Understanding Families : Approaches to Diversity, Disability, and Risk

The contemporary American family has many different faces, beliefs, backgrounds, and value systems - and new and future early interventionists, service providers, and educators must be ready to understand and work respectfully with families of every type. They'll learn how in this accessible textbook, which combines up-to-the-minute research on families and family-centered services with practical suggestions for working successfully with caregivers, especially those whose young children are at risk or have disabilities. Two trusted experts thoroughly prepare readers to understand and work respectfully with today's families, giving preservice professionals an overview of demographics and family diversity, including factors such as family membership, socioeconomic status, culture, ethnicity, and language insight into how disability influences family life help with addressing specific risk factors that influence family life, such as disability, poverty, addiction, a

Marci J. Hanson, Ph.D., is Professor, Early Childhood Special Education, San Francisco State University Eleanor W. Lynch, Ph.D., is Professor and Graduate Advisor, Department of Special Education, San Diego State University