I generally find myself reading fiction when I want a break, but sometimes an inspirational book with stories about other families is a wonderful thing. As a Christian, I also appreciate reading about others who have dealt with issues of faith related to having a child with a disability.
There are many books like this available now – here are a few:
General
- Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge by Barbara Firestone, PhD
- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Heather McNamara and Karen Simmons
- A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Autism: Stories of Hope and Everyday Success edited by Colleen Sell
- The Elephant in the Playroom: Ordinary Parents Write Intimately and Honestly About Raising Kids with Special Needs by Denise Brodey (I have seen this one mentioned by several other autism bloggers this month.)
- You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children with Disabilities edited by Stanley Klein and Kim Schive
Devotional/Prayer
- Angel Behind the Rocking Chair: Stories of Hope in Unexpected Places by Pam Vredevelt
- Finding God in Autism: A Forty Day Devotional for Parents of Autistic Children by Kathy Medina
- His Name is Joel: Searching for God in a Son’s Disability by Kathleen Deyer Bolduc
- Special Strength for Special Parents: 31 Days of Spiritual Therapy for Parents of Special Needs Children by Nina Fuller (Added on 4/19/08)
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
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Thank you so much for posting this. I have been searching high and low for christian based books that deal with parenting special needs children. I am going to have to check these out.
I’m so glad the list is helpful. Hopefully you will find one you like.