Not A New Problem

Violence in the lives of women with disabilities is not a new problem, but it is a problem about which little has been written. This gap in our knowledge needs to be addressed, as women with disabilities are valuable members of our society whose experiences need to be made known. Without such knowledge, political action for social justice and for the prevention of violence is impossible. Contributors to Not a New Problem examine the experiences of Canadian women with disabilities, the need for improved access to services and the ways this violence is exacerbated by and intersects with gender, sexuality, Indigeneity, race, ethnicity and class.

I am delighted to announce that my new book, You Are Not Your Problem, is available. Is it for you? Here are some questions to ask yourself. Have you ever felt crushed by your problems, or entangled by your problems? Have your problems ever made you sick or at least upset? Do you know people who think their problem is a part of them, like a full time victim? This little book helps you shift from feeling under your problems to feeling more empowered to solve them. You Are Not Your Problem is a 40-page illustrated book designed to lift your sprits while you help yourself untangle from your problems. A great Christmas gift, or companion to therapy, or self-help book, it is written in simple, straight-forward language so anyone can understand it. The charming drawings communicate the concepts clearly.How did this book come about? My parents could transform the everyday into play. Dad floated flowers in the toilet on birthdays. Mom played music to dust by on the piano to inspire us to do chores. As a result, I love to learn especially if it's fun. I designed this book not only to make you smile but to help you see yourself, your friends and family. Kris's drawings gave my story, that I wrote 30 years ago, charm and character; and made it easy for even children to understand. I hope it helps you untangle yourself while it brings a smile to your lips.

Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Nina LaCour, this queer coming-of-age story from the author of The Falling in Love Montage is wry, multilayered, and unflinchingly honest. Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t solve. But when she stumbles upon overachiever Meabh Kowalska having a full-blown meltdown, she sees one that she can actually fix. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help—by pushing her down the stairs. Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when one of their classmates learns about their little scheme, more “clients” start asking for Aideen’s “help”—kicking off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and even an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own. But it might be the push Aideen needs to start.

“If one more person tells me about their third cousin twice removed who met the love of their life online, I’m going to take out my weave and eat it.” Being single sucks! Well, that's what everyone says, anyway. Single women over the age of 29 are seen as lonely, miserable, undesirable, and cat-crazy. Family members, friends — heck, even perfect strangers ask, “When are you going to get married?” This book flips the script on what it means to be a single woman in the twenty-first century. With dating horror story anecdotes and advice about online dating, self-esteem, sex, money, and freezing your eggs, Andrea Bain takes the edge off being single and encourages women to never settle.

A powerful guide to owning our emotions—even the difficult ones—in order to show up authentically in the world, from the popular therapist behind the Instagram account @sitwithwhit. Every day, we’re bombarded with pressure to be positive. From “good vibes only” and “life is good” memes, to endless reminders to “look on the bright side,” we’re constantly told that the key to happiness is silencing negativity wherever it crops up—in ourselves and in others. Even when faced with illness, loss, breakups, and other challenges, there’s little space for talking about our real feelings—and processing them so that we can feel better and move forward. But if non-stop positivity is the answer, why are so many of us anxious, depressed, and burned out? In this refreshingly honest guide, sought-after therapist Whitney Goodman shares the latest research along with everyday examples and client stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships, and presents simple ways to experience and work through difficult emotions. The result is more authenticity, connection, and growth—and ultimately, a path to showing up as you truly are.

Education is in crisis—at least, so we hear. And at the center of this crisis is technology. New technologies like computer-based classroom instruction, online K–12 schools, MOOCs (massive open online courses), and automated essay scoring may be our last great hope—or the greatest threat we have ever faced. In The Problem with Education Technology, Ben Fink and Robin Brown look behind the hype to explain the problems—and potential—of these technologies. Focusing on the case of automated essay scoring, they explain the technology, how it works, and what it does and doesn’t do. They explain its origins, its evolution (both in the classroom and in our culture), and the controversy that surrounds it. Most significantly, they expose the real problem—the complicity of teachers and curriculum-builders in creating an education system so mechanical that machines can in fact often replace humans—and how teachers, students, and other citizens can work together to solve it. Offering a new perspective on the change that educators can hope, organize, and lobby for, The Problem with Education Technology challenges teachers and activists on “our side,” even as it provides new evidence to counter the profit-making, labor-saving logics that drive the current push for technology in the classroom.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has become a widely used form of therapy for autistic children without its theories and methods being well understood. This critical analysis of the theories and research on which ABA bases its claim to being an evidence-based treatment is a must-read for everyone who has a stake in the lives of autistic individuals. This book reviews the literature which shows that ABA is not based on scientific research, and that practitioners of ABA are not required to be trained in child psychology, pediatrics, child development, education, family therapy, language development, or scientific research. ABA is not based on any form of developmental science, but primarily on the works of B.F. Skinner whose ideas were first published over seventy years ago. This philosophical viewpoint, radical behaviorism, holds that individual experiences are irrelevant to behavior change because the determining factors of our actions are in the environment; the rewards and punishments that result from those actions. This in-depth analysis of the theories and research of ABA leads to the conclusion that ABA is not an applied science, nor does it promote values consistent with current models of child development and education. Other promising methods based on modern science, including parent-directed early infancy pre-emptive strategies and peer-based LEGO Clubs, also discussed here, are often overshadowed by the media coverage and marketing strategies of ABA-based autism services, despite these messages being overstated and misleading. Simply put, the public trust and investment in ABA services needs to be reviewed in greater detail, and with greater skepticism. The pseudoscientific concepts described by behavior analysts sound convincing to many, but upon closer examination amount to little more than what most educators and parents typically do already, and at the same time, involve costly and invasive services with little or no evidence of meaningful benefit. Some natural strategies such as peer-mentoring and caregiver training do help autistic children and their families to adapt to mainstream settings, the persistent promise of evidence-based autism treatment, has generated an expanding market for ABA services which actually interferes with typical social development. Modern views of child development, social and cultural adaptability, play, and education emphasize integration of individuals and their sociocultural environments. Less costly, proactive, and non-invasive approaches to improving social adaptability and quality of life for autistic children and their caregivers are currently available, but unlike ABA-based services, they are not widely promoted in the public media or offered directly to families by thousands of newly certified providers. A science-based and holistic understanding of the life experiences of autistic individuals recognizes the importance of sociocultural adjustment and long-term quality of life, not behavioral compliance in adult-controlled settings, even when those settings are described as naturalistic. Radical behaviorism was not and will never be compatible with developmental models which view development as a reciprocal and dynamic synergistic process, not the outcome of a successful behavior plan. It is important for those who care about diversity in society to promote the creative contributions of individuals with diverse life experiences and to stop thinking about being different as a behavior problem.

Violence in the lives of women with disabilities is not a new problem, but it is a problem about which little has been written. This gap in our knowledge needs to be addressed, as women with disabilities are valuable members of our society whose experiences need to be made known. Without such knowledge, political action for social justice and for the prevention of violence is impossible. Contributors to Not a New Problem examine the experiences of Canadian women with disabilities, the need for improved access to services and the ways this violence is exacerbated by and intersects with gender, sexuality, Indigeneity, race, ethnicity and class.