Integrating Special Education and
Family Science: Using Bibliotherapy
to Address Stress of Parenting a
Child with a Disability
Erin Boyd-Soisson, Ph.D., CFLE
Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science
And
Melinda Burchard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Special Education
Coordinator of Special Education Internship
Messiah College
EDSP/HDFS 396: Infants, Toddlers & Families
 Course Description and Content:
 This course will examine typical and atypical social, emotional, physical,
cognitive, and linguistic development of infants and toddlers (birth through
3-years). This course will also examine the role of the family and other
caregivers, such as childcare providers, preschool teachers, and foster care
parents, in the development of infants and toddlers (birth through 3years). Topics will include the development and maintenance of
attachments to caregivers, the role of culture and gender in development,
the role of socioeconomic status, infant and toddler mental health issues,
and infants and toddlers with special needs. Early intervention and
assessment techniques will be explored along with developmentally
appropriate practices. For example, students will become familiar with the
Individualize Family Service Plan (IFSP), the Denver Developmental
Assessment, and other services that may be provided to infants and
toddlers.
 Students who take this course….
Classroom Activity Integrating Family Science
and Special Education Concepts
 The objectives of this activity are to:
 Have students identify the potential stresses of the
transition to parenthood
 Have students identify additional stresses parents of babies
with disabilities or who are premature might experience
 Have students understand the different types of stress
 Have students understand the use of bibliotherapy as one
way to empower parents and cope with stress
Identifying Potential Feelings & Stresses
 First students are asked:
 What do you suspect might be some typical stresses and feelings experienced
by parents shortly after the birth of a healthy newborn?
 Second, students are asked to identify additional stresses and feelings
that might be experienced by parents of newborns who are premature or
who are born with a disability.
 In order to stimulate discussion, students do the following:
 Read: Landsman, G. H. (1998). Reconstructing motherhood in the age of “perfect”
babies: Mother of infants and toddlers with disabilities. Journal of Women in Culture
and Society, 4 (1), 69-98.
 Watch: http://www.godvine.com/Mother-s-Inspiring-Video-About-her-Blind-BabyBoy-1484.html
 Listen to: Welcome to Holland ~ Emily Perl Kingsley
 www.downsyn.com/holland.php
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=raEwoQDHRUg
Understanding Stress

Students are asked to apply the stress & feelings identified in the reading
and the video to Boss’s classification of stressor events (2002):
Source:
 Internal vs. External
Type:
 Normative vs. Nonnormative
 Ambiguous vs. Nonambiguous
 Volitional vs. Nonvolitional
Duration:
 Chronic vs. Acute
Density:
 Isolated vs. Cumulative
 (In addition, students also use Family Systems Theory, Hill’s ABC-X Model
and Family Strengths Perspective to understand stress)
The Use of Bibliotherapy to cope with stress
 Students discuss the use of bibliotherapy.
 Bibliotherapy involves reading intentionally selected texts and then
processing life issues depicted in those texts through expressive
means such as journals, discussions, art or drama (Burchard et al,
2014).
 Research indicates it is effective in improved problem-solving,
emotional understanding, acceptance of differences, empowerment,
reducing social anxiety and adjustment problems, and reducing panic
attacks and fears
 (these are often the issues students notice in doing the previous
activities)
 Finally, students discuss how bibliotherapy might help parents cope with
different types of stressors (as identified by Boss)
 (Students discuss other resources as well)
Resources
Selected Texts with Bibliotherapy Applications in Preschool
Selected Literature
Potential topics
Bibliotherapy Applications
The Global Fund for
Children. (2007). Global
Babies. Watertown, MA:
Charlesbridge.

Ethnicity and
Race
What this book does:

Illustrates babies from around the world.
Ideas for using the book:

Talk about faces and colorful clothing.
Pitzer, M.W. (2004). I can.
Can you? Bethesda, MD:
Woodbine House.


Disability
Ability
What this book does:

Displays abilities of a child with Down Syndrome.
Ideas for using the book:

Build early appreciation for difference and for celebrating ability.
Schertle, A. (2008). Little
Blue Truck. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt.


Collaboration
Forgiveness
What this book does:

Shows how a group of animals working together with a little truck rescue a grumpy truck
from the mud.
Ideas for using the book:

Talk about what the grumpy truck did wrong and how the other characters showed
forgiveness.

Relate to projects requiring everyone work together.

Plan roles in a group project.
Woloson, E. (2003). My
Friend Isabelle.
Bethesda, MD: Woodbine
House.


Disability
Ability
What this book does:

Compares ability in different skill areas between two friends, one with and one without a
disability.
Ideas for using the book:

Gather data and compare ranges in basic preschool skills such as how high someone can
reach.

Prompt inclusive discussion.

From: Burchard, M.S., Holford, D., and Goetz, S. (2014)
Resources
General Resource:

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/parentseducators/parents/bibliotherapy/
Fact sheets:

Cerebral Palsy: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html

Spina Bifida: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm

Retinopathy of Prematurity: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/rop/rop.asp

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/fasd/facts.html

Down Syndrome: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/DownSyndrome.html

Fragile X: http://www.cdc.gov/features/fragilexawareness/

Autism: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
Resources for Families:

The IFSP: A family guide to understanding the Individualized Family Service Plan:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/E94CADE8-6143-4300-A2B87FDF00E709EC/29916/GreenIFSPBooklet18x11.pdf

Gallagher, G. & Konjoian, P. (2010). Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid: A Survival Guide for Ordinary
Parents of Special Children. New York: Three Rivers.

Klein, S. D. & Schive, K. (2001). You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents
of Children with Disabilities. New York: Kensington.

Power, P. W. & Orto, A. D. (2003). The Resilient Family: Living With Your Child’s Illness or Disability.
Notre Dame: Sorin.

Simons, R. (1987). After the Tears: Parents Talk about Raising a Child with a Disability. Denver:
Harcourt.
References and Additional Resources

Betzalel, N. and Shectman, Z. (2010). Bibliotherapy treatment for children with adjustment difficulties: A
Comparison of affective and cognitive bibliotherapy. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 5, 426-439.

Boss, P. (2002). Family Stress Management: A Contextual Approach (2nd Ed.).

Burchard, M.S., Holford, D., and Goetz, S. (submitted 2014). Applications of bibliotherapy in the general
education classroom.

Cowan, C. P. and Cowan, P. A. (2000). When Partners Become Parents: The Big Life Change for Couples.
Mahwah. N. J.: Lawrence Earlbaum.

Febbraro, G. A. R. (2005). An investigation into the effectiveness of bibliotherapy and minimal contact
interventions in the treatment of panic attacks. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(6), 763-779.

Forgan, J. (2002). Using bibliotherapy to teach problem-solving. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38(2),
75-82.

Gavigan, K.W., and Kurtts, S. (2011). Using Children's and Young Adult Literature in Teaching Acceptance
and Understanding of Individual Differences. Morality in Education, Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 11-14.

Hunt, K. (2006). ‘Do you know Harry Potter? Well, he is an orphan’: Every bereaved child matters. Pastoral
Care In Education, 24(2), 39-44. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0122.2006.00369.x

Land, G. H. (1998). Reconstructing motherhood in the age of “perfect” babies: Mother of infants and
toddlers with disabilities. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 4 (1), 69-98.

Roberts, S.K. and Crawford, P.A. (2008). Literature to help children cope with family stressors. Young
Children, 63(5), 12-17.

Russo, M., Vernam, J., Wolpert, A. (2006). Sandplay and storytelling: Social constructivism and cognitive
development in child counseling. The Arts and Psychotherapy, 33(3), 229-237.
Thousand Oaks: Sage.