If you're a parent of a child with special needs, writer Denise Brodey needs your help. She's working on a book -- ELEPHANT IN THE PLAYROOM -- to be published by Penguin about special needs children. She says it will include brutally honest essays from parents of children who have been
diagnosed with ADHD, selective mutism, sensory integration dysfunction, childhood depression, bipolar disorder—and more.
Denise has 15 open spots to fill in her book and she's looking for your stories. She wants to hear from parents who can write candidly—and anonymously if desired—about how they
have learned to navigate the world with a "quirky" kid.
The deadline for submissions is MAY 15.
Writing guidelines follow. Any questions, contact DENISE, not me, at Denise [dot] brodey [at] gmail [dot] com...remove the spaces and replace the [XX], you know the drill.
This book is nonjudgemental and is based on the idea that there is no right way to handle a kid with special needs. But we can all learn from the stories of other parents. By submitting an essay, you will be helping other parents find the best approach to the challenges of discipline, homework, schools, therapy, medication and other daily struggles.
WRITER'S GUIDELINES/WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU appear below:
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
Again, thank you for taking such an interest in writing for ELEPHANT
IN THE PLAYROOM, which will be published by Hudson Street Press, a
division of Penguin, in Winter 07. We're looking specifically for
unique stories – and if it is truly your experience, then it is
unique. We want to know about something you went through, something
you have learned that you want other moms and dads to know about that
will help them, such as how you dealt with
school?
other kids?
medication?
experiences with doctors?
How has having a special needs child affected your worklife? Your
friendships? Your own mental health?
What happened to your marriage trying to deal with your child?
How do you handle relationships with other relatives/siblings?
*More than anything, we need for you to provide details – intimate,
close descriptions of something that happened that changed how you or
others think and feel about your child's condition. We need to know
how you felt before, during and after.*
Your essay has to be PERSONAL – a story about some experience you had
with your child's disability, how the experience affected you, WHAT
YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT OTHER PARENTS LIKE YOU CAN
LEARN FROM IT.
Although we value the details and the advocates that you all are for
your children on a daily basis, we cannot use essays that are:
• diagnostic intake diaries
• oral/written case histories
• an argument convincing us why your child's case is either different
from or the same as everyone else's (all of them are both)
• a general vote of support for some type of therapy over another -
all therapies are right if they work for your child, and wrong if they
don't.
START YOUR ESSAY WITH THIS INFORMATION:
FIRST LINE: the sentence:
"What I want other parents to know"
SECOND LINE: What section of our book your essay fits into. For example:
"Different Minds Think Differently"
THIRD LINE: Your name, your town, your state, your phone number. For example:
Letty Boyce, Cleveland, Ohio, (777) 777-7777
FOURTH LINE: your email address
Letty.Boyce@aol.com
FIFTH LINE: In italics, a complete sentence explaining who you are,
the name and age of your child and his or her diagnosis. For example:
Letty Boyce is the mother of Jacob, a 3 year old preschooler diagnosed
with autism.
LIMIT YOUR ESSAY to 800-1,000 words (3-4 pages)
WHEN YOU START WRITING:
1. Begin with the statement: "The one thing I want other parents to
know is..."
2. Put these details in the FIRST TWO or THREE SENTENCES:
* the child you're writing about
* the other children in his/her life (siblings or children in your home)
* the child's diagnosis and when he/she was diagnosed
AS YOU WRITE, ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THE ONE THING YOU WANT TO CONVEY TO
OTHER PARENTS:
1. What do you really want to say to other parents?
2. What exactly will I learn as a parent who is looking to learn
something useful from reading about your experience?
THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR STORY WILL FIT IN OUR BOOK:
There are six main parts. Your story must fit in one of them
Part I: "I Couldn't Put My Finger On It—Something Wasn't Right"
Part II: "Medication: Why We Chose To Use It/Not Use It"
Part III: "Learning: Different Minds Think Differently"
Part IV Exceptional Progress: How My Child Became A Success
Part V: Explaining Your Child Friends & Family: "You Just Don't Understand"
Part VI: How I've Grown to LOVE having a not-so-average kid
And send your submissions to Denise [dot] brodey [at] gmail [dot] com by May 15th.
