Though summer’s speeding by, it’s not too late for your child with special needs to enjoy a summer camp. Even if money’s tight or no camps meet your child’s needs, moms can create a memorable camp-like experience, thanks to Terri Mauro.

Terri Mauro and Camp Mom

Here’s what Terri says about why she started her first Camp Mom. “Finding a summer-camp experience that’s right for my son has always been a challenge. Mainstream camps had trouble accommodating his special needs. Special-needs camps were costly, far away, and still not personalized enough to really give him the kind of good time he deserved. The spring of his seventh-grade year, as I was fretting about another few months of huge bills and long drives, I made a proposal to the moms of a couple of his special-education school friends: Why not put together our own camp, tailored to our own unique kiddos, and entirely under our control? They hadn’t found any good options for summer fun either, and so our Camp Mom was born. The idea was to keep them busy, do some learning enrichment, build strong friendships, and provide a memorable summertime experience. Us moms got the same benefits.”

Check Out Terri’s Resources

Terri’s excellent resources will help you:

• Decide whether Camp Mom is a viable option for you.
• Download a Camp Mom Pre-Planning Checklist.
• Look at Terri’s Camp Mom Agenda in an easy-to-read journal format.

After you look those pages over, be sure to spend time checking out her other resources at www.about.com. Her site is packed with information, forms, book reviews, and forums for parents of kids with special needs. Since she’s the mom of two kids with special needs, her advice has been tried and tested.

If you give Camp Mom a try, leave a comment about how it went. Maybe it will spark ideas for others, too.

Thanks,
Jolene

Most of the time, I’m not a blog pusher. But every now and then I come across a blog so sincere and fresh, I want to pass it along to others. A few weeks ago, I did a series on Wrestling with an Angel, one of the few blogs written by the father of a child with special needs instead of by a mom. Today, I want to highlight Love That Max.

Meet Ellen Seidman

Ellen Seidman, Max’s mom, writes frankly about life with a son who has cerebral palsy. Many of her stories are upbeat and hilarious – she makes her child’s nine month obsession with the color purple so funny I check back often to see how it’s progressing – but she’s transparent, too. She shares her fears and disappointments freely but without self-pity.

Get in on the Give Aways

Because of her career as a magazine editor and web design consultant, she has access to vendors who provide pretty cool products for free give aways now and then. Many of them involve food, especially chocolate. I tell you, she’s my kind of woman.

Totally Different Writing Styles

A word of warning to those of you who love Greg Lucas’s blog and may be thinking that Ellen’s is like it: it’s not. She doesn’t get theological, though she can be quite thoughtful. She doesn’t talk much about her faith, but her love for her children and her zest for life are apparent. She writes from a different vantage point than I’m accustomed to, and that’s why I like her. I hope you do, too.

Love That Max,
Jolene

Having a child with special needs can be hard on a marriage. Many marriages break under the strain of caring for a child with special needs and lost dreams.

Encouragement from Music for the Soul

This month, Steve Siler is sharing his new song When the Vow Breaks with parents dealing with divorce. In it, he offers hope and acceptance to people who are disappointed in the direction their lives have taken.

Encouragement from Shelly Beach

Once again, Shelly Beach has written a devotion to accompany the song. Here’s what she has to say.

When the Vow Breaks

Have you known the pain of betrayal? Of rejection and abandonment so deep that you wondered if you could find the strength to crawl from your bed and a reason to face the day?

No pain runs so deep as the pain of divorce—the rending of a relationship birthed with the expectancy of newborn love and launched into bright expectations of marriage with public vows, song, and celebration.

But when promises are broken and we’re left to face the shame and loneliness alone, even in our moments of deep despair we’re not forsaken. The Psalmist tells us, “Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am
helped . . .”  (Psalm 28:6-7)

In your pain of brokenness and abandonment, know that God is present. He hears your every cry. You are not forsaken. God, who gave His Son to be abandoned and broken on our behalf, has secured our hope and our future. He offers grace and refuge in the shelter of the cross.

For more information about Steve, visit his website, Music for the Soul. You can learn more about Shelly at www.shellybeachonline.com.

Hang in there,
Jolene

A few days ago, you met Michael and Amber Baker, parents of five kids, two of whom have special needs. Today, you’ll learn how she jumped out of what she calls “her family’s puddle into another family’s ocean” and found great personal healing in so doing.

Justin and Victoria Nelson’s Ocean

Through  a series of fortunate blog links, Amber made her way to www.MomentswithMoriah.com where she met little Moriah Nelson and her parents, Justin and Victoria. (If you read the Different Dream blog series Moments with Moriah’s Mom and Dad, those names sound familiar to you.) When Amber began reading the Nelsons’ blog, Moriah was very sick and not expected to live. The baby girl was transferred to another hospital to have a trach tube inserted. Because of work, Justin couldn’t join Victoria and Moriah for the surgery.

Amber’s Jump

Outside of leaving a few comments at Moriah’s blog, Amber had never spoken to the Nelsons. But, she felt God prompting her to visit Victoria. “It made no sense,” Amber said. “We had no money. Grace had recently undergone heart surgery. Someone would have to care for the kids.”

But the feeling wouldn’t go away. After discussing it with her husband, Amber emailed Victoria and asked if she could come visit. Victoria called immediately. “I’d love it,” she said.

So Amber flew halfway across the country and jumped into Victoria’s ocean. Another blog friend drove four hours to meet them, and for a few days, they supported and encouraged this young mother while her baby girl had surgery. Amber says she was changed by the encounter, too. “She and Justin are so young, but their faith is amazing. Being with her was a support for me.”

Make a Splash

If you’re the parent of a child with special needs and your situation is overwhelming you, maybe you should follow Amber’s lead and jump into someone else’s ocean. It might make a small splash. Or it could make a big one. Either way, you and someone else will be changed and encouraged.

Go ahead.
Do it.

Jump!
Jolene

The stories told by parents of kids with special needs never cease to amaze me. Like their children, these parents are resilient, resourceful, and most of all compassionate. Today you’re going to learn more about Amber Baker, who was introduced in a blog post a few weeks back. She’s a compassionate mom who says she found her greatest support as the parent of two children with special needs when she “stepped out out of her puddle into someone else’s ocean.”

Amber’s Puddle

Amber and her husband Mike have five children: Caleb (14), Emma (12), Noah (9), Grace (3) and Jacob (1). The first three Amber said, “grew inside her” and the two youngest came through adoption. You can read more about the family at Amber’s blog, but here’s a splash in her puddle:

• The Bakers home school their kids, though the two oldest will start public school next fall.
• Grace was born with a heart defect, more serious and complicated than the Bakers were led to believe. She’s had open heart surgery, along with other surgeries to correct anomalies discovered since she became part of their family. Because of some developmental delays, she also attends a special preschool.
• Jacob was born at 23 weeks and spent 182 days in NICU. During his stay, he coded  4 times and had a grade four brain bleed. He also has hydrocephalus and a VP shunt.

Someone Else’s Pond

In my opinion, Amber’s dealing with more than a puddle. But when asked what has been her greatest support as the mother of two children with special needs, she didn’t hesitate. “It’s my online friends in the blog world. The community of parents of children with heart defects is tight and strong.” Within that community, Amber found that compared to the ocean of medical procedures some children and their moms were dealing with, her personal situation was a small puddle.

And here’s the really cool thing. Amber didn’t stay in her safe little puddle. She decided to jump into another family’s ocean and bear them up. More on that part of the story in Part 2. Until then, stop by Amber’s website and get acquainted with her family. You’ll be glad you did.

Getting my feet wet,
Jolene Philo

If you haven’t seen the May/June issue of Parenting Special Needs Magazine, it’s worth your time. This issue’s theme is Ready for Summer, and the articles are packed with helpful information. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find inside:

• Joan Celebi’s 8 steps to prepare for summer
• Sports opportunities for kids with special needs
• Summer respite care
• Travel tips

While you’re at the Parenting Special Needs website, you can subscribe to the magazine. This free service sends you an email each time a new issue is released.

Enjoy!
Jolene

Mother’s Day came and went too quickly this year. It was over before I had a chance to blog about it. Or maybe I procrastinated because I wasn’t sure what moms of kids with special needs would want to read.

Enter Ellen Seidman

But the Friday before Mother’s Day, a tweet link that said The Top 20 Reasons Moms of Kids with Special Needs Rock caught my eye, and I clicked on it. Immediately, I knew what to post for Mother’s Day: Ellen Seidman’s Top 20 list saved the day!

Then the doorbell rang, and the Fed Ex man delivered my new computer. The next 36 hours were spent getting it up and running. By the time that was done, it was time to celebrate Mother’s Day, then I was traveling for two days, and I almost gave up on posting Ellen’s Top 20.

Love That Max

But I enjoy Ellen’s Love That Max blog so much I decided a belated Mother’s Day post was better than no post at all. So take a look at Ellen’s list and some of her other posts about life with Max, her son with special needs and see what you think. Be sure to check out the list of blogs she follows. Several are about other families raising kids with special needs.

Then come back and leave a message about what you read. I’d love to hear from you!

Jolene

Most kids are counting the days until summer vacation begins, and they are free, free, free for three glorious months. But for many parents, the thought of the end of school with the kids home day after endless day fills them with dread.

Preparation is Key

Joan Celebi, the creator of  www.specialneedsparentcoach.com, says preparation is key. And to help you prepare she provides eight practical suggestions for parents of kids with special needs. Two are listed below, to give you a taste of what’s available at her website:

• Therapy – What therapies will your child need to continue over the summer?  Which ones can be put on hold?  What are the therapists’ summer schedules?
• Respite Care – Do you need to take a break?  There are a growing number of excellent respite care programs that you may want to investigate.  Remember to “care for the caregiver” — replenish your own inner reserves with some time off to relax, recharge, and renew.

Visit Joan Celebi’s Blog

To read the rest of Joan’s suggestions, go to the Get Ready for Summer post at her website. If you have more suggestions about how to get ready for summer with a special needs child, leave a comment. The more the merrier!

Ready for Summer,
Jolene Philo

I remember when my dad began attended his first Easter Seals summer camp for adults with disabilities. He was in his mid-thirties. I was about nine, just old enough to remember Dad’s grin when we dropped him off. With the assistance of his personal counselor, Dad went swimming, danced, and flitted about like a socialite for an entire week.  While he was living it up, mom took the rest of us tent camping for the first time ever.

What a treat! The experience was as good for us as it was for Dad. For years, his return trips and our week of respite was a highlight of every summer.

Camps for Kids with Special Needs

Kids with special needs and their parents need the same kind of experiences. Many such amps exist for kids and are geared for specific conditions: asthma, cancer, diabetes, ADHD, and autism, among others. The counselors are trained to deal with special needs. Medical personnel are on staff to administer meds, dress wounds, and provide nursing care.

How to Locate a Camp

To find a camp, use the camp locater at www.EasterSeals.com to search for camps. You can also contact the YMCA nearest you and ask them for information. Lots of information is available on line. Here are a few things that my google search – summer camps for kids with special needs – turned up:

• kidshealth.org had a great article about how to select a camp and numerous links to get parents started.
• A list of Wisconsin camps can be found at www.snappin,org.
• The website for Camp Korey in Washington state.
• A listing of camps around the nation at www.kidscamps.com.
• Another national listing at www.mysummercamps.com.

I’m not endorsing any of the websites or camps, just giving you a place to start looking and decide for yourself if the camp is reputable and a good fit for your child.

Start Now!

Summer camps fill up quickly, so if you’re child isn’t signed up yet, get busy today. If you have a camp to recommend, or a camp story to tell, please leave a comment.

Happy camping,
Jolene

The other day, a friend sent a link to a blog post he thought I would enjoy. A click on the link, and within minutes the post wormed its way into my heart, and I was hooked.  The post’s author shared his family’s story and his faith so beautifully.

Wrestling with an Angel

You can check out the site,  Wrestling with an Angel, too. The link will take you to the post sent by my friend. But don’t stop there. You’ll want to read more of this Greg Lucas’s perspective on caring for his son with special needs.

Check Back Soon!

I’m in the process of arranging a phone  interview with the family and hope to run a blog series about them in the near future. So check back soon and in the meantime, enjoy Greg’s site.

Jolene