The elephant in the playroom : ordinary parents write intimately and honestly about the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of raising kids with special needs

Cover image for The elephant in the playroom : ordinary parents write intimately and honestly about the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of raising kids with special needs

Title:

Author:

Brodey, Denise.

ISBN:

9781594630354

Publication Information:

New York, N.Y. : Hudson Street Press, c2007.

Physical Description:

xvii, 235 p. ; 22 cm.

Contents:

What's not for lunch / Nadine -- You can't rush a good thing / Lorie Bricker -- Musical beds / Nicole Lynch -- Impacting the bottom line / Rose Walker -- My other half / Lisa Carver -- Hysterical blindness / Ellen Glaser -- Private session in progress / Richard Ellenson -- Mother's helpers / Dawn Mitten -- Only human / Marla Davishoff -- Crash landings / Laura Cichoracki -- Danger : do not compare child to others / Anonymous -- It is okay to be angry / Susan Marrash-Minnerly -- I broke all the rules today / Lorena Smith -- Anticipating difference / David McDonough -- Dark times can be followed by deep joy / Maryrose Sylvester -- The meaning of family / Sandra Dirks -- Good grief / Felice McCreary -- A truly unique ride / Lisa Lori -- -- I got that autistic kid / Patti Gaultney -- Expect the best-it just might happen to you / D. -- My friends are waiting for me / Rebecca Stern -- The team approach / Dawn Mazzeo -- Trust your instincts / Stephanie Ruby -- Why we chose meds / Leigh Anne Wilson -- What worked for us / Harriet Brown -- My son is still alive / Kimberly Coffman -- Keep this in mind / Gary -- A different boy / Loretta -- You do exist / Stephanie Dolgoff -- Dream house / Scott Newport -- You just don't understand / Tabitha Olzinski -- Out there on her own / S. -- Friends forever? / Ann Colin -- -- Dutch boy / Anonymous -- Coming out of the dark / Celeste Soules -- The big moment / Derrik Eichelberger -- Dwell in possibility / Katy Parrish -- Memo from the dept. of hindsight / Teresa S. -- Great moments / Marie A. Sherrett -- The real v. the ideal / Todd Whelan -- Y.E.S. / Brenda Fletcher.

Subject Term:

Children with disabilities -- Family relationships.

Parents of children with disabilities.

Parenting.

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	306.874087 BRO	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Candid, passionate, personal, and heartbreakingly funny, a view from within the whirlwind of parenting a child with special needsThree years ago, magazine editor Denise BrodeyÂs 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 mostwas 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 Ânot quite normal.Â 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, AspergerÂs syndrome, and autismÂas well as the many kids who fall between diagnoses.Offering readers comfort, community, and much-needed perspective, The Elephant in the Playroomis sure to become essential reading for parents of special needs kids.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Brodey, a magazine editor from New York City, uses her experiences as the mother of a four-year-old boy diagnosed with sensory integration dysfunction and childhood depression as a springboard to assemble a series of essays from parents of special-needs children across the country. As Brodey notes, there are more than ten million children diagnosed with special needs in this country, a statistic that has created a vast audience for this type of book. The children profiled have diagnoses ranging from autism to selective mutism, from cerebral palsy to schizophrenia; their parents describe the roller-coaster ride of daily living, discuss whether or not to medicate and the issue of public embarrassment, and share both wonderful and horrific school experiences. Their accounts are heartbreakingly sad, unexpectedly funny, and always honest. Parents of special-needs kids often feel isolated and criticized; in these pages, they will find a wise and understanding community. As Brodey writes, these parents know that "[i]f you don't take advantage of life, it may take advantage of you." An original and helpful addition to the parenting shelf; strongly recommended for public libraries.-Elizabeth Safford, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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