Abstract

When Jan Campito first entered the world of special needs, she trusted the experts to tell her what was wrong, and how to proceed to help her children. Here she was, an articulate, well-educated person, usually confident in navigating whatever situations were required, and yet she became passive and trusting when it came to assuming people would tell her what was wrong with her children's development and what to do to help them. As she realized more and more that no one else was stepping into the lead position to obtain appropriate help for her children, she realized that she needed to take on that responsibility.

Since then, she has learnt to take an active role in advocating for her children, and helping meet their needs. From procuring evaluations, to understanding what the diagnoses mean, to selecting therapies and therapists, to following through on therapies at home and targeting needs to be addressed, to helping formulate IEPs, and to monitoring and intervening in their school settings, she has become a comprehensive advocate for her children with special needs, and in this book Jan shares with other parents some of her experiences and some of what she has learnt in the process.

Parents of children with special needs often feel like they have been dropped in the middle of a dark and deep forest with no knowledge of how to find their way to a clearing. Supportive Parenting: Becoming an Advocate for Your Child With Special Needs is the GPS system that will lead them through the woods, around the pitfalls, over the obstacles, and beyond the fear and confusion. Jan Campito serves as an exceptionally competent guide, leading readers to a complete understanding of the intricacies and nuances surrounding the concerns and challenges society presents to our special needs kids. I wish I had had this book 15 years ago!
Liane Holliday Willey EdD, author of Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome
Jan Campito MA has taught child development and education courses, first at SUNY-Albany, and then at Union College in Schenectady. She has two children, one with Asperger's and one with ADD.

Usefully, she explains for new parents how to leek out for early signs that things aren't quite right, again drawing on her own experiences of seeing her child struggle to sit up well, demanding constant strong swaddling, rolling rather than crawling, and failing to meet certain developmental milestones. Campito reminds us that there is no sudden notification point, instead, special needs emerge over time.

There is also useful detail of how to tackle child misbehaviour, moving from interruption of the behaviour, taking on opportunity to consider the consequences, and reflection on patterns of behaviour.

Child Right
Campito writes with a mother's passion and perseverance, recognizing the strains put on the family and on relationships. Her message that, `the special needs are something your child has. They are not the sum total of your child', resonates throughout the book and repeatedly stresses that her children are just `regular children' with some additional needs. She gives practical advice on coping with emotions as a parent and with coming to terms with the implications of the additional needs. Using her own child as an example, she works through the process of learning about different approaches and interventions and her experience of working with different specialists with conflicting opinions.
Sen The Journal for Special Needs
Supportive Parenting is a wonderfully comprehensive and down-to-earth, practical resource that will help parents to traverse the rocky ASD `terrain'. Jan Campito is to be commended for writing an even-handed and very helpful book.
Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Editor-in-Chief, Autism Spectrum Quarterly
Many parents will recognise the situations she describes and will gain good advice and a feeling of solidarity and empathy.
Community Living