Parenting Special Needs Kids | Our Special Families Village

For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (2/1/12)

For previous articles, please click here.

Loud and Clear: A Special Needs Conversation

Although Medicaid is available only to those having limited income and assets, once an individual with disabilities reaches the age of 18, family assets are no longer considered, making it an important consideration in all special needs estate planning.

Special Needs Resource Magazine – Special Educators Toolkit

Share this with your child’s teachers!

Cindy Golden, a seasoned special educator, administrator, and psychologist with almost 30 years of experience, has based this teacher-friendly toolkit on her popular OMAC (Organization and Management of All Classrooms) system an innovative approach to creating effective classrooms for students with all types of disabilities. Special educators will get step-by-step, ready-to-use guidance on managing six key aspects of their daily work:

The Special Needs Future is now! 11 Tips to make sure you are prepared

But how do you, as young parents already overwhelmed by care-giving, begin such a task? Start by educating yourself while the kids are still young…

Children with Reading Problems? Perhaps it’s Irlen Syndrome

Finally, Jennifer’s parents, who were determined to help their daughter, discovered something called Irlen Syndrome, a visual processing disorder. They looked it up on the Internet and found a testing center near their home. They wanted to see if perhaps Jennifer had this “little known” disorder that they later found affects as many as 18% of the population. Sure enough she had Irlen Syndrome.

From Project Julia’s World – What Is A Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights?

Eleven states in the U.S. have already passed a Deaf Child Bill of Rights to ensure the choice of communication mode of deaf/hard of hearing children is respected and to ensure these children have fully accessible educational opportunities through an IEP focused on language and communication needs.

Early Intervention for Children under Three through IDEA Part C

Did you know that eligible children under age three can get special education support? They can, through the Early Intervention Program of Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)!

How to Bully-Proof Your Child with attorney and author Greg Branch.

Listen to internet radio with The Happy Hour Gals on Blog Talk Radio

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

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Filed Under: Information and Resources, Parenting Information and Resources, Special Needs Caregivers Tagged With: IDEA, Parenting Special Needs Kids

For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (1/25/12)

By Sandra Leave a Comment

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To read comments or to leave a comment, please click on the Comments link in the upper right.

Last week I shared the story of Amelia Rivera and her family’s struggle to get her a kidney transplant. Here are two more articles that share some of what is happening as a result of the outcry from the Special Needs Community.

Amelia Rivera and Medical Morality

Bill Targets Bias in Transplant Decisions

Parents now ‘less tolerant of disabled children in same class’

MORE than one in five people say they would object if a pupil with an intellectual disability or autism was in the same class as their child.

The disturbing statistic marks a growing level of intolerance of these children in the education system.

Just one in 12 said they would object when a similar study was carried out in 2006.

While this story is from Ireland it makes me wonder if the attitude is prevalent world-wide. We see so much in the media these days about tolerance. And we see so much about bullying and abuse. The moral of the story? Keep on working for awareness, acceptance and inclusion. And not because it is forced upon people, but rather because they truly want to.

Which leads me to…

The power of empathy: Peer groups help veterans, police and moms of kids with special needs

The programs, offered by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, are proving that empathy, which arises from walking in the shoes of another, creates a powerful connection and support for those in crisis.

Special thank you to Doreen Fulton of IEP for Mom and Believe in a Ray of Hope for sharing this article.

Some suggestions for IEP goals when your child is bullied

Wish I had this wonderful list back when Matthew was bullied. Gregory Branch shares some excellent ideas to explore with your IEP Team in this article.

As we all know by now, special needs children are bullied 2 to 3 times more frequently than their typical peers. As I have mentioned in previous articles, one of the first steps that the parent of a special needs child should take is to request an IEP meeting.

Help for fragile X victims

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute breakthrough could allow newborn screening of the world’s most common cause of inherited developmental disability.

Top Ten Most Ridiculous Comments Heard at an IEP Meeting

This article from Special Needs Advocate Denise Golberg is so important because many parents don’t realized that these statements are not only ridiculous but flat out wrong.

I have also, at times, heard some of the most outrageous statements!!! These ridiculous comments fly in the face of everything the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) stands for. What you will find below are ten of most ridiculous statements that I have heard and why they are so ridiculous.

Tips for helping your child with special education needs with their homework

For all parents helping their children with homework everyday takes time and effort. However, for parents of children with special education needs often this can turn into a long and challenging process. Some key tips to support children with special education needs in completing their homework include:

Tiger Mother to an Autistic Son

I’m including this article today, rather than in the ASD/PDD digest because it applies to Moms of all Special Needs Kids.

I’m tired of being called brave. But being the mom of a deeply autistic young man of 22, I can’t avoid it. Because I survived.

Interpreting the signs

This is an article from one of my local newspapers but I am sharing it because it is on a topic I don’t cover often – Deaf and Hard of Hearing issues. But even more important is this message:

Through my experience, research, and talking with teachers, audiologists, and therapists, I have learned the No. 1 factor that determines a child’s success: family involvement.

John Corbett Stars in “A Smile as Big as the Moon,” New Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie Airing Sunday, January 29 on ABC

The inspiring story of a high school football coach and special-education teacher who worked to achieve an impossible dream — to take a class of special-education students to NASA’s Space Camp

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

Help make The Village Your Village but sharing your thoughts, ideas and suggestions in this short survey. It’ll only take a few minutes but I appreciate your time very much.

Filed Under: Information and Resources, Inspiration, Legal and Medical Information and Resources, Parenting Information and Resources, Special Education, Special Needs Caregivers Tagged With: Advocacy, Autism, IEP, Medical Research, Parenting Special Needs Kids, Special Education, Special Needs Law

Intellectual Disability- The News You Need This Week (1/24/12)

By Sandra Leave a Comment

For Previous Articles Please Click Here.

The Bioethics of Intellectual Disability

It’s a bit dangerous to pontificate without access to all the facts, not just what one gleans from newspapers. However, it does seem that people with intellectual disabilities are regard by some as having less dignity than the rest of us. It’s a dangerous idea.

Growing up with developmental disabilities: 9 tips from UCSF expert Roberta Rehm

Roberta S. Rehm, PhD, RN, FAAN of UCSF is an expert in the area of transition planning for youth with chronic health conditions and developmental disabilities. In this interview she shares some of her tips for anxious parents.

A Path to an Independent Life

Currently, 43 students with conditions from autism to Down syndrome are enjoying college life as members of prestigious school. They are Bruins.

Initiative To Address High Number Of Blacks In Special Education

The National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities is teaming up with federal education officials to train parents across the country to effectively advocate for kids. The goal, they say, is to ensure that students are labeled appropriately by their school districts and receive the services they need.

NYers Of The Week: Disabled Residents Craft Mural To Raise Awareness

The work of eight special artists was unveiled Wednesday at the state Office of People With Developmental Disabilities, or OPWDD. The mural was five weeks in the making, a way for people like Lisa Kasper to raise awareness for people with special needs.

The World Through Tran’s Eyes

His younger brother Cuong Tran explained how despite a lifetime of struggles, Tran has always worn a warm smile on his face and accepted everyone with a friendly handshake.

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

Help make The Village Your Village but sharing your thoughts, ideas and suggestions in this short survey. It’ll only take a few minutes but I appreciate your time very much.