For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (3/21/12)

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Special treatment for kids with special needs (and the fine line we walk as their parents)

One of the things I most desire for Max is for other kids and adults to look past his disabilities and see the amazing child that he is. I’d like them to treat Max as a kid—someone to play with, joke around with, enjoy activities with. More often than not, kids are wary and adults treat him with kid gloves. And so, when I can, I bridge the gap and forge connections and get people interacting with Max.

How To Help Your Child With Homework

Many students, especially those with learning disabilities, have difficulty planning for, benefiting from, and completing homework assignments. However, there are strategies that can be implemented which can make homework a positive and effective tool to help optimize your child’s learning and help her to achieve academic success. The following are key areas to target when supporting your child’s homework habits:

How Parents Can Help Siblings of Kids with Special Needs

Note: For more on this, please check out my interview with Caroline McGraw of A Wish Come Clear.

Parents of kids with special needs tend to be worriers. Mainly because they have more to worry about than other parent do. Many worry not only about their kids with special needs who require extra time and parenting energy, but also about the siblings who get the short end of the attention stick more than mom and dad like.

Billions Unleashed To Expand Community Living

No one should have to live in an institution or nursing home if they can live in their homes and communities with the right mix of affordable supports,” said Cindy Mann, who oversees the federal Medicaid program. “These new grants will help states like New Hampshire give people with long-term care needs the choice about how and where to live their lives.”

Bridging Home-School Communications: Helping Parents Begin Conversations with Teachers

A meaningful education for children begins and ends with open, honest communication between home and school. Without a positive and comfortable relationship, solid and meaningful plans for a child’s education cannot move forward. This is particularly true when the child in question is one with ”special,” or as I like to call them, ”extra” needs.

Building a Transition Plan

Transition planning, in its most basic sense, means figuring out what you want to do in the next stage of your life, gaining the skills and resources you need to do it, and then doing it. In theory, everyone—autistic or not—should engage in a transition planning process, not only during high school but also during the years preceding every life change.

If you have found any great resources or stories, please share them in the Comments Section.

For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (3/7/12)

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40 Questions to Ask a Potential Nurse or Other Caregiver

Many of our children require home nursing or care from another type of caregiver, such as a home health aide, certified nursing aide, or personal care attendant. It can be overwhelming to find and interview someone to take care of your most precious possession, your child, especially when that child has medical needs.

To help you out, we’ve compiled 40 of the best questions to ask a potential caregiver. We hope they help.

5 Reasons to Visit the Academy of Special Needs Planners Website

The Academy of Special Needs Planners has a very informative website. In the article, Jolene from Different Dream shares what they have to offer.

If you have found any great resources or stories, please share them in the Comments Section.

For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (2/29/12)

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From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss – Potty Training 101 

I have shared articles by Connie Hammer, Parent Coach for Autism before because she has an excellent way of getting underneath the “stuff” to the heart of the matter. It seems she has done the same thing with From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss: Potty Training 101. Check out this excellent Review by Lorna d’Entremont on Special Needs Book Review 

The author’s “careful planning” includes sections with bullet form steps-to-take and lined spaces to write notes to personalize your workbooks. Often Connie uses humor to convey her message, something overwhelmed parents will appreciate. For example on Clothing Considerations she says, “Outer wear- Forget cute, go functional!”

Now – Let’s talk about Bullying. We need to keep this issue in the spotlight until it becomes a thing of the past.

5 Ways to Protect Your Special Needs Child From Bullies

 66% of students with special needs report being bullied in school compared to 25% of students in the general population, according to the Disable Bullying campaign’s Walk a Mile in Their Shoes report. In fact, students with special needs are 2 to 3 times more likely to be bullied than their “normal” peers.

“My Voice is not going to fall silent. I will go to my grave until a difference is made.”

-From the Bully trailer.

What will you do to make a difference?

“That’s just not OK.” – Lauren Potter

So what are you going to do about it?

 

If you have found any great resources or stories, please share them in the Comments Section.

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