Medical Psychosocial and Vocational Aspects of Disability

This book contains thirty-three chapters encompassing the common disabilities. Many of the chapters have case studies to help stimulate thinking and discussion about the particular topic. All the cases are hypothetical and do not relate to any particular individual. Section I includes "Rehabilitation: A Case Study Approach", "Medical Terminology", and "The Medical Examination", all of which help establish a foundation for subsequent chapters. Chapter 1 contains two case studies; one has appropriate responses to the questions, while the questions on the second case study are left open for discussion. Other topics found in Section I include: drug abuse, alcoholism, sexuality and disability, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Section II contains information regarding coping with a physical disability, plastic and reconstructive surgery, image of people with disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, mental retardation, and chronic pain syndromes. Section III focuses on hearing and visual disabilities. Section IV discusses the disabilities of cancer, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, diabetes mellitus, respiratory dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease. In Section V are found the topics of back and neck pain in industrial injuries, rheumatic diseases, paraplegia and quadriplegia, evaluating hand function and impairment, and orthotics and prosthetics. Section VI includes chapters on neurological conditions, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, acquired traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, cerebrovascular accidents, and cerebral palsy.