In July, countless groups in the special needs community observed the twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The many commemorations made me think about my dad. By the time the act was passed, he’d been in a wheelchair 31 years. He’d spent many of those years unable to cross the street because of sidewalk curbs, unable to work because jobs weren’t modified...

About a month ago, I posted an entry about the longevity of grief. The number of readers who responded reinforced the wisdom shared by the grieving parents featured in the post. Grief takes a long time. Parents will be sad for a long time. It’s okay for them to be sad a long time, and it’s important for those surrounding parents to support them throughout the process. Nancy Guthrie Nancy...

When our newborn son was in the hospital fighting for his life, I wanted his doctor to be a super hero. Someone who could knock out infections with one fell swoop. Someone who could miraculously hook up his innards to make ‘em work. Most of all, someone who could take away my baby’s pain and assure us that everything would be okay. Doctors Are Human, Too In my youth and ignorance, I expected...

Caring parents want their kids to get the most out of every school day. As parents, we do simple things to help our kids maximize each school day – be sure they get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, have a quiet place to do homework, ask about school each day, communicate with teachers. Terri Mauro’s Back to School Resources But if your child has special needs, you can do even more....

Today I’m wrapping up the series on phrases that push the hot buttons for parents of kids with special needs. (You can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 by clicking on the respective links.) Over the past two weeks, several parents have shared phrases that get them all steamed up, and today is no different. But today’s mom makes me smile (hence the smile button) for two reasons. First,...

Phew, is all this talk of hot button phrases making you sweat? If you aren’t today’s thought-provoking response will do the trick. (If you haven’t read the previous posts in the series – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 – you may want to read them first to get some background.) Otherwise, here we go! I Don’t Like “Disabled” or “Special Needs” The mother...

I’m glad to see you back for the latest post about hot button phrases. The first post in the series was about words that pushed my buttons when our son was small. In the second post, the mother of a child with Noonan’s Syndrome shared her hot button phrases. Today, you’ll hear from a mom who responded to my original call for hot button phrases with outstanding grace and consideration...

Welcome back for Part 2 in this series about phrases that push the hot button for parents of kids with special needs. In the first post, I shared my hot button phrase. In this post, I’m sharing the stories of some moms who answered my original call for phrases people need to stop using in the presence of kids with special needs and their families. How Did He Get This? Today’s response...

About a month ago, I posted a blog entry asking parents of kids with special needs to share their “hot button phrases.” You know, the things people say that turn you into a mama (or papa) bear because you know how words can hurt. Well, several parents responded with candor and grace. They shared some eye openers which I’ll be sharing in a series of posts this week. Chances are, you’ll...

The fireworks and flags are long gone, but the holiday’s been on my mind ever since. Meet Chloe Downey The pre-occupation began with a post at Chloe Downy’s CaringBridge page. She’s a teenager who recently completed successful treatment for High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Though she’s pretty much done with doctors and hospitals, her mom often posts thoughtful...