Critical Review: Characterization of Developmental Disabilities in Children's Fiction

Dyches, Tina Taylor and Mary Anne Prater. "Characterization of Developmental Disability in Children's Fiction." Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 2006, 40(3), 202-216.

This article, about the characterization of developmental disabilities in children's fiction, shows that books being published today portray these characters as making deliberate choices, being educated in a more inclusive setting, being more accepted by their communities. Also, this study showed that today many times the characters who have a disability are portrayed as having many other character traits. This article discusses the changes in expectations of books characterization of individuals with disabilities and how "characterizations of individuals with disabilities in contemporary children's literature should be both positive and realistic" (202). Throughout the study of many books these authors concluded that the portrayal of characters with developmental disabilities in books is getting better because the disability is no longer the sole quality the character possesses.

In the article Dyches and Prater define developmental disabilities as including disabilities such as autism and mental retardation. They found 34 books that included characters with developmental disabilities and analyzed these books according to a set of criteria. The criteria was whether the character who had a developmental disability was a main or supporting character, whether or not the depiction of the character was realistic, if it was a positive or negative portrayal of the character, and if the character developed through time. Even though none of the books were ideal, the majority of the books characterized people with developmental disabilities more positive than they had in the past. With that said, it is always important to remember there is always room for improvement.

In the story Ben, King of the River, Ben has a developmental disability. With the use of Dyches and Prater guidelines I evaluated this book. First, Ben is a child with a developmental disability, most likely autism, though it is never stated in the book. He is a supporting character in the book due to Chad, his brother, being the focus of the book. The depiction of Ben is realistic because Ben as a character demonstrated skills and knowledge that was consistent with his projected ability level. In the story Ben, is portrayed positively because there was an emphasis on his strengths rather than his weaknesses and there was a high expectation for Ben. Lastly, the character was dynamic due to the fact that he made friends with the children who were making fun of him earlier in the story. Overall, this book does a good job portraying Ben as a character who is integrated within society.

Dynches and Prater Guidelines:

**DD stands for developmental disability

Level: Whether or not the character with a disability is the main or supporting character.

Depiction: "Most of the portrayals of the character with DD were realistic in that they demonstrated skills and knowledge consistent with the characters' projected ability levels" (208).

Portrayal: "Portrayals were characterized as positive if they (a) emphasized strengths rather than weaknesses, (b) represented high expectations of the character with DD, (c) enhanced positive contributions, (d) showed the character acting on his/her choices, (e) were given full citizenship in the home and community, and (f) enjoyed reciprocal relationships" (208).