The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs
Candid, passionate, personal, and heartbreakingly funny, a view from within the whirlwind of parenting a child with special needs Three years ago, magazine editor Denise Brodey?s precocious four-year-old son, Toby, was diagnosed with a combination of sensory integration dysfunction and childhood depression. As she struggled to make sense of her new, often chaotic, often lonely world, what she found comforted her most was talking with other harried, hopeful, and insightful parents of kids with special needs, learning how they coped with the feelings they encountered throughout the day. In The Elephant in the Playroom, moms and dads from across the country write intimately and honestly about the joyful highs and disordered lows of raising children who are "not quite normal." Laying bare the emotional, medical, and social challenges they face, their stories address issues ranging from if and when to medicate a child, to how to get a child who is overly sensitive to the texture of food to eat lunch. Eloquent and honest, the voices in this collection will provide solace and support for the millions of parents whose kids struggle with ADD, ADHD, sensory disorders, childhood depression, Asperger?s syndrome, and autism?as well as the many kids who fall between diagnoses. Offering readers comfort, community, and much-needed perspective, The Elephant in the Playroom is sure to become essential reading for parents of special needs kids.
The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs Accessories
 Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs: Stories of Love and Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities
Shut Up About...Your Perfect Kid! (Shut Up About. . .)
More Than a Mom: Living a Full And Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs
Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism
Married with Special-Needs Children: A Couples' Guide to Keeping Connected
1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children With Disabilities
The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal
Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter
The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs Reviews
I liked the fact that many approaches and attitudes were reflected here-there does not seem to be any hidden agendas. Overall, I found the book comforting and somewhat hopeful. The emphasis here seems to be on disorders that affect behavior-autism, bipolar disorder, ADHD. There are fewer accounts about children with physical and/or medical disorders, so if that is what you are dealing with, you might want to look elsewhere. Not the exact songs or wishes, but so much like her. I don't think survey type books like this can be helpful to all, but it is worth a read to see if you find yourself there. I think most parents would read this book hoping for a "match", a parent who has been through something similar to themselves, and I did find a match here, an account by Nicole Lynch about her autistic daugther's sleep issues.
When she talked about her daughter being awake in the night singing "Elmo's Song" at the top of her lungs and asking for her candle collection or a lollipop, I nearly cried with recognition-that's my daughter too. I've read a few books like this lately, that contain various essays about raising children with special needs, and this is probably the best of the bunch. Another account told of an autistic son crying all night for a reason only he understood-it's so sad and so recognizable to me. The accounts are varied and heartfelt.
It takes bravery to be so open and honest. It was wonderful. I loved this book. The stories were wonderful. Every story had something I could relate to as a parent and as a parent of special needs children.
I have read this book, highlighted, circled, folded pages and bookmarked sentimental excerpts. This is my personal bible, exactly what I need to pick me up on the hard days and remind me how blessed I am on the good days. No matter what hand you've been dealt, there is something written in this book by someone like you. If you are looking for an honest book and not a sugar coated foo foo book, this is for you. The title says it all - The extraordinary HIGHS and heartbreaking LOWS.it's all covered. I keep it handy for the rough days and lend it out to other parents who need a little reassurance that they are not alone. You will smile as recognize the rewards other parents have experienced and cry because you have been there.
However I found a couple offensiveand I'm not easily offended. A couple parents assume that having kids with physical and easily recognizable disabilities is easier than having a child with an "invisible" disability. But we are one big special needs family and perhaps divisive essays should not have been included. I know there is a tendency to feel like your child's disability is worse than any other and that the grass is always greener. Most of them are great. As the mother of a special needs, medically fragile child, I appreciate the honest writing of the essays in the book. Anyone whose dealt with the public school system knows that's not true. Even going so far as to say it's easy for schools to accommodate a child in a wheel chair.
I agree that this should be required reading for all educational professionals before they enter a classroom. As a parent who contributed a personal story to this book, I was so delighted to read what all the other parents who contributed had to say. Lorie B. I could find a piece of myself or my child in every story.
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