Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guide to Raising a Child with Special Needs

by Jolene Philo

Parents of children with chronic or critical medical conditions, behavioral issues, or educational needs face special challenges. But sometimes finding needed resources is discouraging, frustrating, or exhausting. In this helpful book, the author--herself a parent who has raised a special needs child--gives those parents and families practical help, extensive advice about resources, and encouraging spiritual guidance. Different Dream Parenting shows parents how to ask questions and conduct research so they can unearth local resources and those that are available at hospitals, medical facilities, government agencies, private organizations, businesses, schools, churches, and more. The author and other experienced parents and professionals also share what they’ve learned about asking, listening, and waiting for spiritual answers or encouragement.

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ruth Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guide to Raising a Child with Special Needs by Jolene Philo is like having a trusted friend walk beside you, sharing your burden. Filled with practical suggestions, poignant stories, and encouraging Scriptures, this book is a great resource for any parent raising a child with special needs.

The book is divided into six sections dealing with different topics: diagnosis, hospital life, juggling two worlds (“normal life” and special needs), long-term care conditions, losing a child, and raising a survivor. Each chapter contains a key verse, quotes from special needs parents, stories from families dealing with special needs, helpful information, side bars with information at a glance, suggestions for next steps, a short prayer, questions to reflect on, and resources. At the end of the book there are further resources like prayer guides and interview questions.

This is a book I wish I had been given about ten years ago. Not only does it provide a wealth of information, but it also encourages. My only complaint about the book is the resources are all U.S. based, so not very applicable in Canada. Thanks, Jolene, for turning your challenges into a tool to help others. This book definitely gets five stars out of five!

[jessica grisham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books someone needs to put into your hands when you first get a diagnosis for your child. I found it incredibly helpful and orienting.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you a new parent ? Finding it difficult to raise your child ? Does your child have a disability ? Well, look no further with Jolene Philo's new book "Different Dream Parenting" which discusses all the up's and down's and the how-to's when raising a child with a disability. Looking back, I'm sure if a book like this was released when my sister and brother were born it would have saved a whole lot of troubles for my parents as having siblings with disabilities were bad enough, raising them is a whole new level and I am proud of parents as they managed and though when you have someone with a disability - being physical or even mentally , it is a continual process in the parenting - it never really stops.
Jolene Philo's guide takes you from the first steps of diagnosis to the countless hospital visits as more often than not when you have a child diagnosed with a disability , it means countless hospital stays as when my brother was little up to about 11 or 12 , he used to spend every single winter in hospital and the occasional summer as he would catch pneumonia through swimming which would turn so bad he would end up being hospitalized. It moves through to juggling the two worlds , the world of having children with disabilities and those without. Growing up, I know what this was like and trust me it was so difficult as you find yourself missing out on a lot of things and receiving less but unintentionally attention from your parents as the sibling or in my case siblings with disabilities are demanding all the attention and of course, the focus always turns to them. Nowadays though, as the disabilities in children become more recognisable there are organisations that help with the siblings and one of them is Parent 2 Parent NZ - where we run sibling workshops and camps and they have the opportunity to give the sibling without the disability the focus, the other awesome thing is that they are run by Siblings as I myself am a leader for the SibSupport Network.
It also discusses about the Long -term care and sometimes this can result in putting them into a supported living assistance when they get older like SILC or IHC. It then moves on to talk about the loss of the child which can happen more often than not with a child with a disability as their life spans always prove shorter. Though of course miracles can occur as the doctor's told my parents that my brother wouldn't live past his second birthday and he will be turning 20 this year in December and last but not least , being a survivor as I think that anyone who goes through having a child with a disability whether you are the parent or a family member deserves a medal as though you love them to bits, they can make your life hellish sometimes.
Different Dream Parenting is the perfect guide to any parents out there who have discovered that their child has a disability and just wanting that little bit extra support and guidance to help them push through to the other side :)

[Pam Camel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Parents of children with chronic or critical medical conditions, behavioral issues, or educational needs face special challenges. But sometimes finding needed resources is discouraging, frustrating, or exhausting. In this helpful book, the author--herself a parent who has raised a special needs child--gives those parents and families practical help, extensive advice about resources, and encouraging spiritual guidance. Different Dream Parenting shows parents how to ask questions and conduct research so they can unearth local resources and those that are available at hospitals, medical facilities, government agencies, private organizations, businesses, schools, churches, and more. The author and other experienced parents and professionals also share what they've learned about asking, listening, and waiting for spiritual answers or encouragement."

Parents of special needs kids have different needs. Most mainstream parenting books need not apply. The author shares her own experiences as a mother of a child with a medical condition. She has been in the position of having to make major medical decisions on the spot. No time for research time can not be spared decisions that most parents will never have to make.

No matter your child's need, life threatening or not this is a different parenting book that understands the frustrations of getting the right services, being told no, and helps to come up with the right questions.

[Jencey/ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked to review this book by Nancy Woleslagle. She is one of the parents who contributed to this book.


Synopsis:


Jolene in her book Different Dream Parenting shares advice for parents with special needs children. She covers various topics such as what to do when your child is staying in the hospital. Another chapter offers advice on how to deal with the death of a child. Finally a chapter on how to parent those children who grow into adulthood. In each chapter she gives advice from the parents themselves and her own experiences. Each chapter is also very biblically based.


My Thoughts:


I loved how easy to read this book is. I also love how biblically based each chapter is as well. My advice to parents of special needs children read this book with a notebook, journal, or one of the Different Dream Parenting products. She offers very useful information for parents in this position.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In her second book, Jolene continues to draw from what she learned throughout her own personal journey of special needs parenting, sharing first-hand stories of both struggles and triumphs. She’s not afraid to discuss the more difficult aspects involved in special needs parenting, addressing such topics with respect and grace."

Check out my full review of Different Dream Parenting, here:

http://www.thisjourneyourlife.com/201...

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource for any parent raising a child with special needs, chronic illness, etc.