Unfortunately, many parents may have difficulty accepting their child and addressing their needs and responsibilities. From the book “The Elephant in the Playroom”, some families have faced depression and physical and mental deterioration of their health. These struggles were shown in Laura Cichoracki's story. Laura's son's name was Patrick. Patrick was a 6-year-old boy with autism. “I didn't eat well, I didn't shower regularly, I didn't sleep well” (Brodey, p. 64). I also read the story told by Susan Marrash-Minnerly, which highlighted the emotions parents face. Susan also shed light on how wonderful special needs children can be to a family, like her ten-year-old third grader who suffered from autism. Susan talked about how it was normal to feel angry sometimes, especially with the ups and downs that a child's disability can bring. “When I look back, I want to tell other parents that a child's future is worth crying for, but it's not the end of the world” (Brodey, p. 75). After reading these stories, it became clear to me that families raising children with special needs need support, kindness, and available resources. “I was fortunate to be surrounded by other moms who understood my pain…who could be supportive and emphatic.” (Brodey, p. 67). Overall, educators can use this type of information shared in “The Elephant in the Playroom” about family systems and risk/resilience by creating lines of open communication between families. This is to connect together parents who share similar struggles. By creating open communication you can allow the teacher and parents to be on the same page when it comes to issues affecting students with special needs and