Rainbow of Hope: A Guide for the Special Needs Child.

Levin T. North Miami Beach, FL 33162-4109, Starlight Publishing Co Inc, 1992, paperback, 183 pp, $12.95.

This small book, written by a journalist who is a grandmother to a child who has special needs, evolved out of the sudden, and often unexpected, need for answers that comes following the birth of such a baby. It is a book written with love, concern, and a desire to help make a very difficult time somewhat easier to bear. It is well organized, with a table of contents, a detailed resource list at the end, and an index, It is easy to read and provides a wealth of information, yet it is not overwhelming.

The book has 10 chapters. The first 3 chapters provide an introduction to the world of birth defects and infants with special needs. These chapters provide general information for parents about the role they have suddenly been thrust into. Chapter 1 provides reassurance that life does indeed go on following the birth of a child with special needs, with numerous quotes from various family members to attest to that fact. Chapter 2 provides understandable definitions, statistics, and explanations distinguishing the difference among genetic disorders, malformations, perinatal damage, blood disorders, sex-linked disorders, and disorders that have no known cause. It briefly explains what each of 23 common and 13 uncommon birth defects are, the frequency of their occurrence, their cause, and support group information. Additional information on support groups can be found in chapter 3.

Chapter 4 provides historical background about society's views and support systems available in this area. Perhaps the most unique chapter in the book is chapter 5. This is a compilation of several families' responses to having a child with special needs. The families candidly discuss the emotional adjustment, the decisions they had to make, and how the situation has affected their lives.

The next two chapters deal with topics that medical professionals often do not handle well. These topics are whether a child should be kept at home, placed in a residential facility, or put up for adoption. The author deals with these topics realistically, without being judgmental. Options are described, and long-term needs and planning, which are so important, are discussed. Information on support systems that are currently available is provided, including information on respite care, such as what it is, how it is accessed, and how it can help; independent-living situations; summer camp programs; and travel and vacations. An entire chapter is devoted to adoption.

The final chapters talk about genetics and genetic counseling --what it can and cannot tell you. The tremendous advances made in recent years in the treatment, possible cures, and areas of prevention provide hope.

Perhaps the most important information for parents, and especially therapists, can be found in the extensive resource list in the last 39 pages. The list is divided into chapters that coincide with the text, providing names, addresses, and telephone numbers for organizations, support groups, magazines, summer camps, adoptive agencies, residential facilities, schools, services, and so forth that are available throughout the country. It is a resource list every medical person who deals with children and families should have available for reference.

I would recommend this book to any parents who have recently learned that their child has a disability. It should be available in every hospital library, especially on the maternity and pediatric floors, in the office of every physician who treats expectant mothers and children, in public libraries, in early-intervention libraries, and in the hands of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with children who have special needs and their families. This fast-reading, inexpensive text provides a wealth of basic information, as well as a message of support and hope for parents.

For physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, this book would be a good resource for developing a sense of parental needs and responses. The information, although basic in the medical sense, provides a wonderful overview to many birth defects most therapists rarely see and know little about.