A New Course: A Mother’s Journey Navigating Down Syndrome and Autism($11.87Value)

Description

Shortly after Teresa gave birth to her second son, Nick, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Early infant and child intervention helped Nick reach developmental milestones in his own time. But there was more to come when Nick hit third grade. A wave of fire alarm-pulling along with other serious and dangerous behaviors signaled that this was something more than just Down syndrome. At last, a book that takes a deep dive into the complexities that families face raising a child with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism (DS-ASD) and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. A New Course is a hybrid of a memoir combined with valuable lessons following each chapter and in the appendix. It’s a must read for families, school faculty, therapists, physicians, and support groups wanting to understand a parent’s perspective and looking for answers about: Early intervention, - Individual education plans (IEPs) and transition meetings, - Speech, physical, and occupational therapies, - Behavior support and applied behavior analysis (ABA), - Toilet training and puberty issues, - Wandering and elopement, - Meltdowns, and - Augmentative and alternative communication. Author Teresa Unnerstall provides guidance and hope steeped in more than 25 years of experience. She is a parent turned educational speaker, writer, advocate, and consultant. Her determination to find resources, support, and specialists helped her son to reach his full potential. "Just like What to Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect the First Five Years have become bibles for new parents, Teresa Unnerstall's A New Course is bound to become the bible for parents who find themselves raising a child with Down syndrome and Autism" --Lisa McCubbin, mother and #1 New York Times Best Selling Author " A New Course is a true treasure that offers hope, acceptance and kinship to other like-families and to those who love, support and care for them"-- Margaret M. Froehlke, RN, BSN Author of When Down Syndrome and Autism Intersect, A Guide for Parents and Professionals "Teresa Unnerstall doesn't dip her toes into the water of Down syndrome and autism, she dives head first into the deep end. Told with compassion, wit, faith, empathy, brutal honesty and gentle advocacy, A New Course: A Mother's Journey Navigating Down Syndrome and Autism is a beacon of light for a parent traversing the rocky waters of a DS-ASD dual diagnosis",- -Leslie Lindsay, RN, BSN Award winning author of SPEAKING OF APRAXIA "This is a much needed book and there is nothing else like it. Teresa bares it all and doesn't hold back one detail of her experiences raising a son with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism. A must read for parents of a child with Down syndrome who suspects their child may also have autism or received the diagnosis. The advice and experiences shared in the book will serve as a road map to gain the help necessary to help their child communicate and the types of behavior therapy that will make all the difference in their child's future"- -Sandra McElwee, Mom to Sean from Born this Way, Author of Who's the Slow Learner? A Chronicle of Inclusion and Exclusion