More Than a Mom: Living a Full and Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs - Tapa blanda

Solid, practical advice on how to cope with the many personal challenges mothers of children with disabilities face at home, at work, and within themselves. A “how to” guide for living a balanced, fulfilling life with advice from moms who have been there – this includes the authors’ experiences and insights, and tips from dozens of other moms of kids with special needs who filled out the authors’ questionnaire. Jam-packed with useful steps you can take to make your life more manageable, and ultimately more fulfilling. Book addresses 2 main concerns: · Taking Care of Yourself (at home)– o physically--realistic ways to fit in exercise (and why that’s essential), eating to stay healthy (as opposed to dieting), tackling sleep deprivation, etc.o emotionally--finding time for friends (and how to make/keep friends, when your life is revolving around your child’s special needs), recognizing depression/stress/anger and what to do about it, etc.o practically speaking--organizing/balancing all the demands on your time, facing financial challenges o spiritually/ psychically—reevaluating your goals, dreams, what you want out of life · Taking Care of Business o juggling work and home o finding child care for a special needs child, etc o your legal rights at work (family leave, etc.) o different types of flexible work option or accommodations (flex time, telecommuting, job share, extended leave, etc.) and how to ask for them o getting support from your boss and coworkers o if you have to stop working, how to “keep a foot in the workplace” by volunteering, consulting, etc.o re-joining the workforce o changing careers or starting your own business

Amy Baskin writes about parenting, education and disability issues for magazines across North America and is a regular contributor to Today’s Parent, Canada’s only national magazine about parenting. She has a Master of Education Degree from the University of Toronto and has taught classes in parenting, writing, and speaking skills. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Her youngest child has autism. Heather Fawcett chairs the Asperger Syndrome parent support group of Ottawa, Ontario, which provides information and support, social skills programs, and advocacy to 400 family and professional members. She is a writer and parent of a teen with Asperger syndrome. Heather has BA degrees in English, Applied Studies, and Psychology from the University of Waterloo (1985) and Carleton University (2001.)