By Peggy Lou Morgan; 220 pages. Subtitle: Become a Powerful Advocate for the Autistic, Down Syndrome, PDD, Bipolar, or Other Special-Needs Child
Parenting books generally come in one of two types: Experts offer suggestions on how to raise your child, with maybe some case studies thrown in; or parents share their stories of struggle and triumph, with maybe some practical advice thrown in. In this book, Morgan tries to do both -- and maybe proves why they really don't mix.
- Interesting mix of parenting memoir and how-to
- Gets into issues other books don't, like hiring staff
- Good advice about collaboration, not combat when dealing with professionals
- Short chapters are easy to read
- Includes sample forms and concrete suggestions
- Every complex child is different, and these suggestions may not work for yours
- Astounding that a book on multi-syndrome kids does not mention Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
- You may disagree with some of the choices the author makes for her child
- The fact that the author's child became complex after a bad reaction to medication is alarming
- No real sense of who the author's son is as an individual
- Part One: The Journey - Life with a Complex Child
Chapter 1: The Complex Child - Chapter 2: Billy Ray's Story
Chapter 3: Not Yet the Best of Times
Chapter 4: Feeling Misunderstood - Chapter 5: Working with Doctors
Chapter 6: Encountering the "Dumb-Parent Treatment" - Part Two: Changing Course - Solutions and Suggestions
Chapter 7: Turning Point - Chapter 8: The Best Teacher -- Your Child
- Chapter 9: Two Essential Words: Communicate and Adapt
- Chapter 10: Creating a Life That Works for Your Child and Your Family
- Chapter 11: Service Dogs
Chapter 12: Document Everything - Chapter 13: Getting the Professionals to Listen
Chapter 14: Creating a Community for Your Child - Chapter 15: Hiring, Training, and Supervising Caregivers
Chapter 16: Mapping the Journey
Peggy Lou Morgan is a resourceful mom, and certainly a powerful advocate for her special-needs child. I can understand why someone, hearing the story of her son Billy Ray, would suggest that she write a book about her experiences. And I can also understand why someone, watching her manage her son's quite extensive care and work with schools and doctors and home-care helpers, would suggest that she write a book of advice for parents on handling these same challenges. The personal story is compelling, and the suggestions are smart and useful. But I'm not sure they go together all that well.
The book's cover seems to promise a "how-to," and there's plenty of good, practical advice here. But the fact that it's all presented in the context of Morgan's personal experience makes it more of a "how-I-did," and that's problematical. For one thing, every child is different, complex children all the more so, and if your experience doesn't match the author's it can be hard to see how the help applies. For another, certain elements of Morgan's personal story -- chief among them the fact that her son became a "complex child" due to the disasterous side effects of an ADHD medication -- may make it hard to focus on the more straightforward service material. In the end, I'd have liked to hear more about the author's personal experience ... or much less, with the information on becoming "a powerful advocate" delivered in a more authoritative, less personal way.
