A New Course: A Mother’s Journey Navigating Down Syndrome and Autism

A New Course: A Mother’s Journey Navigating Down Syndrome and Autism

A mother's story navigating the unchartered waters of a dual Down Syndrome-Autism diagnosis for her son.

When Teresa, a 33-year-old mother gave birth to her second child, she and her husband Al soon found out that their son was diagnosed with Down syndrome. This new course their lives took was not on the radar, with health complications leaving their son in NICU after his birth.
Teresa shares the story of this different course their lives would take, working with early intervention programs, therapists and doctors to help her son, Nick reach developmental milestones at a much slower pace than her first son, Hank who is just 19 months older. With hard work and tenacity, Nick managed to meet those milestones in his own time.

 

Contact info@katbiggiepress.com to inquire about review copies and interviews with the author. 

About the Book

When Teresa, a 33-year-old mother gave birth to her second child, she and her husband Al soon found out that their son was diagnosed with Down syndrome. This new course their lives took was not on the radar, with health complications leaving their son in NICU after his birth.
Teresa shares the story of this different course their lives would take, working with early intervention programs, therapists and doctors to help her son, Nick reach developmental milestones at a much slower pace than her first son, Hank who is just 19 months older. With hard work and tenacity, Nick managed to meet those milestones in his own time.

This book weaves in sailing themes of the author, who grew up near Galveston Bay, and takes a pause at the end of each chapter to offer lessons learned and takeaways moving forward. It was important for the family to keep their own identities intact and not allow their son?s disability to shelter their world. They made every effort to keep a good balance and continue to travel and find the humor on this new journey together.
As Nick grew older, some behaviors and delays in verbal speech raised a few red flags with the rest of their extended family. Around puberty, the behaviors escalated to full meltdowns that were dangerous. At this point it was evident that this was more than just Down syndrome. New therapies and strategies were put in place to help deal with the challenging behaviors and speech deficits. Teresa learned valuable lessons of how crucial it is to find a team of experts to collaborate with and work through many issues associated with a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism (DS-ASD).

The unique challenges associated with a dual diagnosis of DS-ASD land many parents on a deserted island. You don?t fit into the Down syndrome support groups, nor the autism groups. The book concludes with an appendix that covers a variety of topics including education/IEP?s, therapies, travel/ vacations, and working with healthcare providers to name a few. The appendix was derived from research and blog posts that Teresa has been writing about since 2012. Teresa uses what she has been through to strengthen others and guide on this unique course

Details
Author:
Genre: Parenting
Tags: Austim, Down Syndrome, Dual Diagnosis, Parenting, Special Needs
Publisher: Kat Biggie Press
Publication Year: 2020
ASIN: B084T5ZQLK
ISBN: 9781948604505
List Price: 14.99
eBook Price: 6.99
About the Author
Teresa J. Unnerstall

Teresa is the mother of two boys and lives in the Chicago area along with her husband. Her youngest son, Nick is 25 years old and a graduate of Metea Valley High School. Nick has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism. She is currently writing a memoir about raising Nick which is near completion. She has published articles and book reviews related to the special needs population. Teresa is a speaker and advocate in the community and a frequent guest lecturer at Aurora University and Northern Illinois University. She is a Dual Diagnosis Specialist and Consultant, for the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, offering expertise on dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism.

In addition, Teresa has worked in the fitness field teaching for over 30 years. Her hope is to reach out to families and the community to show the real story of what it is like inside the trenches of every aspect of having a child with many special needs.

Teresa's book, A New Course: A Mother's Journey Navigating Down Syndrom and Autism will be published by Kat Biggie Press in May 2020. Contact info@katbiggiepress.com to inquire about advance reader copies and interviews with the author.

Connect with Teresa:

https://www.instagram.com/downsyndromewithasliceofautism

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