Jan 18, 2010 Posted by Jolene

What Else Can I Do?

The previous post in this series shared five ways to encourage families with special needs kids. The ideas came from Lisa Copen’s book, Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend. Further Beyond Casseroles Here are five more tips from Lisa’s book, which you can adapt for families with chronically ill children: Ask your church youth group to come over and clean up the... read more

Jan 15, 2010 Posted by Jolene

What Can I Do?

When I hear about parents of kids diagnosed with a chronic illness or special needs, my thoughts and emotions get tangled up, they tie me in knots. Sound Familiar? I want to do something to help – take a casserole or send a card maybe – but invisible, tangled threads hold me back. Doubt sets in, and my good intentions seem feeble or silly. Pretty soon, I talk myself out of doing anything and... read more

Jan 13, 2010 Posted by Jolene

Extraordinary Measures & Evan Newport

Yesterday, I received an email from Scott, Evan Newport’s father. Evan’s Story Evan died the day after Thanksgiving after a seven year battle with Noonan’s Syndrome. You can read more of Evan’s story at two previous DifferentDream.com posts: Good-bye Evan Newport and Evan Newport – All Around Me. Scott’s Email Now, back to the subject of Scott’s email. He wrote... read more

Jan 12, 2010 Posted by Jolene

The Caregiver Organizer: Special Needs Version

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Jan 8, 2010 Posted by Jolene

Easy to Find Special Education Blogs

Being a teacher is hard work. Being a special education teacher is very hard work. I know. For twenty-five years I was an elementary teacher who integrated lots of special education students into my classroom. I also collaborated closely with their teachers and observed the challenges they faced. Fifty Best Special Education Blogs Therefore, I was tickled pink the other day when I found this website that... read more