Press Reviews

• Rostrum

  This is the story of how two parents coped with the birth of their daughter who was born with Down's Syndrome. It recounts very objectively their feelings, fears and hopes as they tried to come to terms with their situation. This is a very inspiring story, told in a mixture of diary extracts and personal feelings. It also contains a very useful glossary and a list of resource addresses and reading materials.

• Irish Social Worker

  The reviewer gave this book to the mother of a one year old girl with Downs Syndrome for a parent's perspective. She described the book as the best she had read and found it amusing and relatively light-hearted, while true to life. She was impressed at how the book examined their experiences without being melodramatic or depressing and was heartened by the fact that Karina's parents did not set themselves up as experts, just parents recounting their story. Overall she found it positive and thoroughly enjoyable, and on a practical note, took on board some of the exercises done with Karina. A recommended good read.

• Frontline of Learning Disability

  This book is one family's account of the early years with a child who has special needs. It is intended as a resource book for the families of children with Down Syndrome, teachers and disability service workers.

• OTPLD Newsletter

  Reading this book provides an excellent insight into some of the difficulties faced in balancing the needs of a young child with down's syndrome with that of other members of the family. It also discusses some solutions which this family found helpful. It is not a textbook to be used by therapists to understand the full implications of a diagnosis of down's syndrome but, the insight gained might assist in planning interventions appropriate to an individual family. The book is an honest account of disappointments and difficulties as well as pleasures, although the overall tone is extremely positive. The diary excerpts demonstrate the practical ways Karina's parents use to help her and the underpinning theory. I found this book a pleasure to read. It's lack of jargon and easy to read format was a refreshing change for a book that was of professional interest.

• NAPOT

  This is a delightful little book written by a journalist and Karina's mother, who is herself a university lecturer. Karina's mother vividly, but not over-emotionally, records the family's first six years of Karina's life. In her mother's words: "We mourn the death of the child that we had assumed i had given birth to, yet dearly love the baby we have. We want our child, but don't want her to have Down Syndrome". I very much enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it as an additional resource regarding the early management of a child with Down Syndrome