Seasoned educator Patricia E. Bailey shares her insights into the world of young people with diverse needs in the practical and informative BEYOND EXPECTATIONS INTO A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES.
The book’s title immediately foreshadows its contents and is a gentle reminder that perhaps we unwittingly form judgments and impose limitations on those who fall into a category of educational or social need. Bailey challenges any such boundaries and uses a combination of research, case studies, and personal experience to illustrate what is possible when armed with well-informed strategies and approaches.

As a self-confessed introvert with sensory difficulties and an anxiety disorder, Bailey is well placed to connect with the needs of those individuals who are recipients of her expertise. This, coupled with 45 years of hands-on experience, invites confidence in the author’s guidance. In BEYOND EXPECTATIONS this guidance is structured into eight chapters with illustrative headings – for example, ‘Misbehavior or Miscommunication’ – which helps readers navigate the text and dip into relevant sections after reading. Each chapter commences with a pertinent quotation to encapsulate the essence of its theme, followed by exposition of research-based knowledge, some real-life examples, and culminating with a list of helpful key points. The blend of the three within each chapter is what makes this book particularly useful: the commentary lends authenticity, the anecdotal examples humanize the theory, and the key points offer a real ‘handbook’ feel. Moreover, when read sequentially this book also has something of a storytelling element – the children and young adults mentioned in the opening chapter are revisited at intervals, so readers gain a rounded picture of various stages of their development and how specific strategies have impacted them.

At the heart of BEYOND EXPECTATIONS is the concept of communication. Bailey delineates the frustrations experienced when meaning cannot be conveyed and received. The inability to effectively communicate applies to a range of conditions, including but not limited to those on the autistic spectrum. As such, Bailey recognizes that building trust and having a toolbox of strategies to employ are crucial. Many methods rely on the art of good judgment – for example, knowing when it is appropriate to use images and symbols, or when ‘silence is golden’ in order to give the child an ‘opportunity to process and respond’. Bailey emphasizes the importance of entering their world rather than trying to force them into ours, and to always be careful to ‘talk with and not to’. Communication, Bailey asserts, affords power, which in turn equips the individual with the means to take more control over their own lives.

While BEYOND EXPECTATIONS will primarily prove a valuable resource to educators and those in a care-giving role, it is fundamentally a book about connecting with others on a human level – on that basis, its potential readership is a wide one.

~Amanda Ellison for IndieReader