A Different Joy: the Parents' Guide to Living Better With Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD and more... - Paperback

by E. M. Critchley (Illustrator), Sarah-Jane Critchley (Author)

Delight in the company of your amazing child, secure in the knowledge that you know what you need to help you support them into an independent future where they can feel happy and fulfilled and how to get it. Are you worried, fearing for your child's future, knowing how very vulnerable they can be? Are you scared of diagnosis, alarmed by terrifying visions of what their future might be and frustrated by judgemental family and friends who don't understand how hard it can be? Are you exhausted by coping, unsure how to help them best and paralysed by your own uncertainty? Learn how to be a stronger, better informed and more joyful parent, whatever your situation. Revel in the things that make your child different whilst developing supportive and helpful relationships with your child's educators. Build an enviable future together with your child. A gem of a book that sparkles, supports and polishes to a gleam your ability to be the well informed, calm, happy and resourceful parent your amazing child needs you to be. For your sake and for theirs. Learning to love imperfection can be truly liberating! If you enjoy feeling better and more capable at the end of a book than at the beginning, then this is the book for you. 'As a small package can contain a very valuable present, this is a small book that contains valuable information for parents. The descriptions, explanations and strategies are clear and perceptive such that this is the 'go to' book for parents and grandparents. I especially appreciated the positive attitude and emphasis on the abilities and qualities of children who have autism.' - Tony Attwood - author of The Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome "In this wonderfully positive and insightful book, Sarah-Jane Critchley looks in depth at issues that parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) face. Unlike other books which can be overly academic and impenetrable, this book is full of real life examples and practical advice. As a parent of children with SEN herself, Sarah-Jane is a very credible guide through the complicated world of special needs. She isn't just a professional in the field, she has lived it. Here she shares lessons learned and strategies that have helped in a way that encourages and supports but never preaches or patronises. What is comforting about this book as it takes the emphasis off of trying to be 'a perfect parent". Bringing up a child with special needs is often trial and error, and Sarah-Jane is refreshingly honest about strategies and approaches that have worked for her as well as outlining times when things haven't worked out. I know a lot of parents will take great comfort from this." Dean Beadle - International lecturer in Aspergers Syndrome "Life is messy..., Sarah-Jane Critchley's 'A Different Joy' is offering both practical and personal resilience for turning messy into 'mess-tastic.'" Jennifer Cook O'Toole, author of Asperkids. Don't let another day go by without taking the first step by getting your copy of 'A Different Joy'.

Author Biography

Sarah-Jane is the parent of 2 children with autism, author of 'A Different Joy: the parents' guide to living better with autism, dyslexia, ADHD and more...' and has written for Educational publications including Special and Nursery Times as well as Charity Finance and ICSA and is a prize-winning poet. Sarah-Jane's passion for helping people has been focussed on her role as the Programme Head of the Autism Education Trust where she has been since June 2008, working with a range of stakeholders to improve educational provision for young people with autism. The AET has been funded by the DfE since it was founded in 2007. She has been instrumental in the development, monitoring and management of a number of programmes including training that has delivered over 100,000 sessions to education-based staff in England since 2011. She designed and delivered marketing programmes and training in the management of key clients for the construction Industry and implemented sales and marketing programmes for a newly privatised organisation. She has an MBA from City University. She developed extensive operational and facilities management experience including responsibility for over 100 staff and an operational budget in excess of £17M. Her volunteering experience at various times has included being the school governor responsible for Special Educational Needs (SEN), Class captain at Chipstead Sailing Club (where she has been known to get just a little bit competitive on the water), committee member of the National Association for Gifted Children in Kent, and loves to sing with Kent Chorus (a choir of over 65 voices).