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
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