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Children with Special Needs by Briana S. Nelson Goff, Nicole Springer, and Gail E. Bentley

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Transition to Parenthood

Abstract

Parents often are not well educated about what having a child with special needs means. Although a special needs or disability diagnosis may occur at any age, this chapter addresses the initial experiences when a special needs diagnosis occurs prenatally or at birth, coinciding with the transition to parenting. Through several case examples, this chapter highlights the challenges and opportunities associated parenting children with special needs. The chapter concludes with a section describing the need of providing new parents with accurate information regarding their child’s diagnosis, connecting them with effective resources and sources of support, and encouraging the development of a positive perspective are important in navigating this transition. Parents need to be reassured that the grief and loss they feel is normal, but the new path they are on can have positive outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, 90840-0501, USA

    Roudi Nazarinia Roy

  2. School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, 317 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Walter R. Schumm & Sonya L. Britt

Authors
  1. Roudi Nazarinia Roy
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  2. Walter R. Schumm
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  3. Sonya L. Britt
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Correspondence to Roudi Nazarinia Roy .

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Nazarinia Roy, R., Schumm, W.R., Britt, S.L. (2014). Children with Special Needs by Briana S. Nelson Goff, Nicole Springer, and Gail E. Bentley. In: Transition to Parenthood. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7768-6_9

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