Customer Reviews

The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About the Extraordinary Highs and Heartbreaking Lows of Raising Kids with Special Needs

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book fills a much-needed void in the literature of books written for parents of special needs children. It's not a how-to manual on getting your child diagnosed, treated, or educated. It doesn't tell you what's the best kind of doctor to go to for your child's disability, or where the best resources are in your state. Instead, it tells very personal stories by parents you recognize, even though you've never met.

Any parent who has felt that agonizing pain of strangers judging them because of how their special needs child behaves in public, or who has been isolated from family or friends because they don't understand that the normal rules of discipline don't apply, should read this book. You will know that you aren't alone.

As the mother of a special needs, medically fragile child, I appreciate the honest writing of the essays in the book. Most of them are great. However I found a couple offensive--and I'm not easily offended. A couple parents assume that having kids with physical and easily recognizable disabilities is easier than having a child with an "invisible" disability. Even going so far as to say it's easy for schools to accommodate a child in a wheel chair. Anyone whose dealt with the public school system knows that's not true. I know there is a tendency to feel like your child's disability is worse than any other and that the grass is always greener. But we are one big special needs family and perhaps divisive essays should not have been included.

The essays in this book are written mostly by mothers and fathers who have children, young, teenagers and adults, with special needs. Their sad and hopeful recollections are so heart rendering and honest. Valiantly the families asked for, fought, and begged for the proper services for their children. Denise Brody opens each chapter with her feelings of the discussed relevant issues, such as medical, educational, social, emotional, and familial. These parents daily their utmost to be their child's best advocate.

This book tells it like it is - the good, the bad and the ugly. As the mother of a child with autism, this book brought out a whole range of emotions for me. I really enjoyed the honesty, and I appreciated that the stories were not all negative. This book should be required reading for any professional who works with special needs families, as well as friends and other family members. If you want to know what it's really like, read this book.

After an emotionally draining morning with my daughter, I was feeling guilty, alone, and incompetent. I picked this book up on a whim before I picked her up from school, and sat in the car reading it, tears streaming down my face. For the first time in several years, I felt I wasn't alone. It's a wonderful collection of honest, real, and oh-so-familiar accounts.

This is one of the very best books I have ever read! As a parent with a special needs princess, I wish everyone who is involved in or lives, teachers, grandparents, all the way to law makers and system workers would read this book. It says what I am most often to tired or to involved to speak. Thank you!

I was VERY pleasantly suprised by this book. Every other book I have read in regards to Sensory Integration Dysfunction or anxiety in infants/children has either been outdated or very textbook - nothing for a parent trying to raise a child with these needs to connect to. This book was WONDERFUL! I ended up highlighting quite a bit of the context and am now showing the book to grandma and aunt so that they can get a glimpse of what it is like to raise a child with SID. I would recommend this book to any parent that needs to feel 'not alone' in their quest of raising a great, wonderful special needs child!

for any parent of a special needs kid, but also for any parent of ANY child who needs a little inspiration and encouragement while they do the hardest job in the world.

Brodey carefully weaves together the intimate stories shared by parents of special needs kids, introducing each chapter with tales from her own family's story. Anyone who has a speical-needs child, relative or friend should read this book. Parents of mainstream kids will benefit from the insights provided by Brodey and her fellow writers.

As a school psychologist, I work with students with and without disabilities at the elementary level. I have just recently begun my career and do not have children of my own. I love all the students I work with, and try to do the best I can to provide them with all the services that they need. I never need anyone to remind me why I chose to become a school psychologist or why I love working with children. The students I work with continually amaze or amuse me, which keeps me motivated and loving my job. Occasionally, I will have a discussion with my mom or friends (who are parents themselves) about the students and the parents I work with. After I share the scenario, they will generally say something like, "When you have kids you will understand" or "It's different when you are the parent", to which I will sometimes reply, "Yes, but..." I bought this book, because I know essentially they are absolutely correct. This book is inspiring. It reminds me to keep the parent's perspective in mind as they are their child's biggest advocate. It reminds me that their job isn't easy, and most importantly, it reminds me that when my day is ending, theirs has just begun.