The volume is a compilation of articles by educators and clinicians whose practice offers an alternative to the cognitive/behavioral and behaviorist approaches to working with Autism-spectrum youth. It features a chapter by Christine LaCerva, the Institute’s director of clinical training, on the multi-family social therapy group. It’s the first in the Palgrave Macmillan series edited by Lois Holzman on Studies in Play, Performance, Learning and Development.
Says Holzman of Smagorinsky’s orientation — how he takes on the disabling assumption of disorder and how he’s come to refer to his own “Asperger’s Advantage”….
“Peter has taken an adventurous philosophical/political turn in his exploration of education and how people learn — especially in the area of what’s called “abnormality” and ‘developmental disabilities.’ He is using Lev Vygotsky’s lesser-known work on ‘defectology’ to create new ways of seeing and relating to people diagnosed on the autism spectrum and/or as mentally ill.
He is one of the few academics I know who is willing to speak about how these issues impact on him, professionally and personally. I admire his willingness to grow.”
You can order the book here.