Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Annotated Bibliography:

Education of Children With Behavioural Disabilities I

Breanna Carels

Brandon University

04:756 Education of Children with Behavioural Disabilities I

Professor Okrainec

March 25, 2020

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 2

Armstrong, M. (Founder). (2019, December 17). Normal sucks: A conversation with Johnathan

Mooney [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from https://longreads.com/2019/12/17/normal-

sucks-author-jonathan-mooney-on-how-schools-fail-kids-with-learning-differences/?

fbclid=IwAR1BND4vV6q_4wJKq3RCqa6JeRX1TIGqV1CfaH1La5aDVm2sDSmwZMb

VEus

This podcast episode on the Longreads Podcast is an interview with Johnathan Mooney. 

Johnathan Mooney wrote a book titled “Normal Sucks” and is being interviewed about this book

and his school experience.  Johnathan was a child in school that was not considered normal, and

in the book he shares his journey of not fitting into the box.  He received many labels along the

way because he had both learning and attention differences. Eventually he was placed in a

special education setting because of his differences.  This book was a way for him to come to

terms with his school experience. One thing he recognized is that educational systems put value

into fitting into the normal versus embracing diversity.   In the interview he stated that his book

looks at ways to think differently about diversity. He proposes that changes in the system need

to happen so that students who are differently abled have a chance to succeed.  Mooney really

struggled with school and was down because of it. He inquired asking his Mom whether he was

normal.  Her response became the title of the book, “Normal Sucks”. The stories shared in this

interview with Johnathan Mooney are very enlightening and worth listening to. This concept is

applicable again to many topics covered in the course. Many students with behavioural

disabilities would have these same feelings that Johnathan had as a student. Rather than trying to

change these individuals and have each student fit into the same box, educators should look for

alternative ways to reach these students.  This interview shows the importance of breaking down

barriers and planning for diversity.  

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 3

Justice Resource Institute. (2007). The Trauma Center at JRI. Retrieved March 23, 2020, from

http://www.traumacenter.org/

This website provides an abundance of resources specific to trauma.  Many individuals

are affected by, or know someone who has been affected by trauma.  This website is good for

individuals, families, support systems, school staff, and communities.  Through the website there

are a variety of clinical services that can be accessed. If individuals are looking to educate

themselves or receive training related to trauma there are workshops and seminars offered.  If

working with youth that are affected by complex trauma, this would be an excellent resource to

tap into. Beyond training and workshops there is also a wide range of research included on this

website. If there is a specific topic that an individual might be interested they can look in the

publications and products section of the website.  

The goal of the Justice Resource Institute is to support those impacted by trauma to bring

them a sense of safety.  They provide these resources in order to help those affected by trauma to

not only survive but to thrive. Educators looking to support students or families who have

experienced trauma are sure to find resources that are helpful.  This website was an additional

reference provided in the course textbook from the trauma chapter.

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 4

Pierson, R. (Ted Talks Education). (2013). Every kid needs a champion [YouTube]. Available

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw 

This is an insightful video that all educators should watch.  Rita Pierson has been

teaching for over 40 years and shares some of her personal teaching stories with this Ted Talks

Education audience.  Pierson highlights the value and importance of human relationship. Her

belief is that students need to have significant and meaningful relationships in order to learn.  

Briefly she talked about the reasons students struggle in school. Although there are a variety of

outside factors that affect students, Pierson argues that teachers have the ability to improve a

student’s experience.  She shared a story of a colleague who said that she was not being paid to

like the kids but to teach them. Pierson pointed out to this colleague that students don’t learn

from people they do not like. This story was used to highlight just how important it is to build

relationships with all students.   The job of educators is to build students up and provide them

with the confidence. There are ways to make each situation positive and motivating for the

child. She shows us this in sharing her story about giving a student a plus 2 on his test, rather

than a minus 18.  

This video relates to several chapters in the course textbooks.  Students with Behavioural

Disabilities would strive if they had connections and relationships with even one adult who could

support them.  If students believe that they are genuinely cared for by a teacher they are more

likely to find successes in school. The kids that are considered tough, deviant, troublesome are

the students that teachers should focus on building relationships with.  Once a solid relationship

is built, then the student and teacher can work together to make positive changes for the child.

This video is most relevant to the chapters discussing trauma, ADHD, conduct disorders,

depression, and anxiety.

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 5

Symons, C. (2008). The exceptional teacher’s casebook: Reference document for children and

adolescents with exceptionalities. Brandon University Faculty of Education: Professional

Development Unit. 

This resource is written by one of Brandon Universities professors in the Education

department, Cam Symons.  The Exceptional Teachers’ Casebook is a must have for all

educators. The book gives a description of many exceptionalities seen in children and

adolescents.  Each section covers a different exceptionality in great detail and begins with a short

write up. Following the write up there are bullet point symptoms and indicators that might be

found in the individual who has the particular exceptionality being discussed.  Afterwards there

is a very comprehensive list of accommodations and interventions that can be used with students.

There is a long list of options because each student is different. What works with one student

may not necessarily work with all students. If one is looking for more information there are

recommended resources at the end of each section that can be utilized.  All schools should have

this resource handy as there are 65 different exceptionalities discussed in this casebook. At the

end of the book there are also support materials and forms that some educators might find very

useful. All of the different topics that were covered in our course textbooks are highlighted in

this casebook; therefore it is an excellent resource to consider.

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 6

Thompson, A. M., & Bremner, R. (2016). The Boy From Hell: Life with a Child with ADHD.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

This book was written by Alison Thomson, a mother of a boy who has multiple

diagnoses.  In this book she discusses the struggles of raising her son Daniel. His first diagnosis

was Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Later he was also diagnosed with

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) as well as having autistic traits. This book covers the

journey of raising him throughout his schooling years.  She discusses the different stages of

schooling for Daniel. Thompson also talks about her perspective on medication and diet in

regards to ADHD. She includes the perspectives of parents, siblings, and the child affected by

ADHD.  This is a very interesting way to look at ADHD. The chapters that would be most

applicable to teachers reading this book would be the one called “Support for your child in

school” and “Tips and Techniques for Dealing with ADHD”. It is incredibly powerful to read

about ADHD from a personal standpoint rather than always looking at scholarly texts.  Teachers

could benefit from reading this very different perspective on ADHD. One of the big topics

discussed in this book is whether the education system is supporting children with special needs.

There is value in including all types of literature in one's search for answers.  

This book is relevant to the chapters discussing ADHD in the course textbooks. 

Considering this book is written from a parents perspective there are also connections to the

chapter on family factors.  Considering that ADHD is a very prevalent disability in students,

teachers should consider checking out this resource. 

ANNOTATED BILIOGRAPHY 7

References

Armstrong, M. (Founder). (2019, December 17). Normal sucks: A conversation with Johnathan

Mooney [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from https://longreads.com/2019/12/17/normal-

sucks-author-jonathan-mooney-on-how-schools-fail-kids-with-learning-differences/?

fbclid=IwAR1BND4vV6q_4wJKq3RCqa6JeRX1TIGqV1CfaH1La5aDVm2sDSmwZMb

VEus

Justice Resource Institute. (2007). The Trauma Center at JRI. Retrieved March 23, 2020, from

http://www.traumacenter.org/

Pierson, R. (Ted Talks Education). (2013). Every kid needs a champion [YouTube]. Available

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw 

Symons, C. (2008). The exceptional teacher’s casebook: Reference document for children and

adolescents with exceptionalities. Brandon University Faculty of Education: Professional

Development Unit. 

Thompson, A. M., & Bremner, R. (2016). The Boy From Hell: Life with a Child with ADHD.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers.