During a recent Coffee Klatch Twitter session, a discussion arose about a parent’s role when kids with special needs do their homework. We talked about how much homework is enough, when to ask for modifications, the value of perseverance and a whole lot of other things.

How Much Is Enough?

During my years as a classroom teacher, I told parents they could expect their children to bring home an average of 1/2 of homework a night, sometimes more and sometimes less. They shouldn’t have more than that because kids need down time in the evenings, just like adults do. I always explained that if their child consistently spent more than that on assignments, they should let me know so we could figure out why and make necessary adjustments.

A Poem about Math Facts

A day or two later, I listened to an NPR radio story about a new book of poems for tweens and teens. One of the poems read by Elise Paschen, who compiled the collection, caught my attention because it so beautifully expressed what happens to kids when they’re pressured by too much homework. Here it is:

Flashcards
by Rita Dove

In math I was the whiz kid, keeper of oranges and apples.
What you don’t understand, master, my father said,
the faster I answered, the faster they came.
I could see one bud on a teacher’s geranium,
one clear bee sputtering at the wet pane.
The tulip trees always dragged after heavy rain,
so I tucked my head as my boots slapped home.

My father put up his feet after work and relaxed with a highball and “The Life of Lincoln.”
After supper, we drilled and I climbed the dark before sleep, before a thin voice hissed numbers as I spun on a wheel.

I had to guess.
Ten, I kept saying.
I’m only 10.

Poetry Speaks Who I Am

Can’t you sense Rita’s frustration with her dad who’s imposing his adult standards on her young life? Each time I read the poem, I see the faces of former special needs students concentrating hard, trying to ignore their desire to go outside and play, their need to be ten. It’s so important for us, as adults, to remember our children are just that – children. And it’s important for us to remember what it’s like to be ten.

This collection, Poetry Speaks Who I Am, can help you remember. To learn more about the book and how it came about, go to this link where you can listen to the audio version of the NPR story, read a related article or read the entire transcript.

Let me know what you think of it,
Jolene

Yes, I’m talking to you, beautiful, about the new book, Good Morning Beautiful. It was released in March by Ambassador International.

Paulette George

Author Paulette George tells the story of her infant daughter’s terrifying seizure disorder, the diet that restored her health, and  her recovery from brain surgery. It is an amazing story and a must read for parents of children with seizure disorders. You can read more about Paulette and watch the book trailer at  www.paulettegeorge.net.

Weird Coincidence or God at Work?

Paulette and I met through a series of weird coincidences you can read about at www.jolenephilo.com. When I think of how God used us to connect with a family at Mayo Clinic, shivers run down my spine. Good Morning Beautiful is the kind of book that will make you shiver with delight.  If you read it, come back and leave a comment about how it touched you.

Thanks,
Jolene

After the earthquake in Haiti last January, many organizations wanted to aid the victims. Thanks to a new partnership with the Soles4Souls Foundation, the residents of Village Northwest in Sheldon, Iowa were ready to help in a big way.

The Village Voice Newsletter

According to the latest issue of their newsletter, the Village Northwest joined forces with Soles4Soles Foundation in October by becoming a donation processing center. You can read about the overwhelming response to their efforts in Village Voice Spring 2010 Issue. You can also go to this page at their website to see how the project has morphed into help for Haiti.

Using Their God-Given Abilities

My cousin Dan Hoey is the director of advancement at Village Northwest and a follower of DifferentDream.com. Recently he sent an email with the following information:

“I read you article on special needs and Northwestern College and wanted to share what the Village was doing with our God-given abilities…The men and women served at VNU are proud of the work that they do involved in getting these shoes prepared and ready to be distributed to places like Haiti, where VNU and S4S have committed 1.3 million pairs of shoes to be distributed in 2010.  To date, 400,000 have arrived in Haiti, and 750,000 are en route.  Sheldon alone has already processed over 130,000 pairs of shoes since our partnership began in October of 2009.”

Pretty impressive, huh? Makes me want to use my God-given abilities a little more effectively. How about you?

Jolene

In a December 2009 post, you learned about Morgan’s Wonderland, a San Antonio theme park under construction for kids with special needs. The builders and volunteers have been hard at work, and here’s the scoop. The park’s grand opening will be held on April 10. If you live in the San Antonio area, they need volunteers for the gala event and on a daily basis. If you’re interested, information is available  www.morganswonderland.com.

If, like me, you live too far away to attend, you’ll still want to visit the website. Maybe it will give you an idea of how to help members of the special needs community in your town.

Jolene

If your child endured invasive medical procedures or prolonged hospitalization at a young age, she’s at risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But the Intensive Trauma Therapy Institute in Morgantown, WV has made great strides in treating children with PTSD quickly and effectively.

Treating Traumatic Stress & Dissociative Disorders 17th Conference

This year’s conference is focusing on the assessment, identification, prevention and treatment of early medical trauma. Social workers, counselors, art therapists and nurses can receive CEUs for attending. The conference will be held April 8 & 9, 2010 in Morgantown. Registration information and a downloadable brochure is available at the Intensive Trauma Therapy Clinic’s website.

Intensive Trauma Therapy is Amazing

For years, my son suffered from PTSD induced by numerous hospital stays and seven surgeries before he was five. We didn’t know what was wrong until he was a young adult and his behavior became erratic and disturbing. In December of 2008, the therapists at ITT changed my son’s life in one short week. If you think your child is suffering from PTSD, this conference could be life changing for your family. I encourage you to check it out. But hurry! You need to register by March 26 to avoid a $15 late fee.

Jolene

If you haven’t sent in your income tax yet, take an hour to listen to Joan Celebi’s recent teleseminar Tax Tips for Special Needs Parents. After you listen, come back and tell us which tip saved you money.

Until April 15,
Jolene

The movie, Extraordinary Measures, was released a few days ago. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve been reading about the family that inspired the movie.

John & Aileen Crowley

Two of the Crowleys three children, Megan and Patrick, were born with Pompe disease. At the time of their diagnosis, their prognosis was terminal. Researchers were slowly closing in on a cure, too slowly to save the the children. So John, with the full support of his wife, left a secure job to use his legal, business and health care training to pursue a cure.

I’m Not a Hero

That’s all of the story I’m going to divulge. If you want to know more about the Crowleys before you see the movie, go to http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/#/johncrowley to view them telling the story in their own words. Be sure to watch to the end when John humbly explains why he doesn’t consider himself a hero.

Maybe he doesn’t think he’s a hero, but I do. And if you’re the parent of a child with special needs, you’re a hero, too. You’re a hero even if your story never becomes a movie. Because you do for your child what John did for his.

Hats off to heros,
Jolene Philo

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 about a promotional contest being held in conjunction with the January 22 release of the new Harrison Ford movie, Extraordinary Measures. Parents of children with critical or chronic illnesses are encouraged to upload videos about their kids’ medical stories. The general public can go to the website and vote for their favorite video. The family with the winning video receives a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

Vote for Evan Newport

Now do you see where this is going? Scott uploaded Everett Marshall’s wonderful video about Evan and would appreciate your vote. All you have to do is go to the Extraordinary Measures Inspirational Quilt page and, as Scott says, “look for the guy with the hammer.” (Right now the video is on the first page of the quilt, but as the days go by, you may have to scroll through several pages.) When you click on “the guy with the hammer,” a window with Evan’s video will open. You can watch the video and vote by clicking on the button in the top, right corner.

Vote Every Day

You have to be 18 to vote, but you can vote every day. If Evan’s video touches you, please cast your vote and spread the word to family and friends. What an easy way to honor a little boy’s memory.

Thanks.
Jolene