Representation of Communication Disorders in Children’s Literature

Abstract

Children deserve to read books where they feel seen, heard and represented. In this study, the researcher rated children\u27s books with main characters with communication disorders. Based upon components of bibliotherapy, the researcher designed two rating instruments, one for rating chapter books with no illustrations, and one for rating picture books. Applying inclusion criteria, the researcher rated 60 books. Results discuss representation by types of communication disorders or disabilities, demographics such as gender, genre, and quality of representation according to the components of bibliotherapy. The researcher also identified gaps in the literature