Resources for Parents: Books, Catalogs & On-Line Websites

There are a number of excellent books written for parents of children with disabilities:

• You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children with Disabilities (2001) edited by Stanley D. Klein and Kim Schive and published by Kensington Books.
• Special Kids Need Special Parents: A Resource for Parents of Children with Special Needs (2001) written by Judith Loseff Lavin and published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
• Raising a Handicapped Child: A Helpful Guide for Parents of the Physically Disabled (2000) written by Charlotte E. Thompson, MD and published by Oxford University Press.
• Do You Hear What I Hear? Parents and Professionals Working Together for Children with Special Needs (1999) written by Janice Fialka and Karen C. Mikus and published by Proctor Publications, LLC.
• Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child with a Disability (1997) written by Robert A. Naseef and published by Carol Publishing Group.
• Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs (1997) written by Bruce Baker and Alan Brightman, and published by Brookes Publishing.
• After the Tears: Parents Talk about Raising a Child with a Disability (1987) edited by Robin Simons and published by Harcourt, Brace & Co.
  

There are also two major publishers who focus on books about parenting children with specific disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and learning disabilities. You can access catalogs from these publishers online:

• Brookes Publishing at www.pbrookes.com and Woodbine House at www.woodbinehouse.com.
• Exceptional Parent magazine also has an online site at www.eplibrary.com/ourproductlinks that features many books, videos, and CDs related to disabilities in children.

Because childhood disabilities are so common, it’s often possible to find good-quality used copies of many of these products online at Amazon (www.amazon.com) or E-bay’s Half-com (www.half.ebay.com).

Websites to Link To:

• National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) at www.nichcy.org is a national information center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, administrators, journalists, and students. Their special focus is children and youth (birth to age 22).
• Internet Resource for Special Children (IRSC) at www.irsc.org provides valuable information to about children with disabilities to parents, family members, caregivers, friends, educators, and medical professionals who provide them services and support.
• Children with Disabilities at www.childrenwithdisabilities.ncjrs.org/aboutsite.html presents families, service providers, and other interested individuals with information about advocacy, education, employment, health, housing, recreation, technical assistance, and transportation for children with disabilities.
• Wrightslaw at www.wrightslaw.com provides parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys with accurate, up-to-date information about advocacy for children with disabilities.
• Exceptional Parent Magazine at www.eparent.com provides information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them.

Please explore the Exceptional Parent website, and be prepared to answer the following "true/false" question!

Parents are more likely to be effective advocates for their children with disabilities if they have access to specific resource materials that are tailored to their needs. Nurses can find a great selection of books online on the Exceptional Parent web site.