photo They Don't Come with Manuals
Parenting Children with Disabilities
By Paul Uzee

"I love my child, but I hate the disability." Raising a child with a physical or mental disability is an awesome responsibility, but the parents and adoptive parents who speak in this film are meeting the challenge. This video is an unsparing look into the real world of coping with disabilities: money is tight, marriages are strained and, all too often, help is nowhere to be found. A wide cross section of parents speak candidly of the day-to-day difficulties of raising children who have handicaps of various types and severity. These parents have had to face outside resistance and ignorance, but have found ways to meet the special needs of their children nonetheless. They offer hope and compassion to new parents facing these issues.

29 minutes
© 1988
Purchase $149 VHS
Order No. QA-038
ISBN (VHS) 1-57295-038-2

Reviews
"Marvelous for helping parents articulate their experiences, and for giving professionals and in-depth understanding of what parents go through." Ginger Clubine, Assn. Of Retarded Citizens of Nebraska

"A must see for any professional working with children who have disabilities, and with their parents." Occupational Therapy Week

Awards & Conference Screenings
National Council on Family Relations
American Psychiatric Association
Assn. for Persons with Severe Handicaps

Related Films
A Change of Character: Truett Allen's personality changed drastically after a series of strokes resulted in damage to the frontal lobes of his brain. This captivating video features neuroscientist Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, author of The Executive Brain, as well as neurologist and best-selling author Dr. Oliver Sacks (Awakenings).

24/7: Profiles two families exhausted by the struggle to provide all day, every day care for their developmentally disabled adult children at home, while simultaneously battling for the help and resources they need. How long can they do it alone?

When Parents Can't Fix It: Looks at the stresses and rewards in the lives of five families who are raising children with disabilities. A realistic look at different family strengths and coping styles.

In Our Midst: Neonatal intensive care units save thousands of infant lives each year. This film profiles a family whose children are all "graduates" of the NICU, and explores the impact of medical technology on their lives.

Serving Crime Victims with Disabilities: These two videos focus on meeting the needs of people with physical and developmental disabilities who have been victims of crime. Note: Audio-described as well as captioned.

Refrigerator Mothers: From the 1950's through the 1970's, autism was widely blamed on cold and rejecting mothers. This film explores the devastating impact of this misdiagnosis through the stories of seven mothers and their children.


Reviews

Awards & Screenings

Related Films

Web Resources