Oct 15, 2009 Posted by Jolene

How Do You Answer a Question Like This?

Not long ago Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries, asked me to take a shot at answering this question sent by a struggling mom. Heart-Wrenching Question I am a mom of a 2-year-old who was just diagnosed with autism. I also have had fibromyalgia for 5 years. I don’t know how I am going to get through this. I had assumed that, with my husband’s help, I could be a pretty good mom despite my illness.... read more

Oct 13, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Evan Is on the Run!

Every now and then I update the progress of families profiled in A Different Dream for My Child, to give you an idea of what life is like for them on an ongoing basis. A week or so ago Scott, the father of seven-year-old Evan sent this link to a recent article about his son. Noonan’s Syndrome Evan has Noonan’s syndrome, a heart condition which typically includes a thickening of the heart... read more

Oct 3, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Nine Ways to Live Triumphantly with Special Needs Kids, Part 3

In the two previous posts in this series, I shared six commonalities observed in parents who live triumphantly with special needs kids. Today the last three ways will be discussed. As was mentioned before, don’t try to implement all of them at once. Select one, work on it until it is firmly in place, then choose another. #7 Triumphant parents get away now and then. Getting away takes forethought, but... read more

Oct 1, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Nine Ways to Live Triumphantly with Special Needs Kids, Part 2

In the first post in this series, I shared three commonalities of parents who live triumphantly with special needs children. Today we’ll look at three more. As was suggested in the previous post, don’t implement all the ideas immediately. Concentrate on one until you master or complete it before going on to a new one. #4 Triumphant parents advocate for their children. They advocate at school, becoming... read more

Sep 26, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Nine Ways to Live Triumphantly with Special Needs Kids, Part 1

Life as a parent is wearing. Life as the parent of of a special needs child is especially wearing. The specter of life as a perpetual care give and decision-maker can be overwhelming. But the parents I interviewed for A Different Dream for My Child lived joyfully despite their circumstances. Many parents of special needs students I worked during my teaching career. Over the next three days, I’ll share... read more