Special Parent, Special Child

This is a remarkably moving book with heartfelt revelations from families who have truly"been there". Anyone who has struggled with the issues of disability in their life will feel seen by this reading. Anyone who is friends of families with these challenges would be well advised to read this book and gain a deeper understanding of "how they do it" and the trials and triumphs within.

This review appeared previously in Christian Library Journal (March 1997). Tom Sullivan is well-known as a special correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America, a sometimes actor, and the author of his autobiography, If You Could See What I Hear. He is also blind. Fascinated with his mother's account of the chalenges of raising a special-needs kid, Sullivan interviewed 200 parents and selected six remarkable families of children with disabilities. Special Parent, Special Child shares the stories of how these parents overcame their personal tragedies and became nurturers of and advocates for their children. The families dealt with diverse circumstances: cerebral palsy, blindness, leukemia, deafness, attention deficit disorder, and Downs syndrome. The insights the parents offer about dealing with educational bureaucracies and medical personnel are valuable to anyone who loves a differently abled or seriously ill child. Sullivan records several guideposts along each family's journey: their reactions to the initial dignosis (and the professionslas who made them); phases of denial and grief; impact on the family unit; how the parents learned to "work the system," becoming their child's advocate; dealing with the loss of personal identity; socialization; relationships with professionals; and sources of strength and hope. The parents candidly open their hearts, sometimes confessing attitudes of which they are not proud, but which other parents in the same situation would acknowledge as real. But best of all, in sharing their stories, they serve as role models for parents facing the same challenges. They demonstrate how to persevere for the sake of the child, how to search out better alternatives when what's offered isn't satisfactory. Sullivan's style reads like a transcript of a television interview. It's sparked with banter between him and his subjects, and it's occasionally circuitous and redundant. Andrea R. Huelsenbeck, freelance writer