HANG ON! Navigating the Emotional Roller Coaster of Raising a Child with a Disability - Melvin J. Miller

Every three minutes, a child is born with a disability. Every three minutes, a parent is tossed upon an emotional roller coaster of raising a child with a disability. The steep climbs and sharp curves of emotions in raising a child with a disability are not something a parent is prepared for. These parents will flounder around in a maelstrom of negative emotions for months or years until they can finally work their way out.

Hang On! Navigating the Emotional Roller Coaster of Raising a Child with a Disability addresses these issues to allow parents to recognize when they are in the grasp of a negative emotion and how to overcome its impact. In doing so, the parent can then move on to the positive emotions that can be experienced in raising their child with a disability. Hang On! first addresses the negative emotions parents of a child with a disability face by

1.  Providing a brief description of twelve negative emotions

2.  Examining the dangers of experiencing each negative emotion

3.  Allowing the parent to recognize if they are experiencing that emotion

4.  Providing ways to leave that negative emotion behind

Hang On! then continues to the fourteen positive emotions a parent can experience in raising a child with a disability by

1.  Providing a brief description of fourteen positive emotions

2.  Examining the benefits derived from each emotion

3.  Providing ways to enhance the experiences of each of these positive emotions