CONTENTS

Foreword

CHEAT SHEET
An Introduction for Busy Parents and Professionals

PART 1
Turning Chaos into Calm

Embracing a Family Life That’s Perfectly Imperfect

CHAPTER 1
“This Kid Is Really Smart, but … ”: Six Challenge Areas for Families with Complex Kids

CHAPTER 2
“This Is Not What I Expected”: Parenting Complex Kids Is Different

CHAPTER 3
“I’ve Tried Everything, but Nothing Works”: Understanding and Redefining Parenting Success

CHAPTER 4
“I Just Want Some Peace!”: The Four Phases of Parenting

PART 2
The Impact Model

A New Paradigm for Parenting Like a Coach

CHAPTER 5
“Where Do I Start?”: You Can Do It All, but Not at the Same Time (Take Aim)

CHAPTER 6
“Why Can’t They Just … ?”: No One Knows Your Child Better Than You Do

CHAPTER 7
“My Kid’s Just Not Motivated”: How to Get Your Kids to … [Fill in the Blank]

CHAPTER 8
“Everyone’s So Tense All the Time”: It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

CHAPTER 9
“I Don’t Know What’s Realistic”: Set Appropriate Expectations and Consequences

CHAPTER 10
“I Need a Strategy for … “: Creating Effective Systems and Structures That Actually Work

PART 3
Turning Information into Action

Making This Work in Your Life

CHAPTER 11
“They Need to Be Able to Do This on Their Own”: Cultivating Ownership Gradually and Then Suddenly

CHAPTER 12
“How Do I Know if It’s Working?”: Bringing It All Together

Afterword: A Letter from Elaine and Diane

Discussion Group Guide

Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Index