Description
Nicole is 2 years old, and her family, after months of worrying, has just learned she has mental retardation. In a fast-paced, engaging story, mother Sandra Kaufman frankly reveals the feelings of denial, guilt, frustration, and eventual acceptance that result in a determination to help her child live an independent life.
This edition, revised on the 10th anniversary of the book's original publication, adds a "progress report" that updates readers on Nicole's adult years and reflects on the revolutionary changes in society's attitudes toward people with disabilities since Nicole's birth.
Retarded Isn't Stupid, Mom! remains a celebration of all that a child can grow to be.
Reviews
Review by: Josh Greenfeld, author of A Child Called Noah
"What a wonderfully honest and moving book. . . . I recommend this book not only to any mother or father of a retarded or disabled individual, but to anyone caught up in the never-ending tugs and demands of parenthood."
Review by: Marty Krauss
"This is a moving, direct account of a mother's and daughter's struggle for mutual independence. Nicole's retardation is obviously a center issue, but the trials of growing up, making mistakes, learning how to function in a complex world, and forging an identity independent of one's family are processes every adolescent faces."
Table of Contents
Prologue: Nicole at Two
- No! No! No!
- Is Mommy tired?
- Everyone is yelling at me!
- I am capable.
- Mom, I know I'm retarded, but I'm not stupid.
- Can't do nuthin' on the amount I make.
- I don't know if anyone loves me.
- Seems like I'm learning to live alone the hard way
- Do you know how I could prove I'm handicapped?
A Mother's Epilogue: 1988
Progress Report: 1998
An Afterword, by Robert B. Edgerton
Resources