The Lost Boy (A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family) by Dave Pelzer
Choose one book from the list of books written by parents of a special needs child and describe the challenge the parents faced and what, if anything, helped them throughout the process of coming to terms with who their child is. What did you learn from the book that could enhance your working closely with parents of children with special needs? (3-4 pages)
You may want to think/ include:
The child’s condition, how the parent learned about it, the behavior of professionals working with the parents, the trials and tribulations of the parents. How might this book influence you in your work with parents who have special needs children? What feelings got stirred in you as you read this book and what new things did you learn? What more would you like to learn about this work? This is a reaction paper so I want to learn about your reactions.
Sample Solution
The book I chose to discuss is “Extraordinary Children, Ordinary Lives” by Beth Osborn. This book tells the story of the author’s journey as the mother of a daughter with Down syndrome. The challenge that Osborn faced was coming to terms with her daughter's diagnosis and what it meant for their lives going forward.
Osborn describes how she initially found out about her daughter’s condition after receiving an ultrasound during pregnancy and then in-depth genetic testing afterwards indicating a high likelihood that her child would be born with Down Syndrome. She then recounts the challenges she faced from medical professionals who immediately began treating her differently once they found out about her child's diagnosis, often giving advice such as aborting or putting her daughter up for adoption rather than raising her themselves.
Throughout the process, Osborn felt both overwhelmed and scared but also determined to raise her special needs child just like any other parent would raise their regular children. She recalls feeling like she had no one whom she could turn to for support who could understand what it was like being in this situation so instead she looked within herself and relied on personal strength to get through this difficult time.
This book has enlightened me on my own work closely with parents of children with special needs because it has made me aware of some of the systemic issues that can arise when dealing with medical professionals who are not adequately trained or knowledgeable when working with families managing disability or illness in their children. I have also become more cognizant about the importance of providing emotional support for these families in addition to medical care since oftentimes having nonjudgmental understanding from someone outside can be instrumental in helping them cope during these times which may otherwise seem insurmountable due to lack of knowledge or resources available at hand. Furthermore, this book has taught me how important it is to look beyond labels associated with disabilities or illnesses and instead focus on traits that make each individual unique and should be celebrated regardless if others have difficulty seeing those positive qualities due to preconceived notions they might hold based on stereotypes surrounding disability/illness status quo.