Our guest, Chrisa Hickey, is a mom like so many other women, but in some ways she is quite extraordinary. She parents a son with schizoaffective disorder, Tim, who was diagnosed at the age of 11. She shares with us the challenges of parenting a child with schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type), what the journey has been like and the reality of what they will likely face in the future. 
No parent imagines that their child will grown up with a mental illness, that’s way, even though Tim exhibited some behaviors as a very small child that indicated something was going on, it was still hard to understand when he was given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. It was a long process of acceptance, research and finding the right support before moving forward was possible. But, eventually, Chrisa and her family have found a way to flourish.
Finding the Right Solutions for Your Child with Schizoaffective Disorder
Chrisa and her husband looked at many different ways to care for Tim, but eventually decided (as a family) that the best option for him was to go a residential home for children with similar diagnosis. Here he is able to be more social, learn independence and get an education. Tim even decided it was best for him to do this, as “regular” school was not an option.
Dealing with the Fall Out
As a result of Tim’s extra special needs Chrisa has dealt with her own struggles with depression, her daughter was diagnosed with PTSD and the whole family has needed counseling. Chrisa says this has been very helpful for them, but it still doesn’t make it easy.
Learn about Chrisa’s experience and listen to the radio show, Parenting a Child with Schizoaffective Disorder
If you are the parent of a child with a mental illness, we invite you to share your experience with us here by calling 1-888-883-8045 or leave a comment below.
Could you tell me what your qualifications are and how you are able to comment regarding your client. Do they give legal permission or do you just change the name of the client.
My daughter has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, anxiety, bipolar, social anxiety, ocd, and learning disabilities. She is 16 but has an academic level of 3-4 grade. Please help. I cannot seem to get the school system to help me…pls i am begging for help.
Hello Cari,
If your child has been diagnosed with a mental illness that affects her ability to learn, she may be eligible for an individualized education program (IEP). There are two sites that have excellent information on this:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.index.htm
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/iep
Unfortunately, as you have discovered, many schools and school districts make it difficult to access these programs and even put obstacles in the way. If you are educated about the law and let the school administrators know that you are educated, this may increase your chances of accessing the services your daughter needs. You will need to become a true advocate for your child.