Giveaway and Review: “Not Just Spirited”

We have a winner: Sarah!  Congratulations!  Your copy will be sent via USPS as soon as I get your information!

Thank you to all the contestants.

“Not Just Spirited: A Mom’s Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)” is the book by Chynna T. Laird, who just guest blogged for me last week.  It chronicles her struggles to raise a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), many of which I dealt with myself.

What I like about the book is its honesty.  Ms. Laird does not hold back from telling the reader her feelings in dealing with the various care providers, care centers, and schools she has enrolled Jaime in.  It’s spot on in relaying all the difficulty a parent has when trying to get just the right services to help their child become a healthy, functioning member of society, and how much frustration you experience when your child’s needs are not understood. It’s also a quick and easy read.  I highly recommend this book for parents newly dealing with SPD, but also for parents without special needs children, who want to gain insight on what the life of a special needs parent is like.

The Giveaway – How to Enter
This week, I am giving away one copy of  “Not Just Spirited”.  To enter, simply comment below why you are interested in this book. Feel free to to leave your story as well.  Be sure to leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

Additional Entries:
For one additional entry, you may retweet this contest.  Be sure to return here and comment with your tweet link!

Contest End Date:
I will run this contest from now through midnight, January 25th, so be sure to enter soon.

I’d like to thank Ms. Laird and her team for sharing this wonderful book.  Keep an eye out for her new book releases, coming soon.

Planning the Future: How does a special needs parent start?

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to my kids, and a bit less thought about their futures.  In my heart of hearts, I know this is not correct, but sleep deprivation and my sense of overwhelm have put me lately on a day-by-day management track.  That is, it’s taking everything right now just to get through the day.

A series of things has happened, though, that has got me thinking about more long-term planning for my girls.  First, Zoe had an IEP last month that I was NOT equipped for, in terms of prep or alertness, and I showed up alone while they brought in the big guns.  I tried to negotiate to get her an extra day of school and, in my failure, I am now paying the price as she is super-resistant to going AT ALL.

Chris and I have been discussing converting her huge, empty walk-in closet to a study, so that she has a place for homework and nothing but educational things on the wall, like sight words and number lines.

Amelia has been having great difficulty with homework, which made me realize that our decision to put her in full inclusion – which I still believe was the correct option – came without me really understanding what it meant. I made some calls and got some support and information.  Meanwhile the school called for a new IEP since her old one recommended something other than full inclusion, which is all they offer, so that is set up. In addition, she has a new eval for TSS services scheduled next month, and if a TSS in school is required, that should cover it.

In addition, I’m reading a parenting book for review (I won’t divulge yet) and one of the things it covered goals for your family.  Then today, I took a look at this page which contains a video ad for life planning for special needs parents on the inside cover:

Exceptional Parenting Magazine

The timing on these things was pretty simultaneous, and it got together one point for me: we need to plan realisticly and completely for our kids’ futures.  We talk about this sometimes, but for now, I can start with the IEP planning and what we want for Amelia’s education.  I’m also going to be in there to ask her teachers what I can do, without becoming a teacher myself.

For those of you have special needs kids, what was the defining moment where you decided to plan for your kids’ future? What did you do?  How did you begin?  I want to hear your tips and advicse to help me raise kids who are happy and lead contributive lives!