Special.

By Melanie Dimmitt
 

Antidotes to the obsessions that come with a child’s disability.

Most of us expect to meander through the motions of love, marriage and (textbook) baby in the carriage, but once in a while life has something a little more special in store…

Special is an uplifting, candid companion for those in the early stages of navigating a child’s disability, offering honest, reassuring and relatable insight into a largely unknown (and so, initially terrifying) part of our world. 

It features antidotes to the obsessions at the forefront of a newly minted special-needs parent’s mind: Why has this happened to me? Will I ever stop comparing my child to typical children? How will my relationship survive? Will I be able to work again? Should I have another baby? And the big one: What will my future look like?

Inspired by the author’s own crash-landing into special-needs parenthood, and shaped by her conversations with parents of children with wide-ranging disabilities, alongside specialists, psychologists and researchers, Special shares stories, guidance and simple coping strategies to soothe and surprise anyone whose life has taken an unexpected turn.

“Raw, brave and compelling. This book airs a parent's most guilt-riddled thoughts and then turns them on their head.” – Mia Freedman

“Melanie captures parents perspectives of raising a child with different needs like no other book has done before. There should be more books like this to help parents in the early years, when for many of us every day feels like we are in a fog we can’t escape. There are so many positives to parenting our children but we can’t always see them at the start of our journey and as Melanie says, “that is okay”. Every child tells their own story, we shouldn’t put limits on them, but embrace every child for who they are, love them and cherish them.” – Heather Renton FOUNDER OF SYNDROMES WITHOUT A NAME (SWAN) AUSTRALIA

“As a therapist with over 40 years experience, ‘Special’ is the first of its kind that I have read. It will make a great addition to the arsenal of tools that we use to help parents though the haze of a new diagnosis.” – Debra Evans DIRECTOR, THERAPIES FOR KIDS