**THROWBACK POST**
December 3 2012:
Thank you tons and tons to Lorna of Special Needs Book Review for sharing about ‘D iz for Different’!!! Check out the FB page .. GREAT resources y’all!
“Feelings of isolation and overwhelm keep special needs parents stuck, especially when coupled with deeply ingrained erroneous thought habits,” said Ms. Downs. “Special needs parents can unknowingly isolate themselves and begin viewing their lives in a negative way. These findings from the discussions and interviews that went to the writing of D iz for Different have been further confirmed by the hundreds of discussions that have been generated since its publication in May of 2012,” she added. Downs wrote and ….
Special Needs Book Review is pleased that yet another author agreed to introduce her book to our readers. This guest post is by Camilla Downs the author of D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance. Since the book’s publication, Camilla Downs has undergone her own professional transformation with a career change from social media consultant to special needs parent coach and mentor, offering hope and guidance to others parenting kids with special needs. Congratulations Camilla on all your achievements! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. First, who is Camilla Downs?
Camilla Downs is a special needs parent mentor, guiding parents to help them decrease feelings of overwhelm by shifting their views and showing them they are not alone. Her book, D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance, was published in May 2012. The book offers Ms. Downs personal experiences in facing and overcoming life’s trials with grit and humor, along with providing practical “Tips for the Journey” throughout the book. Others parenting kids with special needs will be able to relate to Camilla’s journey.
More About the Author
D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance by Camilla Downs will be of interest to others parenting children with special needs. Camilla Downs is also an advocate of living an adventurous, inspired and different life than expected. With these new life experiences, Camilla has now become a motivational speaker.
Team TLC helps parenting Kids with Special Needs Camilla is mom to 11 year old Lillian and 7 year old Thomas. Lillian is a child with special needs who was diagnosed with 18p- when she was 3 years old. They call themselves Team TLC and share their journey on the Team TLC website .
What Is 18p-?
D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance- Powerful Truths for Others Parenting Kids with Special Needs by Camilla Downs
Camilla Downs is a Reno-based single mother of two children, one of them with a significant chromosomal disorder. Ms. Downs’ personal struggles inspired her to write D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance specifically for parents of children with special needs. Downs’ work underlines a clear message: You need not feel isolated and overwhelmed. She offers this group of families, now numbering in the millions in the U.S., inspiration, hope and specific advice and actions to help them become unstuck and more effective in their personal and professional lives.
“Feelings of isolation and overwhelm keep special needs parents stuck, especially when coupled with deeply ingrained erroneous thought habits,” said Ms. Downs. “Special needs parents can unknowingly isolate themselves and begin viewing their lives in a negative way. These findings from the discussions and interviews that went to the writing of D iz for Different have been further confirmed by the hundreds of discussions that have been generated since its publication in May of 2012,” she added.
Downs wrote and self-published D iz for Different in less than a year, prompted by her experiences as a single parent devising creative solutions to life’s challenges, including financial struggles. Friends and professionals who saw the value of a self-help book geared towards parents of special needs children donated services including the book’s cover artwork and design, editing, proofreading, interior layout and design.
Endorsements for D iz for Different include Julie Zigler Norman, author of Growing Up Zigler: A Daughter’s Broken Journey from Heartache to Hope, and Jim Stovall, Emmy award-winning best-selling author of The Ultimate Gift.
Here is a short book trailer of “D iz for Different”
Amazon reviewer, Kathy Buchanan said, “An uplifting and honest book about facing life’s challenges. The book teaches you that how you respond to adversity is within your control and that you can still be happy even when circumstances are less than perfect…”
Camilla Downs author of book on parenting kids with special needsIn another Amazon review, Liz Arches said, “A is for Amazing, B is for Beautiful, C is for Camilla and Courageous…When you see someone who is making such a fantastic job of parenting in difficult circumstances as Camilla is, it can be awesome in the sense of ‘daunting’ as much as ‘inspiring’. It might be hard to imagine that you could ever do anything like the same. But first-time author Camilla is happy to admit that none of this came easy to her, and to acknowledge that it doesn’t come easy to anybody. She just wants to share the positive attitudes and techniques that have worked for her and which might be helpful for other parents, offering parents the opportunity to enjoy every minute of every day with their children. And it’s all presented in short, pithy chapters, so you can get on with that enjoyment all the sooner!”
