Includes index

The complex child -- Billy Ray's story -- Not yet the best of times -- Feeling misunderstood -- Working with doctors -- Encountering the "dumb-parent treatment" -- Changing course -- Turning point -- The best teacher--your child -- Two essential words : communicate and adapt -- Creating a life that works for your child and your family -- Service dogs -- Document everything -- Getting the professionals to listen -- Creating a community for your child -- Hiring, training, and supervising caregivers -- Mapping the journey

Morgan describes ways to parent children with special needs, particularly in communication, adaptation, and communicating with those who can help. She first recounts her experiences with her son, who is multiply disabled, then provides suggestions for working with doctors, tracking day-to-day behavior, schedules and routines, documentation, using service dogs, getting professionals to listen, creating a community, and hiring caregivers. The appendix consists of sample forms and lists. The

Book is aimed at parents of children with behavior disorders, developmental problems, autism, Down syndrome, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, pervasive development disorder, and others. There is no bibliography. Morgan has worked extensively with special-needs children and their families. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)