Handling Difficult Situations
Commentary
by Janis C.
There are a lot of people out there to educate about interacting with kids with special needs, or in this case, dealing with the moms of special kids like me. I get it. Not everyone has grown up around other-abled kids, and not every one knows what to say or do.
Here is a hint: act normal. Period. That's all you have to do.
This Month's Focus: Handling Difficult Situations
Balance
by Nicole Swiers
Balance.
I'm sure we all use that word from time to time, but I think as a parent of a kid with special needs it becomes an integral part of everyday life.
The hardest thing I've had to learn is to balance genuine concern versus anxiety over the unknown. I usually can tell when I'm leaning more towards the anxiety side of things, and yet, I tend to get stuck there anyway.
Read More -->Balance.
I'm sure we all use that word from time to time, but I think as a parent of a kid with special needs it becomes an integral part of everyday life.
The hardest thing I've had to learn is to balance genuine concern versus anxiety over the unknown. I usually can tell when I'm leaning more towards the anxiety side of things, and yet, I tend to get stuck there anyway.
A Life Turned Upside Down: Parenting Children with Special Needs When You Also Have a Disability
by Keely M.
I think the most difficult part of being disabled and raising three children with special needs is the loss of a once "normal" life.
In what seems like a lifetime ago, we were the quintessential all-American family. My husband Ryan and I both worked full-time jobs for the same company and we had a beautiful little baby girl named Jessica. I was blessed to have a job in which my daughter was able to go to work with me. Life was perfect and we were living the dream. How very quickly that all changed.
Read More -->by Keely M.
I think the most difficult part of being disabled and raising three children with special needs is the loss of a once "normal" life.
In what seems like a lifetime ago, we were the quintessential all-American family. My husband Ryan and I both worked full-time jobs for the same company and we had a beautiful little baby girl named Jessica. I was blessed to have a job in which my daughter was able to go to work with me. Life was perfect and we were living the dream. How very quickly that all changed.
Alize's Story: How Alize Earned His Wings
by Karen Lemieux
From the moment we saw twenty-month-old Alize in October of 2004, we were in love. He had the most beautiful brown eyes surrounded by thick, long, curling eyelashes. When he learned to smile he brightened the world. We happily took him home along with his many pieces of medical equipment.
Read More -->by Karen Lemieux
From the moment we saw twenty-month-old Alize in October of 2004, we were in love. He had the most beautiful brown eyes surrounded by thick, long, curling eyelashes. When he learned to smile he brightened the world. We happily took him home along with his many pieces of medical equipment.
Glimpses of Italy: When Your "Typical" Child Faces Medical Issues
by Jennifer A. Peterson
One of the more difficult aspects of special needs parenting is the possibility that your "typical" child may turn out to have special medical issues of her own. While pregnant with my daughter Natalie, we learned that she had a high likelihood of also being affected by Eosinophilic Disease, which her brother Thomas has. It was a scary proposition, considering that at the time we had just finished absorbing the shock of our son's diagnosis.
Read More -->by Jennifer A. Peterson
One of the more difficult aspects of special needs parenting is the possibility that your "typical" child may turn out to have special medical issues of her own. While pregnant with my daughter Natalie, we learned that she had a high likelihood of also being affected by Eosinophilic Disease, which her brother Thomas has. It was a scary proposition, considering that at the time we had just finished absorbing the shock of our son's diagnosis.
Specialty Article
GI and Nutrition
All About G Tubes
Children with special needs often have feeding problems, difficulty gaining weight, or require special diets. For these children, a G tube or Gastrostomy tube or button is a necessary device to provide adequate nutrition or medication. In this article, we will provide basic information about G tubes, their use, and some tips and tricks to help make tube feeding easier.
All About G Tubes
Children with special needs often have feeding problems, difficulty gaining weight, or require special diets. For these children, a G tube or Gastrostomy tube or button is a necessary device to provide adequate nutrition or medication. In this article, we will provide basic information about G tubes, their use, and some tips and tricks to help make tube feeding easier.
Feature
Vibration for Pain Control and Calming
My daughter has cerebral palsy and an undiagnosed disorder that causes her significant pain on a daily basis. In addition, she struggles with increasingly severe dysautonomia, which is her body's inability to self-regulate her autonomic nervous system, causing issues with her heart rate, temperature, blood pressure and other functions. Whenever her body is stressed by pain, illness, or even just a hot day, she begins to struggle dramatically.
We have spent several years trying to control both her pain and her symptoms from dysautonomia. While we do employ standard medical treatments, such as multiple narcotics, neuropathic pain medications, and rescue medications, we have found a surprisingly effective remedy in using intense vibration to control pain and calm autonomic symptoms.