If you are the parent of a child, from newborn to college age, with autism or Asperger's, we invite you to share your story about raising your child - the ups and downs, the effect on your family and marriage, your child's special attributes and talents, and the lighter moments too. These stories will provide advice, comfort and insight to other parents in the same situation.
Send only non-fiction stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. These must be your personal stories - things that happened to you or someone you were close to. You may use a "pen name" on your story. Your story should not have been previously published by Chicken Soup for the Soul or other major publications.
Here are some of the suggested topics:
How you first recognized the symptoms
Meeting the challenges of everyday life
Academic struggles or brilliance
Good and bad experiences with school administrations
Appreciating your child for exactly who he/she is
Helping your child build a social life
Successful treatments - what has worked for you
Helping siblings and family members cope
The effect on your marriage and personal relationships
The importance of taking time for yourself
The importance of a support system
The lighter side
The positive side - benefits of autism or Asperger's
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com/
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.
DEADLINE IS September 30th.
The plan is to publish the book on April 2, 2013, for Autism Awareness Month.
Send only non-fiction stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. These must be your personal stories - things that happened to you or someone you were close to. You may use a "pen name" on your story. Your story should not have been previously published by Chicken Soup for the Soul or other major publications.
Here are some of the suggested topics:
How you first recognized the symptoms
Meeting the challenges of everyday life
Academic struggles or brilliance
Good and bad experiences with school administrations
Appreciating your child for exactly who he/she is
Helping your child build a social life
Successful treatments - what has worked for you
Helping siblings and family members cope
The effect on your marriage and personal relationships
The importance of taking time for yourself
The importance of a support system
The lighter side
The positive side - benefits of autism or Asperger's
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com/
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.
DEADLINE IS September 30th.
The plan is to publish the book on April 2, 2013, for Autism Awareness Month.
