Parents & Caregivers

By Sarah Best, Abilities Expo Ambassador 17 years ago…yup, that’s me! I was born three months premature and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of 2. I began physical therapy sessions when I was six months old and continued receiving various therapies up until my teen years. I began sessions with Swim Angelfish when I…

By Chris Kain, kellisaspath.com Kellisa—my 2 pound, 1 ounce micro-preemie miracle daughter was born in 1999 with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, significant developmental delays, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome—has always traveled well. I believe it started when she was a baby and had to travel 138 miles round trip several times a week to see…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

By Adrian Johansen All people deserve the right to travel. But a disability can make it difficult to drive, fly or use public transportation. Fortunately, various transportation initiatives to improve accessibility for people with disabilities are underway. And these initiatives are making it easier than ever before for those with disabilities to get where they…

Living in a 1,000 square foot apartment, the Copp Family committed to their dream of providing an accessible home for their two boys, Calan and Lawson. Their boys depend on mobility devices like wheelchairs and posterior walkers due to a rare mitochondrial disorder which makes it difficult to receive much support. The Copps had their…