Better lives for kids with special needs worldwide

The Special Needs Parent Handbook Library Donation Program

The Special Needs Parent Handbook - Special Edition - has shipped from the printer and volunteers will begin distributing copies to local libraries over the next month.  This will enable families unable to afford a copy to gain access to the book to help them become stronger advocates for their children with special needs.

The 2011 Advocacy4All Cross-Country Tour

We will meet some of our volunteers on the road during our 2011 Advocacy4All Cross-Country Tour which will be kicked off at the Apple Store 5th Avenue on Friday April 15th at 5pm.

Contests are underway to help raise funds for charities that help children with special needs.  Anyone can enter to win terrific prizes including an Apple gift card or an iPad by setting up a fundraising page and 1) donating at least $25 to their favorite cause for kids or 2)  uploading a photo of themselves in an Apple Store.  Learn more at:

Thank you,

Jon Singer

Drive4Rebecca

Links:

• Schedule of events for cross-country tour

We are very excited that my book, The Special Needs Parent Handbook, has received a wonderful review from Library Journal, one of the leading sources of book reviews for libraries around the US.

From LibraryJournal.com
By Julianne J. Smith Feb 17, 2011

Singer, Jonathan. The Special Needs Parent Handbook: Critical Strategies and Practical Advice To Help You Survive and Thrive. Clinton and Valley Pub. 2010. 96p. ISBN 9781452074467. pap. $14.99. CHILD REARING

This title is being distributed to libraries across the country in support of Advocacy 4 All, an initiative to help families advocate for their special-needs children. The author, father of a 14-year-old with a rare genetic disorder causing autistic tendencies, clearly comes to his topic with firsthand experience and perspective to see the impact of his advice. Covering such subjects as finding babysitters, planning a financial future, working with school districts, and keeping the family together, Singer does an excellent job of being realistic about obstacles while providing hope for families faced with the complexities of raising special-needs children. Accept this donation with grace; it is timely, well written, practical, and focused. This slim gem should be on the shelf of every library.

On a related topic, this April we are embarking on our Advocacy4All Cross-Country Tour in an effort to raise funds for charities that help children with special needs.  We will be supported by a major PR effort by Rubenstein Public Relations and a huge online promotion with contests in conjunction with Crowdrise, the fundraising web site started by actor Edward Norton.  We will be giving away iPods, Apple Store gift cards, and the grand prize is an iPad.  

We are stopping at Apple Stores along the way (see the promotional video for the trip) with the goal of highlighting how Apple products can help families having children with special needs, while promoting our Advocacy4All initiative to help make sure that no child with special needs gets left behind.  With the help of volunteers we are donating copies of The Special Needs Parent Handbook, to libraries around the country and around the world.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jon Singer
Drive4Rebecca

Links:

• Reviews for The Special Needs Parent Handbook