https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+cope+parenting+a+child+with+special+needs+by+Christine+Staple+Ebanks&ref=nb_sb_noss
How to Cope
looks like a great book. What can you
tell us about it?
How
to Cope: Parenting a Child with Special Needs is written for the parents, caregivers
and family who have just received a diagnosis or who are learning to live with
a diagnosis of a disability for their child.
While the speaks to disabilities and how these affect children’s
development and learning, it is more focused on the parent. The book’s foreword
is written by renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Ganesh Shetty. Dr Shetty states that “How
to Cope: Parenting a Child with Special Needs is a rich cache of
inspiration, encouragement, and information to equip every parent of a child
with special needs with the right attitude, perspective , and knowledge
required to accept, embrace, and cope.”
How
long did it take you to write How to Cope?
Writing
How to Cope: Parenting a Child with Special Needs was written over an 8-year
period. I started the book back in 2012, but at the time, I was still in the
throes of dealing with my son’s diagnosis. So I wrote the book in bits and
pieces and actually went on to write and publish two other books. My first book
- Raising Nathan: Every life Has a Story (2015) captures my story. It gave
voice to my and my family’s struggles off coming to terms with the diagnosis of
cerebral palsy, which is a major life-altering disability. It captures my
process in moving past the myriad of emotions to acceptance of my son and his
special needs. My 2nd book – A parent’s guide to surviving the Homework years
supported my journey as not a parent of children with and without disabilities,
who had to learn how to manage those very challenging years.
I
finally went back to the manuscript for How to Cope: Parenting a Child with
Special Needs in late 2018 and finally
published in May 2020.
What
motivated you to write How to Cope?
My
son’s diagnosis launched me into disability advocacy for not only my child, but
for children with disabilities in my country. Over the last decade, I have
observed that the biggest challenge for parents was the need for support. They
needed someone who has been where they are and who could provide guidance and
support… a “journey companion of sorts”. I am no longer in the place of feeling
lost and lonely as I was at the start of my journey but am now in a place of
empowerment. I am surrounded by a strong international network of supporters
who are fellow journey companions and I have learned and put into practice that
it does take a village to raise a child… especially if the child has special
needs. So I was motivated to put out this book, to help others along their
journey and to “pay if forward.” I was able to move through to where I am today
because of the help of others. I wanted to use my experiences to help and
empower others.
Did
anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing How to Cope?
My
only challenge with writing this book, was what to leave out (laugh). There was
so much I wanted to share, but my publisher did a great job in reigning me in.
Some of what’s not in the book, I now put out in my new blog https://christinestapleebanks.com/blog/
and my new Youtube/Facebook and Instagram Channels @raisingspecialneeds. I know
what it is like to feel lost, alone with the diagnosis. I know what it feel
like to struggle with balancing the daily care of my child with all of my other
responsibilities. Some of my greatest information and advice came from other
parents. So the only challenge I experienced in writing the book when I
actually got started again was deciding what to include.
What
do you like to do when not writing?
What
I like to do when I am not writing or working as an advocate is just to spend
time with my quiet time with my family. I also like to travel and meet people.
I also like to read and listen to music.
Where
can readers find out more about your work?
Reader
can go to my website at https://christinestapleebanks.com/
for details on me and my books. For my heart work (Advocacy), readers can visit
my nonprofit organization’s website https://nefjamaica.org/.
All
my books can be found on Amazon.com worldwide in Kindle/Ebook and Print Formats
at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+cope+parenting+a+child+with+special+needs+by+Christine+Staple+Ebanks&ref=nb_sb_noss