Parenting can be one of life's most enjoyable and rewarding experiences. It can also be one of the most stressful. The additional demands of caring for a child or adolescent with a disability can leave a parent feeling overwhelmed, angry and exhausted.

Christine Siegel, Ph.D., associate dean of Fairfield University's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions , will address these demands in "Parenting Children with Disabilities: Stories of Challenge and Triumph," a one-hour presentation and discussion to be held Thursday, February 9 at 7 p.m. a the Fairfield University Bookstore, 1499 Post Road, Fairfield.

This event is free and open to the public and the media.

Since 2006, Dr. Siegel, an associate professor of school psychology, has been researching stress in parents of teens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She will discuss her findings as they relate to the experience of parenting a child with a disability as recounted in the memoir "Schuyler's Monster" by Robert Rummel-Hudson.

Parents, educators and mental health providers are encouraged to read Rummel-Hudsons engaging portrayal of his journey with his wordless daughter before the event, which will include time for discussion.

Posted On: 01-31-2012 11:01 AM

Volume: 44 Number: 165