Shopping for age-appropriate toys for kids, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews can be tricky business. The age recommendations on the toy boxes help if you’re buying for a child whose mental development follows the typical growth curve. But those suggestions aren’t nearly so instructive if the child you’re shopping for is developmentally delayed. So what’s a consumer to do? Toys...

In the previous post in this series, you met Teresa Lasher and heard just a little about her life with an ADHD child. Today, you can read her whole story. Life with an ADHD Kid People with good intentions said, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” or “God only gives special kids to special parents.” I didn’t feel specially blessed, but felt I was being punished. My special child...

Today, I’d like to introduce you to an amazing woman, Teresa Lasher, who agreed to guest blog at DifferentDream.com. Meet Teresa Lasher She’s a sailor, motorcycle rider, freelance writer, and speaker who lives in Michigan with her husband. We met at a writing conference last summer and discovered we have much more than writing in common. We are both mothers of prodigal sons who struggled...

During the holidays we’re encouraged to show brotherly love to those who need support, like families with special needs kids. But the busyness of the season often makes carrying out our best intentions difficult. When that happens, we feel guilty. Simple Ways to Help But there are simple ways to avoid guilt, complete your holiday to-do list, and help those in need simultaneously. Recently, I...

In a recent blog post, you met Joan Cebeli, who is a special needs coach and the mother of a special needs son. Joan Cebeli’s Blog: The Special Needs Parent She frequently posts excellent, practical parenting tips on her blog, The Special Needs Parent. One of her recent posts, 18 Ways to Calm Your Child with Special Needs, could be a life saver during the busy holiday season. The tips are simple...

The holidays are supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy your family. But if you are the parent of a special needs child, the expectations of the season can become a time of great stress. Meet Joan Celebi Recently, a Twitter update mentioned a teleseminar for special needs parents with special needs coach Joan Celebi. After downloading and listening to the seminar, which is about an hour long, I...