Heartfelt, honest, and creative. A must-read book for families dealing with mental illness and for the professionals and systems aiming to help. Written by Aaron and his mother, Claudette, this book takes the reader inside their life-long journey of love, persistence, and grit in dealing with Aaron’s serious mental health challenges. As a gifted poet and writer, Aaron describes the ups and downs of living with learning and emotional challenges in a world lacking the medical, educational, and family resources needed to help him thrive. As a young teen mother, Claudette describes the unending strategies used to provide a loving home and manage Aaron’s complex emotional, sensory, and behavioral challenges without early intervention and family supports. With escalating behavioral challenges, Aaron describes living in a residential coercive treatment program which caused further trauma and mental anguish. Despite the unending stress and chaos in helping Aaron create a life worth living, Claudette persisted in becoming an occupational therapist and advocate for families with children with mental health challenges. Comprehensive evidence-based chapters describe best practices known today for helping children and families such as multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), restorative justice, trauma-informed care, wraparound services, and strength-based practices to name a few. Perhaps Aaron’s life trajectory would have been different if these services were available during his childhood and young adult years?
Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Director, Every Moment Counts
www.everymomentcounts.org