A Special Night with the author of ‘Special’

Presenter: Melanie Dimmitt, Journalist and Author of ‘Special’

On the evening we will be joined by this incredible author who will read an excerpt from the new book and talk you through the amazing people she met in the process of writing it. This will act as a springboard for a discussion with our NAPA family on your experiences and challenges. This will be a truly inspiring night and one not to be missed!

Special: antidotes to the obsessions that come with a child’s disability is an uplifting, candid companion for parents in the early stages of navigating their child’s disability. Combining content from dozens of interviews with parents of children with wide-ranging disabilities (including Jocelyn Moorhouse, Chloe Maxwell and Ricky Stuart) alongside professional input from psychologists, researchers and specialists, it shares stories, advice and actionable coping strategies for parents not yet ready to sign up to ‘the special-needs club’.

Written from a place of unbridled curiosity, Special was inspired by its author being thrust into the disability space when her six-month-old son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It tackles the unspoken obsessions at the forefront of a newly minted special-needs parent’s mind, such as: Why has this happened to me? Will I ever be happy again? Will my child’s life be worth living? Will I ever stop comparing my child to typical children? Will I ever work or travel again? How will my relationship survive this? Should I have another baby? And the big one, what will my future look like?

Books will be available to purchase on the night for $30.

Drinks and nibbles will be served.

This is a child free event.