Chronic Illness and Disabilities in Childhood and Adolescence

This is a valuable text for health care providers that discusses the multiple issues that children and youth with disabilities and chronic illness must deal with when adjusting to and living with their conditions. In this book, the editor uses a developmental approach to balance original research reports with clinical observations relating to issues that confront youngsters who have disabling conditions. Dr Blum, in this volume, has brought together a number of distinguished authors from many disciplines and has contributed chapters in his own areas of expertise.

The text can be effectively divided into four sections. The first five chapters deal with social and developmental considerations that have an impact on disabled youths. Chapter 3 ("The Social Construction of Disability and Handicap in America") is particularly well written and explores the origin and nature of societal response to the disabled. Political, financial, and ethical issues relating to the chronically ill