Based on dozens of intensive interviews with parents, clinical psychologists, teachers, and more, Meltdown is the fictional story of Benjamin, a boy diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder and additional challenging behavior. From the time Benjamin is a toddler, his parents know he is different: he doesn’t play with his sister, refuses to make eye contact, and doesn’t seem to understand how to communicate with others. And his tantrums are not like normal tantrums; they’re meltdowns that will eventually make regular schooling—and day-to-day life—impossible. From first clues to diagnosis, navigating the special education system to securing expert help, Benjamin’s parents must become his greatest advocates. Together, they learn that the journey toward hope isn’t simple—but with the right tools and teammates, it’s possible. This book is part of the ORP Library of disability books.SPECIAL NOTE: Asperger’s disorder is a complex syndrome that affects children in different ways. The child with Asperger’s disorder depicted in the following story struggles with significant emotional and behavioral difficulties that require a therapeutic environment. The great majority of children with Asperger’s disorder do not resemble the child shown in this story. But those who do face challenges that have made it difficult to benefit from education in the public school system. At Genesee Lake School, we strive to build relationships with the children in our care so that they learn new skills that will lead to a successful return to their home, school, and community. It is our hope that the following story will add to your own understanding of the often lonely journey experienced by families with children with these unique challenges and gifts.

Meltdown: Asperger’s Disorder, Challenging Behavior, and a Family’s Journey Toward Hope (The ORP Library)

Gutiérrez, Katie

Balestrieri, James G.

Krukar PhD, Jeff

Teen & Young Adult

RTC Publishing

Sometimes, even the people closest to us can’t comprehend the unrelenting pain of our past, as was the case for Toni L. Coleman Carter—mother, wife, outspoken community leader, human resources practitioner, lecturer, and former government executive. For dozens of years, Toni hid the scars of physical and sexual abuse, the shame of an attempted suicide, the challenges of being a teen mother, and the granite obstacles of climbing the corporate ladder. When Trouble Finds You is Toni’s frank, vivid memoir that shares the experiences that shaped her into a trailblazer. By inviting readers into her story, Carter reaches out to the hundreds of thousands who find consolation in their silence—and empowers them with the courage it takes to find their valuable voice.

When Trouble Finds You: Overcoming Child Abuse, Teen Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, and Discovering the Remarkable Power of the Human Spirit

Biographies & Memoirs

Coleman Carter, Toni L.

Community & Culture

Bronze medal winner of the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Inspirational/Spiritual category!
On June 10, 2007, Carmen Blandin Tarleton’s estranged husband broke into her rural Vermont home, beat her with a baseball bat, and doused her with industrial-strength lye. Doctors called it “THE MOST HORRIFIC INJURY A HUMAN BEING COULD SUFFER.” 
Tarleton spent the next three and a half months in a medically induced coma, and when she awoke, it was to an unimaginable reality: she was blind and permanently disfigured, with burns covering more than eighty percent of her body. Her recovery would include months of painful rehab, dozens of surgeries, and total dependence on family, friends, and strangers for physical and financial care. With so much taken away, no one could have anticipated what Tarleton would gain from her experience: an awakening. A purpose. Joy. By sharing her struggles and ultimate victory over catastrophic loss, Tarleton proves that life is a choice—and, in the process, offers a rare glimpse into the best and worst corners of the human heart.
“CARMEN IS SO UNFLINCHINGLY HONEST, SO TRANSPARENT . . . Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed is an opportunity to bask, for just for a little while, in the rays of her exceptional spirit.” —JONI BUSBY SUPERVISING PRODUCER, THE DOCTORS
“Carmen’s story is one of tragedy and triumph. She is truly an example of the strength and beauty of the human spirit. Carmen went from victim to survivor and teaches us all that we can overcome the unimaginable and create the lives we would like to live.” JENNIFER RADICS, MBA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALISA ANN RUCH BURN FOUNDATION
“Carmen Tarleton's story is a riveting account of a courageous woman who teaches us all the power of fighting suffering with relentless hope and tenacity.” —SAMIR MELKI, MD, PHD FOUNDER, BOSTON EYE GROUP
“Carmen tells her inspiring story with remarkable clarity and honesty. She has endured a journey many might be unable to endure and arrived to provide the reader with wisdom, compassion, and inspiration. As heavy as the price was for Carmen, Overcome is a wonderful gift to those of us who take the time to read it. Her story is, at heart, one of a profound and courageous journey, and she has arrived with great treasures to offer us all.” —DAVID VOGEL PRESIDENT, BURN SURVIVORS OF NEW ENGLAND
“Told with sincerity and grace, Overcome powerfully illustrates the unlimited resilience of the human spirit. Carmen's heart-thumping journey is at times harrowing, yet always keenly illuminating. Overcome is a bracing triumph of the soul.” —MICHAEL PAUL MASON AUTHOR OF HEAD CASES: STORIES OF BRAIN INJURY AND ITS AFTERMATH

Overcome: Burned, Blinded, and Blessed

Blandin Tarleton, Carmen

What does beauty mean to you? Many of us buy into a manufactured idea of beauty, unconsciously giving away our power to define it for ourselves. In a society where physical ideals are always changing, The Pearlescent Flame: Living Beautiful tells the story of Peregrine, a young woman on a quest to embody her definition of true beauty. Readers will embark with Peregrine on a journey from New Orleans to Paris, Colorado to Scotland, as she transmutes her beliefs about beauty through a process of internal alchemy. Through debriefs and explorative questions, each chapter will challenge readers to expand their definitions of beauty—and invite them to make the process of internal alchemy their own. In the end, The Pearlescent Flame is not just Peregrine’s story. It is an inspiring and fascinating guide to a place of clarity, understanding, and acceptance in which we can all truly live beautiful.

The Pearlescent Flame: Living Beautiful

Puckett, Jessica

Religion & Spirituality

Based on dozens of intensive interviews with parents, clinical psychologists, teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and more, Mr. Incredible is the fictional story of Adam, a boy diagnosed with autistic disorder. On Adam’s first birthday, his mother recognizes that something is different about him: he recoils from the touch of his family, preferring to accept physical contact only in the cool water of the family’s pool. As Adam gets older, he avoids eye contact, is largely nonverbal, and has very specific ways of getting through the day; when those habits are disrupted, intense meltdowns and self-harmful behavior follow. From seeking a diagnosis to advocating for special education services, from keeping Adam safe to discovering his strengths, his family becomes his biggest champion. The journey to realizing Adam’s potential isn’t easy, but with hope, love, and the right tools and teammates—they find that Adam truly is Mr. Incredible. This book is part of the ORP Library series of books.

Mr. Incredible: A Story About Autism, Overcoming Challenging Behavior, and a Family’s Fight for Special Education Rights (The ORP Library)

McCutchin, Chelsea

Krukar, Jeff

Balestrieri, James

Based on dozens of intensive interviews with parents, clinical psychologists, teachers, therapists, and more, An Unlikely Trust is the fictional story of Alina, a young girl adopted from Russia. After a lengthy adoption process, Alina’s parents are confounded by their daughter’s behavior upon arriving in America. They were aware that she did not speak English and expected some developmental delay, but they did not foresee that the tiny four-year-old would hoard her food, deeply mistrust affection from others, and fail to initiate or respond to most social situations. Most concerning, though, are Alina’s rages. When she is frightened, overwhelmed, or confused, Alina lashes out with the strength and stamina of a person many times her size, leading to injury, property destruction, and eventually police intervention and hospitalization. Alina’s parents know that their daughter needs help—more than they can provide—and work endlessly on her behalf. From seeking a diagnosis to advocating for special education services, from keeping Alina safe to discovering her strengths, her parents become her biggest champions. They know there is hope for Alina—and their family—and will not stop their quest until that hope is realized. This book is part of the ORP Library series of disabilities books.

An Unlikely Trust: Alina's Story of Adoption, Complex Trauma, Healing, and Hope (The ORP Library)

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

At some point in our lives, we all face the question: Does crisis and pain propel us forward or put our lives on hold? In this deeply intimate memoir, Jacqueline Camacho Ruiz shares the eight hidden secrets—the fig factors as she calls them—of discovering true awareness and embracing life’s big sky possibilities, even amidst our greatest struggles. The Fig Factor is an emotionally-charged story spanning two countries and three decades. Ruiz expertly takes our hand and invites us to walk with her. We begin in her homeland of Mexico as she recounts her mother’s unrelenting faith in giving birth to a little girl, the good that came from the arsonist’s flames devouring her childhood home and the life-changing discovery she encountered after watching her father walk away again and again with a bottle in his hand. Her immigration to the United States as a young teenager and the amazing medical discovery that both saved her life while nearly taking it away offer true inspiration that the human spirit dictates triumph in the lives of everyday people. Ruiz clearly touches our hearts in this beautifully written, very personal memoir, showing us how to find more to every moment of living through love, awareness, forgiveness, gratitude and more. Each chapter is capped off with thought-provoking questions underscoring Ruiz’ real message: the answers to life’s greatest questions lie within each of us.

The Fig Factor

Camacho-Ruiz, Jacqueline

The consumer goods industry accounts for 20 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP)—that’s over $14 trillion in turnover. And yet the industry isn’t growing! It lags behind global GDP growth, and the latest figures suggest that the world’s top 250 consumer goods manufacturers lost nearly $38 billion in profit in 2011 compared to the previous year. As growth declines, profit margins erode and leading players are caught in a perfect storm: hyper competition, the growth of mega-retailers, explosive increases in input costs, talent shortages, and the declining effectiveness of traditional marketing methods all suck profits from a once vibrant and progressive industry. Industry thought leaders see an urgent need for change. 
In The Shopper Marketing Revolution, shopper marketing pioneers Mike Anthony and Toby Desforges analyze why the industry needs to change and provide managers in the field with the practical advice and proven techniques they’ll need to revolutionize their businesses. Mike and Toby introduce the five-step Total Marketing model, an approach that creates coherent links between the end consumer and the in-store environment. Total marketing represents a fundamental shift in the way marketing works. It will help businesses understand how to respond to the reality of the 21st century—transforming the way they market their brands and relate to retail customers.

The Shopper Marketing Revolution: Consumer - Shopper - Retailer: How Marketing Must Reinvent Itself in the Age of the Shopper

Business & Money

Anthony, Mike

Desforges, Toby

Industries

This case study book serves as a companion to the text The Business of Human Services: A Guide to Running a Successful Human Services Company. A more complete understanding of the human services industry requires not only studying the text chapters, but also applying those principles to situations that have occurred in real life. Since the 1970s, private human services organizations have been assuming the critical responsibility to care for people with disabilities, a duty formerly carried out by the government, religious organizations, or others. Yet the philosophy of supporting individuals to live independently in the community is now colliding with the reality of limited funding. Regulators are demanding that agencies achieve quality outcomes at lower cost. Human services organizations can no longer ignore the need for their key managers to make program decisions using sound business concepts. The human services field attracts many people who "enjoy working with people, not numbers." But good mission is not possible without good business. Without a strong business foundation, your company will be unable to deliver the services that will fulfill its mission. If you are-or aspire to be-in a position of authority in our special industry, this book and workbook will be vital tools. It is our hope that you can use the text and case study book together to help you achieve your mission. Whether the answers are in black and white or reside in the cloudier world of grey, your studies will place you and your agency on the right path so you can control your own destiny. Our industry is special, and like any specialized industry, it demands specialized ways to make effective decisions. Let us help you fill your toolbox with the tools necessary for success.

The Business of Human Services: A Guide to Running a Successful Human Resources Company: Case Study Workbook

Leahy, Terrence J

Management & Leadership

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic diseases—cancer, diabetes, depression, obesity, mental illness, and many more—and traditional medicine is failing to bring them back to health. Doctors write prescriptions to combat symptoms but, all too often, don’t even try to solve the root cause of the condition.
In Just Be Well, Dr. Tom Sult points the way toward a new path. He and a growing number of physicians practice functional medicine, a discipline that treats people, not diseases. Functional medicine doctors ask “Why do you have this illness?”—not “How can we stem the tide of symptoms?” They see that each of us is a marvelously interconnected system, and that when we understand what lies at the heart of a condition, we can work our way back to true wellness through changes in our lifestyle, attitude, and relationship with the world around us. 
Chapter by chapter, Dr. Sult takes you through the eight key physiological processes of the functional medicine matrix, weaving together accessible information, real-life patient stories, and actionable advice you can use to begin your own journey back to wellness.
Whether you’re suffering from a debilitating condition or just don’t feel the vibrant health you used to, Dr. Sult’s advice will benefit you. The stories he has to share aren’t about miracle cures or instant results; they’re about how people just like you have joined the functional medicine movement and discovered the power to just be well.
 PRAISE FOR JUST BE WELL
“If I had a complex, chronic illness, I would want a guide like Dr. Sult. I trust his deep intelligence and intuition, and I love his sense of humor. And Dr. Sult calls it as he sees it. In Just Be Well, Dr. Sult takes what can seem complicated and onerous—articulating the underlying causes of disease and what to do about it—and turns it into an accessible, captivating, and hope-filled read, complete with patient stories and his own personal journey of discovery. This book will provide direction for patients who are spinning their wheels in the dominant medical paradigm. It will also inspire physicians mired in the limitations of the same medical paradigm eager for a more effective approach.” Kara N. Fitzgerald, ND Integrative and Functional Medicine Co-author and editor, Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine Contributing author, Textbook of Functional Medicine Contributing author, Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine
“This book was so much fun to read! It reminded me of the pleasure I experienced when reading Rachel Remen’s Kitchen Table Wisdom. Not only did I learn a tremendous amount, but like reading a novel, I enjoyed the experience of story. Tom Sult is a master storyteller. Dr. Sult’s book shows us why the medical profession must switch from concern about what a patient has (the diagnosis) to why they have it. In acute illness and injury, the diagnosis and appropriate protocol for treatment is important. In chronic illness, Dr. Sult helps us understand why it is time to say goodbye to the diagnosis. Instead, we must begin to figure out why the person has this problem at this time and how it relates to other problems she or he has. What is the underlying biochemistry? What is this person’s past and present environment? What are this person’s stressors and mindset? This book is the best explanation of functional medicine that I have ever read, and if we hope to reverse the upward trend of chronic disease in America, this book has the answers. I highly recommend it.” Bill Manahan, MD Past president, American Holistic Medical Association

Just Be Well: A Book for Seekers of Vibrant Health

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Sult, Thomas A.

Alternative Medicine

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