For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (4/18/12)

For previous articles, please click here.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner! If you find the information, resources and support here on Our Special Families Village Helpful, please consider supporting our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

Navigating College – a Handbook for Students with Autism

Good information for any Special Needs Person heading to college. Actually there’s a lot of good info here for any Special Needs Person who wants to live more independently.

Worried about:

  • getting accommodations,
  • getting places on time,
  • dealing with sensory issues in a new environment.

Need advice on:

  • staying healthy at school,
  • good eating and sleeping habits,
  • dating and relationships,
  • independent living,
  • talking to your friends and classmates about your disability.

New Federal Agency Gives Boost To Disability Issues

I’m always skeptical about more bureaucracy but maybe this will be good…

Obama administration officials and disability advocates say the bureaucratic change could pay big dividends long-term for people with special needs by pushing disability issues up the food chain at the cabinet-level agency. Specifically, they say, a big plus is that the new head of the community living administration will have a seat at the decision-making table as an assistant secretary directly reporting to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Belonging to a Community: How Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Are Finding Joy

Belonging is defined as “acceptance as a natural member or part.” For far too long, many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have not had the opportunity to feel accepted or believe that they truly belonged in their communities — something that so many of us take for granted each day.

Feds Back Off Special Education Funding Plan

But when the Education Department weighed in last June about the spending standards districts must meet in the years after they fail to abide by the maintenance of effort requirement, government officials got an earful from special education advocates.

Secret stress reliever

This works – Matthew and I both do it!

No, it’s not a cure-all for stress and anxiety – but it’s a powerful tool. I was reminded of it this week via a pink paper airplane!

Where Are Your Dreams for the Future of Your Child with Autism?

This applies to all Families with Special Needs Loved Ones.

Without dreams we do not have much of a future, for as Eleanor Roosevelt reminded us, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” It is important to have dreams, for once we cease to dream it becomes very difficult to remain motivated and move towards a non-existent vision.

Please let us know your thoughts or questions on these articles in the Comments Section or privately via the Contact Page.

For Families and Caregivers – The News You Need This Week (4/4/12)

For previous articles, please click here.

If you find the information, resources and support here on Our Special Families Village Helpful, please consider supporting our efforts when you shop your favorite online retailers through iBakeSale.com. Thank you.

Raising a kid with special needs: On parent delays and development

I thought about how the nurse has, for the past couple of years, pushed me to be more diligent about training Max. I could have done this a long time ago. But I wasn’t ready. And I’m just not going to feel guilty about that (although guilt has crossed my mind). I’ve got a lot going on in life, like any parent of a kid with special needs. I do my best.

It’s that time of year – crunch time! But maybe this will help take the sting out of the process…

Income Tax Deductions for Children with Special Needs

Before claiming tax deductions on your special needs child, consult your tax attorney or the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Service has the right to audit any individual’s annual tax returns for up to six years after it was filed; keep all documentation pertaining to your return for at least that long.

Self determination: the ingredients

Clearly, kids are going to make some mistakes when they make their own choices and speak up for themselves. And it takes some effort on our part to give them opportunities to try. And sometimes to fail. And to try again.

Inclusion Done Right, and Gone Wrong

When done right, inclusion can be a terrific experience for all students, allowing every learner to get needs met and be challenged to work at the best of his or her ability. At its worst, it’s no good for anybody. It’s hard for parents to know, though, what good inclusion is supposed to look like if the only model they have is wanting.

Please let us know your thoughts or questions on these articles in the Comments Section or privately via the Contact Page.

Welcome to an Interview with Sandra Pearson, Virtual Assistant

In this interview, my friend Sherrie and I talk about the business of being a Virtual Assistant.

Matthew after the Bull Canyon Run

Matthew after the Bull Canyon Run

I’m blessed to work at home so that I can care for Matthew, my Son with Autism, and still bring in a very good income to support my Family (I’m a single Mom, too). I’ve had many, many, many women tell me that they would love to do this too. So, I wrote an eBook about starting your own Virtual Assistance Business. There are some very good resources available to help you get the skills you need and I share them here and here. But I never found anything that really addressed the foundation stuff – starting a business and working from home. So I wrote The VA Biz 101.

I think every Mom who wants to stay home and raise her children, whether or not they have Special Needs, should be able to. The reality is however, that sometimes Families need another income. Here is a way to have your cake and eat it too. What could be better than that!?!

Prefer audio? Here you go!

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Click to listen or right click to download.

Click here to find all of the resources we discussed in the interview, including The VA Biz 101 eBook (it’s free, you don’t even have to enter your email address!).

Please let us know your thoughts and any questions you may have. You can just leave a comment or if you want to keep it private, go to out Contact Page and fill out the form.

Enjoy!

Sandra

P.S Click here to find more Interviews.

P.P.S Are you interested in being interviewed or being a guest writer? Contact me here, please.

Note: We will not have our Interview segment Friday, April 6th or Friday April 13th – time for Spring Break! Click here to view our past interviews. Thanks!