Special Education Placements
Family Stories
Books Written by Adults about Their Childhood School Experiences
The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal, Jonathan Mooney (2007)
Entrepreneur and award-winning writer Mooney describes what it was like for him to have dyslexia and ADHD and attend a school that did not understand his learning profile or know how to teach him. Despite his being a bright, curious child, he felt like he was stupid. He stayed home at times to avoid the misery of school. In this book, Mooney offers his ideas for how public schools could become more truly inclusive for students with different learning styles. He suggests eliminating our current system’s requirement to identify students as “disabled” in order to access the effective instruction that they need to thrive. These teaching methods work for all children, not just those with learning differences and disabilities.
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, Haben Girma (2019)
Disability Rights Attorney Girma shares how she navigated school as an intelligent student with both vision and hearing loss. She describes herself as deafblind since age five. In her general education classrooms in public school, Girma wisely observed that she only “felt disabled" when accommodations were not offered to her. For example, she was at-risk of failing classes due to missed assignments that she was unaware of. Teachers didn’t consistently communicate expectations to her in ways that she could access. Girma described the frustration she felt in public school: It’s a classroom inside a sighted-hearing school in a sighted-hearing society. They designed this environment for people who can see and hear. In this environment, I’m disabled. They place the burden on me to step out of my world and reach into theirs. Readers can learn a great deal from Girma’s strong self-advocacy, which helped her succeed in public school, college, law school, and beyond.
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, John Elder Robison (2007)
This memoir is striking for Robison’s painful description of his difficult experiences in public school prior to special education laws being passed in 1975. He was already 18 at the time, so he could not benefit from the laws and services we have now. Robison details his struggles with the academic and social aspects of school due to undiagnosed Asperger's syndrome. He was frequently bullied, socially isolated, and felt so overwhelmed in public school that he ultimately dropped out of high school. Although there is no school success story here, Robison’s success came later. He came to proudly define his life as an adult according to his strengths and gifts, rather than by his challenges.
El Deafo, Cece Bell (2014)
In this graphic novel memoir, Cece Bell shares her journey of coming to terms with her hearing loss. She described losing her hearing around age 4 and attending various public and private schools. When attending Kindergarten at a school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, she found strong academic support and shared understanding and comfort among her peers. This was essential for her well-being while she was adjusting to having a disability. A year later, Bell began public school and initially felt different and alone, navigating being deaf in a hearing world. With humor, Bell captured how she ultimately discovered her “superpower” and declared herself “El Deafo, Listener for All!”
Books Written by Parents about Their Children's
Challenges in School
Lovely One, Ketanji Brown Jackson (2025)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Jackson openly shares her struggles parenting and finding an appropriate school for her daughter Talia. In part, these challenges stemmed from difficulties getting Talia’s longstanding emotional dysregulation and social difficulties properly understood. Professional evaluations left them with no specific diagnosis or clear pathway to educational or other services that might help. At age 8, Talia was identified as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and her diagnosis of autism did not occur until age 11.
In a moving chapter titled “Parenthood,” Jackson described the painful, years-long process of trying homeschooling and several private and public schools. Each time they hoped that this would be the one where Talia could thrive and be happy. Jackson’s persistence ultimately resulted in finding the right school for Talia. A particularly moving aspect of this book is Jackson candidly sharing the family tensions - particularly the impact on a neurotypical sibling - that are common when one child’s needs are not being met. As a family, they overcame their hardships through their strong bonds and dedication to one another.
Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism, Ron Suskind (2014)
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Suskind tells the uplifting story of his son Owen’s journey from being diagnosed with autism at age 3, to his success in his young adult life. Although the book focuses on how Suskind used his son’s fascination with Disney characters to promote his language development and deepen their relationship, he also discusses their struggles to find the right school for him. Owen attended various special education private day schools, homeschooling, and finally a residential school. His family moved to another state to make this possible. Like many parents who have made a similar sacrifice, Suskind reports that Owen’s success in adulthood has made it well worth it.
Jesse: A Mother’s Story, Marianne Leone Cooper (2017)
Actor, writer, and advocate Leone Cooper shares her story about advocating for her son Jesse to be included in public schools from a young age. Jesse was born with cerebral palsy and seizures, and his public school district wanted to refer him to a private school. His parents believed that this program was of poor quality and that the bar was being set too low for Jesse. Being nonverbal meant that some educators assumed he also had an intellectual disability and therefore did not offer him an appropriately challenging education.
This moving book covers their efforts to get the inclusive education and quality of care that Jesse was entitled to by law. The family moved to Massachusetts with the hope that public schools would be more committed to educating children with disabilities, but they still encountered many barriers. In an emotionally vivid way, Leone Cooper captures the day-to-day grind and emotional intensity of advocating for a child who is misunderstood within a rigid educational system. This process took many years, but Jesse ultimately flourished at school. By 6th grade, he was integrated into general education classes. He made the honor roll, wrote poetry, had friends, and overcame the low expectations that others initially had for him, thanks to his parents’ fierce love and advocacy.
Forever Boy, Kate Swenson (2022)
Swenson describes her journey as a parent to create a happy, meaningful life for her profoundly autistic son Cooper. She began by trying to “fix” him, wishing he could fit into traditional school and other settings. His initial public school experiences involved teachers’ limited understanding of his needs, exclusion from typical peers and classroom activities, and “insensitive and even callous” treatment at school.
Swenson shared her isolation and frustrations trying to obtain appropriate services for Cooper:
"Schools are set up for the majority. The masses. But not for kids like mine. Public education isn’t for every child, but we are made to think that it is. And when it doesn’t work out, you feel like one in a million with nowhere to turn" (p. 151).
After making family sacrifices such as moving to a larger city for more therapies, Cooper began making progress. Over time, Swenson reframed her expectations about school success - and for Cooper more broadly - and focused on accepting him for who he is. His family allowed him to find his own path and thrive in his own way.
To protect families' privacy, names and identifying information have been changed.
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