Thriving in the Face of Childhood Adversity

Thriving in the Face of Childhood Adversityis concerned with the life experiences of children who are born with a variety of medical or physical disorders. It provides an integration of scientific and personal perspectives on such conditions. The personal perspective is offered by narrative accounts given by parents and children who have had first-hand experience with childhood disabilities. In providing a scientific perspective, it offers a social psychological and biological account of the ways in which such children may not only experience difficulties but also benefits as result of their history. In accounting for both outcomes, it suggests how the social responses of others (family, friends, and professionals) may foster resilience as well as risk. It also describes the results of an intervention that facilitates the more positive experiences of such children early in life. The book is intended for a mixed audience of scholars, students, health care professionals and parents. It issuitable for use in academic courses that are concerned with either child development or interpersonal relationships.