May 11, 2012 Posted by Jolene

5 Ways to Set a Positive Tone at Your Child’s IEP Annual Review

During my 25 years as a classroom teacher, I attended many, many annual reviews for my students with identified special needs. So I was delighted when guest blogger Gillian Marchenko send the following guest post just in time for annual review season. Parent who will soon attend an annual review may want to get a pencil and paper so you can take notes! 5 Ways to Set a Positive Tone at Your Child’s IEP... read more

Apr 3, 2012 Posted by Jolene

Darkness and Light and Down Syndrome

Welcome to Gillian Marchenko, the newest guest blogger at DifferentDream.com. To see what Gillian looks like, visit our guest blogger page and scroll down until her smiling face and bio comes into view. To launch her presence here, she uses a lovely metaphor of darkness and light to describe how she grew to accept and love her daughter who lives with Down syndrome. Darkness and Light My two oldest... read more

Apr 2, 2012 Posted by Jolene

Special Needs Inclusion Begins at Home

Eliana Tardío Hurtado knows what she’s talking about when it comes to kids with special needs. She’s is the mom of two children, Emir and Ayelén, both with Down Syndrome. She’s also the Family Resource Specialist for the Florida State program of Early Intervention for children with special needs. So her article about inclusion is worth reading. When Should Inclusion Begin? According to... read more

Mar 21, 2012 Posted by Jolene

So Full of Love: Siblings and Down Syndrome

March 21 is Down Syndrome Awareness Day. In honor of the occasion, guest blogger Ellen Stumbo shares a post about how Down syndrome has made her more aware of the love her daughters have for one another. So Full of Love: Siblings and Down Syndrome “Mom, sometimes, when I look at Nichole she is so cute that I feel like crying because my heart is so full of love.” There are times I look at my children... read more

Mar 7, 2012 Posted by Jolene

A Good and Perfect Gift by Amy Julia Becker

Peter and Amy Julia Becker weren’t expecting a special needs diagnosis after the birth of their first child. When the doctor said he suspected their daughter Penny had Down syndrome, Amy’s life and her expectations for her daughter changed. A Good and Perfect Gift: A Mother’s Memoir A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny is Amy Julia Becker’s memoir about the... read more