Read anything good lately?

[pakin]

The book threads in the Lounge got me thinking... Have you read any good book about special needs parenting lately? I've just got "The Best Kind of Different" by Shonda Schilling from the library. She is Curt Schilling's wife. They have 4 kids with ADHD. The book focused on the son with Asperger's. So far so good..

Pakin

DS 4/2001
DD 6/2005

[Gena]

A couple of months ago I read "Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid: A Survival Guide for Ordinary Parents of Special Children (http://www.amazon.com/Shut-About-Your-Perfect-Kid/dp/0307587487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294434007&sr=8-1)".

I laughed. I cried. I know a few moms who practice parenting as a competitive sport, so this book really hit the mark on dealing with that.

[Pepper]

Although it's not a book for special needs kids, as a parent of one I found this book very helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Proactive-Parenting-Guiding-your-Child/dp/B000HWYZ9I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294446554&sr=1-1

The chapters were written by the faculty at Tufts University in their Early Childhood Education Department. One of the things i like about it is that they spend a lot of time describing the "range of normal," which was helpful when I was trying to decide as a first-time parent if there really was something up with DS1.

Another thing I LOVE about this book is that they treat you, the parent, as a real person with real baggage (for lack of a better word!). There are chapters on personalities and conflict which I found very helpful...so many books seem to lay out instructions to parents, without considering that not all solutions will work for every parent. (To give you an example, I am apparently incapable of making a picture schedule - it sounds simple, but to my left-handed, right-brained way of thinking there are just too many possibilities to incorporate into a simple pictogram, so I get frustrated, and give up). The overall tone of the book has a "parents are people too!" flavor that I really appreciate.

[elliput]

Great thread! I haven't read sh!t recently, so I don't have anything to add.

[jess_g]

This is one of my favorite books about raising a special needs kid. You realy feel like you are there with them and the boy in the story is a lot like my son.

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Blaze-Mother-Strange-Journey/dp/0060004339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294767460&sr=8-1

I also saw the movie based on this book and realy loved it:

http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Boy-Fathers-Quest-Heal/dp/B003P2VDB0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294767510&sr=1-1

They are both very uplifting stories.

Jessica.

[Gena]

I am currently reading "Autism Life Skills (http://www.amazon.com/Autism-Life-Skills-Communication-AbilitiesEvery/dp/039953461X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298477640&sr=8-1): From Communication and Safety to Self-Esteem and More - 10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn" by Chantal Sicile-Kira.

It seems like there are a lot of the books about autism that are written for parents are "entry-level". By this I mean that they are about what autism is, how to get a diagnosis, how to deal (emotionally) with the diagnosis, what to tell people, and how to find resources in your area, etc. All of that is great stuff - really important stuff - when you are first starting the journey.

But now a few years into our autism journey, these entry-level books just don't have the type of information I need. So I was thrilled to find "Autism Life Skills". This book helps me remeber that I am not just raising a child with autism; I am raising a child who will one day be an adult with autism. And that DS will need certain skills to live as an adult with autism.

I love that the author draws upon the real-life expereinces from adults with autism - adults who are all over the spectrum. It helps so much to be able to read about their experiences and their points of view.

[elliput]

A couple of months ago I read "Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid: A Survival Guide for Ordinary Parents of Special Children (http://www.amazon.com/Shut-About-Your-Perfect-Kid/dp/0307587487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294434007&sr=8-1)".

I laughed. I cried. I know a few moms who practice parenting as a competitive sport, so this book really hit the mark on dealing with that.

I am currently in the middle of reading this and am really enjoying it. There are so many things that hit home. And, it is chock full of good tips. Thanks for the recommendation. :)

[elliput]

I just started reading Raising a Sensory Smart Child (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Raising-a-Sensory-Smart-Child/Lindsey-Biel/e/9780143115342/?itm=1&USRI=raising+a+sensory+smart+child+the+definitive) , and wish I had picked this up earlier as DD's sensory issues still confuse me sometimes.