If you read one book about parenting special needs children this year...this one is IT! The Elephant in the Playroom is a compilation of essays written by parents of children with special needs, and eloquently compiled by Denise Brodey, editor in chief of Fitness magazine, and mom to a son with sensory integration dysfunction. Ms Brodey has captured the very essence of life as the parent of a “special” kid. I found myself laughing, crying and furiously nodding in agreement with most of the articles, regardless of the actual disability the child had.

And that’s one of the beauties of this book. Before you’re even halfway through, you realize that not only are we not alone in our experiences, we are more similar than we are different. In the past several weeks I’ve realized that in the “disability world” people tend to build silos – a support group for autism here, dyslexia there; parents of preschoolers here, self-advocates there. And the truth is, we’re more alike than different and all in need of the same support, understanding, and knowledge that there are others out there sharing our situations and emotions.

That’s what this book does. Ms. Brodey does an outstanding job of challenging us to “think different” (the title of her first section) and to think differently as well. The authors of the articles are candid and real. They tell us it’s ok not to like our kids some days, ok not to do EVERYTHING a therapist recommends 100% of the time, ok to think about ourselves and our needs. And they tackle the tough subjects. In separate sections devoted to schools and medications, they opening share their struggles in dealing with both of these huge issues for our children.

I relished each section more than the next. The section on Going Public was extremely insightful, and Ms. Brodey explained in her intro that it was both nearly impossible to take her child out in public and be subjected to what strangers said or did when her child’s differences became apparent. At the same time it was nearly impossible to stay home 24/7 and never take her child out in public. I wish I could tell you how often I have felt EXACTLY that way.

Thank you Ms. Brodey and the parents who contributed to this collection. You have given me much to think about as I continue on this journey we’re all on...together.

Photo Credit.