Outskirts Press, INC.

More Heaven is a powerful story of compassion, determination, disappointment, triumph, and love. Based on a true story, More Heaven is about six children with autism and special needs and their remarkable teacher who gives them a chance at learning and life.Despite challenges and a lack of support, Miss Tina Randolph’s commitment to reach, teach, and inspire is unwavering. By accepting their uniqueness and participating in their private fantasy world, while also engaging them in the real world, she eventually succeeds. Tina, her teacher’s aide, Kaye, and the children mount a tireless, daily battle to shift the tide toward the acceptance of people who are different. The pioneer program, begun in chaotic, uncharted waters, bridges the gap of understanding and paves the way for the inclusionary practices of education and society’s acceptance of children and adults with special needs. This is a road that continues to need paving, making the messages in More Heaven equally relevant today. The book evolved from an experiment in the Philadelphia school system in the late 1970's in response to the 1975 Education for the Handicapped Act. The mandate ruled that public schools in the US educate all children with disabilities, despite their severity. Previously, many of these children with special needs were kept at home—isolated and denied access to the mainstream. "More Heaven reaches in from the heart outward to all children. They will be heard."