Mothers

Books: Parenting Special Needs.

Featured below are books that Mothers with Attitude recommends, or that have been recommended to us by other parents. For more selections on parenting children with special needs, visit our online bookstore.

denotes our particular favorites.

	BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
	1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D. Good, basic approach to structured, clear, consistent discipline. May have varied effectiveness on children with special needs; the books below give ideas for kids who don't respond.
	The Challenging Child: Understanding, Raising, and Enjoying the Five "Difficult" Types of Children by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. What to do if your kid is too sensitive, self-absorbed, defiant, inattentive, or active/aggressive.
	The Child with Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. Essential if hefty reading for parents dealing with any neurological problems, particularly autism/PDD. Explains the "Floor Time" technique and gives useful information on emotional development.
	The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. Excellent behavior management program to put you in charge of your child's reactions to frustration and change.
	Holding Time: How to Eliminate Conflict, Temper Tantrums, and Sibling Rivalry and Raise Happy, Loving, Successful Children by Martha G. Welch, M.D. Useful techniques for facilitating attachment and dealing with out-of-control behavior; may need to be adapted or toned down to your own particular situation.
	Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka Indispensible manual for micromanaging kids whose nervous systems make traditional discipline ineffective.
	Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach by Howard Glasser and Jennifer Easley My new favorite behavior book. A very positive, pro-active and effective method for circumventing problem behavior that's made a big difference for my son. The book's Web site at www.difficultchild.com offers a message board on which the authors will respond to questions about implementing the approach.
	SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVOCACY
	Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide by Peter W. D. & Pamela Darr Wright "A practical 'survival guide' that teaches parents and others how to advocate for children with disabilities; includes comprehensive index, appendices, bibliography."
	Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind by Peter W. D. & Pamela Darr Wright and Suzanne Whitney Heath Learn how the No Child Left Behind Act affects your child.
	Wrightslaw: Special Education Law by Peter W. D. & Pamela Darr Wright "Includes the full text of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, implementing regulations, decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court; extensive commentary and explanations of statutes by Pete Wright. The Law book is also available with a CD ROM."
	PERSONAL STORIES
	Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism by Paul Collins This dead-on memoir captures that turning point in the lives of parents of children with special needs when they realize that the child they think of as brilliant and unique and different in a fascinating way is, to professionals with clipboards and developmental charts, different in a way that's not good at all. The author's story of his son, Morgan, is interspersed with his research on autism, including the story of an 18th-century "wild boy" believed to be an early case of autism. Read an excerpt here.

copyright © 2001 by Terri Mauro