How the special needs brain learns
(Book)

In recent years the prefix "pop" has become a common fixture in society with accepted terms such as pop-culture and pop-art. Sousa adds a new category for pop-SPED because of this book's style, content, and topical focus. The book proposes to look at the evolving field of brain research but, in general, has trouble living up to its name. Sousa contradicts himself (and the book title) by clearly stating that in this volume, special needs does not include students classified for special education services. Yet, the book dedicates significant space to groupings such as speech disorders, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism, and behavior disorders. Even individuals with minimal understanding of exceptionality will recognize that these classifications are used when speaking of special education services. Although not written for academic scholars, the book provides readable descriptions of the structure and workings of the brain. Likewise, the volume includes many simplified lists of characteristics, accommodations, teaching/remedial strategies, and defined terms. The book's greatest strength may be its logical explanation of why today's students develop and learn differently, so that a functionally unchanging educational system is no longer appropriate in meeting learner needs. Of limited use to those seeking a more academic discussion of the subject but recommended for general readers and lower-division undergraduates. R. Ludy Buena Vista University