I recently received an email from
Ladona Strouse
Program Administrator
Heart 2 Heart
Parent Support Network, Inc. Here is her email. Check out the article! :) Willa Suggs

Dear Friends, Recently The New York Times Magazine ran a cover story about pediatric bipolar disorder entitled The Bipolar Puzzle. The article-extremely comprehensive and even-handed-winning author, Jennifer Egan. Ms. Egan not only observes the children and their siblings with great sympathy, but her keen portrayal of the parents' heroic efforts to help their children, and her descriptions of the parents' despair, guilt, fears, and hopes, makes this article extremely helpful, both as a validation, and as a way to explain to others what a day is like.You can read the entire article at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/magazine/14bipolar-t.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

Advocating for your child in school

Children who have bipolar disorder can have a very difficult time at school with behavior which can effect their ability to learn. Many times children with bipolar disorder also have another diagnosis as well (such as ADHD, a behavior disorder, etc.) When education is affected by bipolar disorder a child may need special help in school. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be helpful to your child. Parents of foster children and children adopted from foster care in Kentucky have access to Special Advocates For Education or SAFE mentors who can help in working with your child's school. Please visit www.purchaseresourceparentnetwork.org to find out more information about SAFE mentors in the region.

Parenting, even in the best of situations, can be challenging. When you add the challenges that some children who you foster and/or adopt may have faced in their lives and then top it off with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, you may find yourself on a parenting roller coaster ride!

Information is power. Start taking control of the ups and downs that parenting a child with bipolar disorder can bring by learning all that you can about the disease, getting a proper diagnosis, getting the very best treatment to which you can find access, and surround yourself with people who know what you are going through!

Join foster/adoptive parents right here in your region in sharing the ups and downs of parenting a child who has bipolar disorder. Please share the joys of parenting, the challenges of parenting, and what you have found to help in your parenting journey!

Parenting bipolar foster/adopted children

If you are a foster and/or adoptive parent with a child who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder please join in providing support and being supported by other parents who know what a challenge this can be! New posts will be made weekly. Please leave a comment to any post by clicking on the date below the post. Comments will be posted within 24 hours.