Adventures In The Mainstream: Coming Of Age With Down Syndrome [Paperback]

Greg Palmer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2005

(2006 Independent Publishers Book Awards: Honorable Mention in Autobiography/Memoir Category) (2005 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award: Finalist in Autobiography/Memoir Category) Like many parents, Greg Palmer worries about his son's future. But his son Ned's last year of high school raises concerns and anxieties for him that most parents don't experience. Ned has Down syndrome; when high school ends for him, school is out forever. The questions loom: What's next? How will Ned negotiate the world without the structure of school? Will he find a rewarding job in something other than food service? To help him sort out these questions and document his son's transition from high school to work, Palmer, an award-winning writer and producer of PBS documentaries, keeps a journal that s the basis of this thoughtful and entertaining book. Ned's talents and interests in poetry, music, and history help him connect with other travelers on a nautical excursion around the British Isles, while his father watches from a distance. The years Palmer and his wife nurtured Ned's interests seem to pay off when Ned shares a favorite poem with a stranger or wins "Employee of the Month." Gratified and a little surprised at how easily Ned sometimes lives by his wits, Palmer also acknowledges the parenting challenges: Ned has some gaps in self-help skills; rarely considers eating anything but peeled wieners for breakfast; and needs help knowing when to curb his passions, such as bombarding people with unsolicited accounts of his family genealogy. Preparing Ned for the working world teaching him to handle money and public transportation, and finding him a job is both amusing and stressful. Palmer wisely stays out of the way when Ned is working happily in the same office and he recognizes the value of good job coaching when his son is lucky enough to get it. But it's trickier business when Ned loses money and skips the bus. Worry over Ned's vulnerabilities leads to discussing what it means to have Down syndrome and, Palmer hopes, offering him a dose of reality. ADVENTURES IN THE MAINSTREAM is a lively and insightful account allowing readers to enjoy Ned's strengths and foibles just as his father does. This personal chronicle also gives us a better understanding of what's involved for parent and child in a young man's journey from adolescence toward adulthood and greater independence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Palmer] perpetually highlights the positive and comedic sides of situations that largely appear unfair, tragic, and hopeless, with reflections that are laugh-out-loud funny." --Exceptional Family, Winter 2006

About the Author

Greg Palmer has been writing professionally since 1968 for a variety of media. His PBS television work as writer, producer, and sometime host includes "The Video Game Revolution," (2004) and "The Perilous Fight: America's World War Two in Color," (2004). He is the co-editor of THE GI's RABBI: WORLD WAR II LETTERS OF DAVID MAX EICHHHORN (2004, University Press of Kansas). His essay "He Canters When He Can" appears in UNCOMMON FATHERS (Woodbine House, 1995). Palmer and his family live in Seattle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 315 pages
• Publisher: Woodbine House; 1 edition (April 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890627305
• ISBN-13: 978-1890627300
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,658,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for any parent who has a child with a disability, May 10, 2005

By 

Mary P. McHale "Daniel's Mom" (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adventures In The Mainstream: Coming Of Age With Down Syndrome (Paperback)

I finished reading Greg's book and immediately sent him an email thanking him for his honesty in depicting the hopes, fears, concerns, and joy that we, as parents of children with disabilities, have in our day to day living.

As the parent of Daniel, a 7 year old with Down syndrome, my husband and I worry about if we are doing the right things, if we are teaching the right things, how to prepare him for life after he turns 21 and ages out of the educational system. As Greg's book depicts-- sometimes we do a good job on some things, sometimes we do a bad job on some things-- but we are human and don't have the magic key when it comes to teaching a child with a disability what to do, what not to do, what to learn, etc.

Loved the ending as I am a huge fan of "Inside The Actors Studio" and made us realize that our job is to prepare our child to the best of our(and their) ability and KNOW that someone will watch out for them when we are gone and they are on their own.

Loved Greg's comments about being sensitive to 'slights'(perceived or real) and other things that we, as parents, become sensitive to throughout our child's life. He tells it like it is-- the good and the bad and doesn't sugar coat things because while there are good things about having a child with a disability, there are also bad things that alot of books won't talk about.

Would definitely recommend this to any parent who had a child with a disability-- or anyone working in the field with people with disabilities because it gives a unique perspective.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Denny descendent delivers..., June 25, 2006

By 

Auchamore (The Glorious Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventures In The Mainstream: Coming Of Age With Down Syndrome (Paperback)

I first read about Greg and Ned in Pacific Magazine in the Sunday Seattle Times. It was a brief but intriguing view into Greg and Ned's relationship and Ned's move into adulthood and the "mainstream". Both Greg and Ned, (father and son)seemed to be witty, talented, smart men learning to deal with each other and life as they moved into the next chapter of their lives. I wanted to know more, so I got the book.

I could not put the book down. Greg is an honest, engaging writer. He captures the anecdotes of his life, his son and his family with warmth, respect and love. In this book Greg shares his hopes and fears for his son. He also shares his personal philosophies and pet peeves - I enjoyed that part immensely and did not find it distracting.

Ned is by all accounts an incredible human being. He has his issues just like the rest of us. He also possesses certain gifts - incredible memory, love of music, and passion for history.

It is a bittersweet experience for parents as their children leave the nest and find their place in the world. This book chronicles the good and bad of that experience. This is an excellent book and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys smart writing and a well-told story about family relationships.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too many unrelated personal biases, May 26, 2006

By 

Michael S. "Just another buyer" (The west) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventures In The Mainstream: Coming Of Age With Down Syndrome (Paperback)

The first section of the book is very entertaining. From there, the action slows down. The content really drags towards the end. As the parent of a child with DS, I can relate to much of the writers comments, however, the author includes way too much personal bias and opinions unrelated to his son in the areas of politics, religion, public television, etc in his own separate experiences. The book would have been much better without them.