The Autism Mom's Survival Guide (for Dads, too!): Creating a Balanced and Happy Life While Raising a Child with Autism »

Susan Senator is a mother of three, a writer, a speaker, and advocate for children and the disabled. Her writing on autism has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Education Week, Teacher Magazine, and Exceptional Parent Magazine. She has been invited to the White House in connection with her writings about the Special Olympics. 

Given the daily challenges of raising a child with autism, it’s easy for parents to lose themselves and for their overall quality of life to plummet. Susan Senator interweaves the voices of autism parents, researchers, and professionals to offer guidance and encouragement on how to find happiness and fulfillment in the midst of the struggles of raising an autistic child. Topics include: how to handle feelings of despair and hopelessness; finding fun, even during turbulent times; caring for your marriage; and finding a balance between accepting your child as he or she is and seeking new treatments.

To learn  more about the author, visit her website at susansenator.com.

Library Journal

When a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), parents often lose themselves in the overwhelming task of caring for their child to the detriment of themselves, their marriage, and their other children. The parent of three boys (one of whom who has ASD), Senator knows about these pitfalls firsthand and here encourages other parents to strike a healthy balance in their lives. She addresses topics such as feelings of despair and hopelessness when dealing with ASD, nurturing and sustaining one's marriage, accepting the child with ASD while remaining open to new treatments, adolescence and ASD, and looking forward to the child's adulthood. VERDICT Senator's message of a balanced life is valid and empowering at any point in a family's journey with ASD. A great read.—Lisa M. Jordan, Johnson Cty. Lib., KS