
The Alphabet War
The Alphabet War is a story book about a child with dyslexia. It follows Adam over the course of several years as he changes from a toddler who loves books to a third grader who hates reading and suffers from self-esteem issues, to a child who finally receives the help he needs to properly address his dyslexia.
I Can, Can You?
While the two books above are more targeted toward ages four and up, I Can, Can You? is a book you can start when your child is a baby or toddler. The book shows children with Downs Syndrome modeling skills that toddlers are just beginning to master. Your child will see that children with Downs Syndrome are learning to do the same sorts of things he or she is learning, too.
All About My Brother
All About My Brother was written by an eight-year-old whose brother has autism. In the book she talks about and normalizes his behaviors; she understands, as only a sibling can, why he acts and communicates the way he does. The book is excellent for children who have siblings with autism to help them understand that they’re not alone.
Wonder
Targeted toward children eight and up, Wonder is a book about a boy who has facial deformities and how he navigates and experiences school and the world around him. The story is told through multiple perspectives, including from the boy himself, his sister, and others. It gives children an excellent perspective on what it’s like to have facial anomalies and what it’s like to be close to someone who does.
