Far From the Tree
Andrew Solomon, PhD
Author and Professor of Clinical Psychology
Columbia University
New York, NY

The Context for Our Empathy
Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD
Executive Director
The Boggs Center, and Professor of Pediatrics
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ

The 250^th session of the Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series, a milestone event, will feature two speakers: New York Times best-selling author and winner of the National Book Award, Dr. Andrew Solomon, and Dr. Deborah Spitalnik. Dr. Solomon  will present his experiences writing Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, an examination of the means by which families accommodate children with physical, mental, and social disabilities and how these unusual situations can be invested with love. Dr. Spitalnik will begin the session by tracing the structure and impact of disability policy on the lives of people with developmental disabilities, their families, and those who work on their behalf.

April 17, 2015 - Duration 2.75 hrs

Audio Files Part I: Deborah Spitalnik, PhD (mp3 file)
Audio Files Part II: Andrew Solomon, PhD (mp3 file)

Bios of Andrew Solomon and Deborah Spitalnik (PDF)
Handouts for Deborah Spitalnik's presentation (PDF)

View List of 250 Sessions of the Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series (PDF)

Project Manager: Robyn Carroll
Program Staff: Debbie Mahovetz, Ziba Arjmand
Project Support Staff: Gail DiPane

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School