Since Owen: A Parent-to-Parent Guide for Care of the Disabled Child.

Born in 1960, Owen is the author's fifth child and is now a resident of a school in Kentucky. Severely developmentally delayed since infancy, Owen still does not speak or understand language. The family does not know the cause of Owen's problems, and no clear diagnosis has ever been made. They describe the time since they became consciously aware of Owen's "uniqueness" as feeling as though they were "pushed into the middle of a strange and crazy game in which [they] knew neither the players nor the rules." The author describes the family's feelings of isolation, of continuously struggling to cope, of searching for answers, and of having to make decisions without sufficient information. In response to his family's struggle since Owen's birth, Callanan decided to write a "how to" manual that would "cover all the bases" and give other parents the information they might need to make decisions.

The book is organized chrnologically into five parts: (1) "Before: From Family Planning to Birth," (2) "The Hospital: Sometimes It's the Best Place to Be," (3) "It's a New World: Coping with the First Years at Home," (4) "The Promise of Education for All Handicapped Children," and (5) "Life in the Adult World." Each part begins with a pertinent quotation and a short prologue in which the author relates, often quite humorously, anecdotes and reflections from the family's personal experiences with Owen. Each part ends with a checklist of "dos and don'ts" that summarizes the key practical suggestions from the preceding chapters.

Not only is this an enjoyable and informative book to read from cover to cover, but it is also very well organized and can be used as a reference on specific topcs.

The table of contents outlines the five parts and the chapters and topics within each part. There is also a resources section organized alphabetically by topic area and an index. It would be easy for this text to have the dry appeal of an encyclopedia, but the tone is relaxed, with the author conversing parent-to-parent, using lay language and interspecting personal accounts that lend credibility and human interest to the book. Callanan claims he does not preach parenting, but instead speaks openly of his family's mistakes, their emotional frailty, and their frustrations. He admits in the introductory section that there is a lot of information in the book and cautions the reader not to be overwhelmed but to "do the best you can and try to relax."

The author credits the assistance of numerous "experts" in the field, and for the most part, the information is accurate and clearly presented. I think all illustrations would have helped clarify the discussion of genetics and other complex topics. In general, the information is weighted toward individuals like Owen, whose primary problems are mental, not physical.

The strength of the text lies in the extremely practical information that is provided. For example, the author recommends that parents maintain a basic home library and a notebook to keep track of key human resources, and he includes in the appendix specific guildelines, called Aids to Basic Contemporary (ABC), to do this. He also includes in the appendix an example of a profile that the family developed about Owen to give to temporary caregivers--things Owen loves and hates, things to be careful with, things he does best, things with which he has trouble, and so on. The section on obtaining appropriate educational resources is excellent and includes a detailed checklist for all phases of the individual educational plan. The last part, "Life in the Adult World," provides information on topics too often neglected in available literature: "The Institution," "The Advocate," "Sexuality and Sex Education," "Recreation/Leisure Time/Transportation," and "Planning for the Future."

The author recommends that parents be strong advocates for their children. Some of his comments might make professionals squirm, but the underlying premise is that parents are part of the team, not adversaries. For example, at the secondary-education level he recommends that parents inquire about and insist upon teachers who have the necessary certification, but then he goes on to suggest that, if a teacher lacks the necessary certification, parents might consider organizing a fundraiser in order to send a teacher to observe a model program or to bring in experts.

Since Owen is not only addressed to parents of children who have disabilities, but also to professionals who work with individuals with disabilities. Physical therapy practitioners would benefit directly from the information included in the text and should be familiar with this excellent resource so that they can recommend it to their clients. The book is not for every parent of an individual with a disability, but it is an exceptional resource for those parents who have the intelligence, interest, and motivation to be active participants in the team process.