Outskirts Press, INC.

A Guide Written by Mom & Dad for Mom & Dad

Fourteen years ago Sandy was pregnant with our son Ian. Being diligent parents we read the parenting books and magazines. We wanted to be as prepared as possible as we embarked on parenthood. When Ian was five months old we found out about his disability. Our library of parenting books didn’t cover the new direction parenting was taking. There were no parenting books for this path. It would have been nice to get a heads up about how things were going to change and more importantly what we could do to reduce the added stress this new direction was going to create. For fourteen years we navigated the waters of special needs parenting before we decided to share what we’ve learned along the way. We decided to write this book to give others the heads up we didn’t have and let others benefit from our experience and planning. In this informative guide you will find strategies and techniques to: Reduce the intensity and duration of meltdowns and tantrums. Improve the responses to transitions. Teach financial concepts and develop marketable skills. Make therapy equipment for home use. Deal with the challenges of mainstreaming at school, and socially. Plan for your child’s future employment and financial well being. Improve your records management. Systemically compare therapies, learning programs and schools. Even though our kids different, as parents we are essentially faced with the same challenges. This guide will help you navigate the waters of being a special needs parents.