Parents & Caregivers
You do what you have to do for your loved ones with disabilities. You endure with grace (usually) the annoying platitudes of friends and family who don’t get it, who can’t get it. And though you fight not to roll your eyes when you hear once again how strong you are to manage all that you manage, you have to admit there is truth there. You ARE, in fact, a rock star.
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Latest news and stories
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7 Products Every Caregiver Should Try
By Mollie Wilson Regardless of if you are caring for a child, sibling, or other family member, being a caregiver for love ones is truly a never-ending job. With appointments, balancing schedules, household tasks, and much more, it’s no wonder many who care for loved one’s report feeling immense amounts of stress in their everyday…
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How to Motivate Kids with Disabilities
By Diana Popescu We all know that motivated, enthusiastic children are happier and more fulfilled. But growing up with a disability can be frustratingly demotivating at times. Children might find themselves comparing their bodies with their able-bodied peers, or getting frustrated at their inability to do certain tasks easily or quickly. As the parent of…
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Accessible Playground Leaves No Child on the Sidelines
By Ericka Polanco Webb, Becoming the Mrs. Motherhood Blog Playdates and playgrounds. I vividly remember, my son was at the age when climbing trees, hanging on monkey bars and running up and down the slide was the highlight of children his age. However, this was not the case for him. He’s a wheelchair-using child that has…
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‘Simply Mae’ is About the Kid, Not the Disability
Kyle Fiorelli was a special education teacher with a special problem. “When looking at books that feature children with disabilities, I found that most of them focused on the disability.” Fiorelli shares. Kyle began her career as an aide to a young girl with cerebral palsy named Maggie, and there was no good representation in any…
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Make Nutrition Fun for the Whole Family
By Tracy Suzanne Williams The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as other healthcare organizations promote the importance of family meals. Families who frequently eat together are more likely to be closer because family meals give children and adults alike an opportunity to discuss their day. The Family Meal Project says that children and…
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For Harold the Wheeling Dog, It’s All Attitude
By Tanya Sheckley, Up Academy This is Harold on Wheels. He is a Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Scottish Deerhound and some other stuff. He’s pure mutt, which we know because we had his DNA tested. Harold shows people everywhere that all we really need is love and acceptance to thrive. I first saw Harold when he was…
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How Can You Help Your Tube Fed Child Learn to Eat?
By Dr. Margueritte Dunitz-Scheer, NoTube Eating School As a senior pediatrician and developmental child psychotherapist, my expertise and passion in my professional life are helping children who have been tube fed since birth or for most of their lives to earn to eat. I love observing the diversity of tastes and textures of foods in various…
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20 Things Every Parent of Kids with Special Needs Should Hear
By Dr. Darla Clayton, PsyD, The Mobility Resource 1) You are not alone.There may not be anyone else with the same constellation of symptoms as your child but there are people with similar challenges. Find those people. I have never met anyone with all of these same challenges as my kid but I have a strong network within…
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What I Would Tell You
By Julie Keon Julie is the mother of a child with disabilities and shares her wisdom and experience in this powerful essay. I sensed someone watching me as I comforted my daughter after a particularly traumatizing dentist appointment at the Children’s Hospital. I looked up and saw you staring at us from across the waiting…
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When You Are the Parent of a Child Living a Unique Life
An interview with Karen Kain, CEO of Lorrin’s World, by Sarah Galbraith Laucks, Abilities Expo Education & Events Director In 1994 Karen Kain gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Lorrin. Two months later at her regular check-up, Lorrin received her first and only DPT (diphtheria pertussis tetanus) vaccination. Lorrin had a severe reaction to…
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Is Your Unique Child Ready for Friendships?
By Karen Kain, Lorrin’s World I was at a block party with my new neighbors last week. It surprised me that every neighbor who attended was either a parent of a child with a disability or working in the field. As we stood in the street comparing our experiences, all completely different, one neighbor of…
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Respite is Essential for Everyone!
By Michelle Haney, Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy Everyone needs some rest in their lives. In this day and age, we are all running around day to day filling every minute of every hour. This is true of the average person. Now add a child, or several, to the equation. Now add…