Extraordinary Kids: Nurturing and Championing Your Child With Special Needs

by Cheri Fuller, Louise Tucker Jones, John Eareckson Tada (Foreword)

Provides parents with vital information to help celebrate, nurture, and prayerfully champion their special-needs children.

302 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 1997

About the author

Cheri Fuller is a gifted speaker and award-winning author of more than forty books, including The One Year Women’s Friendship Devotional, the bestselling When Mothers Pray, and A Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer. Her books have been translated into many languages, and her speaking ministry has provided encouragement to people throughout the U.S. and abroad. A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has been a frequent guest on national TV and radio programs. Her articles on family, spiritual growth, relationships, and prayer have appeared in Family Circle, Focus on the Family, Guideposts, and many other publications. Cheri holds a master’s degree in English literature and is executive director of the nonprofit organization Redeeming the Family. She and her husband, Holmes, live in Oklahoma, and have three grown children and six wonderful grandchildren. Cheri’s books, Bible studies, and other resources can be found at www.cherifuller.com along with information on her speaking topics and how to schedule Cheri for events. To find out more about the ministry, visit www.redeemingthefamily.org.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this by a friend who told me it was very dated but had some good stuff in it. It is very dated and a lot has changed in 25 years. I would love to see this updated and revised, especially the language, as well as the resources. At the time this was written, the internet was something new.

But there is a lot of good stuff in it. Even though things have changed a lot, especially in the disability community, there are too many things that haven't changed (ableism), and some things that will never change (the grief, joy, and mental load of parents who have children with disabilities).

I appreciate that I read this book. The theology is very evangelical and a bit iffy, but the message is clear. People with disabilities are as much children of God as everyone else, and deserve to be loved, accepted, and treated with dignity. I shed many tears reading all of the stories.

The practical bits are helpful, too - emphasis on finding respite care, taking time for yourself, paying attention to siblings, being an advocate for your child, and more.

One quote I love:
"You learn to read people by the way they act ... When people shy away from Doug, I think, Oh, they have so much to learn.. You see, the disabled person has no problem interacting with them. They're the ones with the problem."