Dec 13, 2011 Posted by Jolene

The Obsessions of a Parent of a Child with Special Needs

Guest blogger April Brownlee is back with another serious-but-funny look at life as the parent of a child with special needs. Today, she’s obsessed by the questions that constantly run through her head. See if what she has sounds familiar. Confessions of an Obsessed Parent I think a lot about how rationally I do or don’t handle my daughter’s medical situation. I try to be proactive with... read more

Dec 6, 2011 Posted by Jolene

Guest Blogger April Brownlee says, “It’s Okay to Grieve”

Last month, guest blogger had readers laughing themselves silly with her first post, Random Acts of Vomit. This month, she’s back with a more serious post, one in which she shares a lesson she wishes someone had taught her when their daughter was first diagnosed with Noonan Syndrome. It’s Okay to Grieve I wish I had known it was okay to grieve. Or that the process could take years. When I... read more

Nov 8, 2011 Posted by Jolene

What Are Random Acts of Vomit and Who Is April Brownlee?

To answer the second question first, April Brownlee is a new guest blogger at DifferentDream.com. Scroll to the very bottom of the guest blogger page to read her bio. To answer the second question, read April’s first blog post. Warning: Those with squeamish stomachs are advised to get a bucket before reading further Random Acts of Vomit “You know, If she were a dog, we’d probably get rid... read more

Sep 22, 2011 Posted by Jolene

Scott & Noah Newport Believe Every Play Matters

Fall is here. For children all over the country that means football season. Except for children with special needs. Unless those children have siblings like Noah Newport, brother of Evan who was born with a heart condition called Noonan’s Syndrome. In today’s post, guest blogger Scott Newport (also dad to Noah and Evan) relates a touching tale about his older son’s act of compassion... read more

Jun 10, 2011 Posted by Jolene

Broken Down Signs, Part 2

In Wednesday’s post, guest blogger Scott Newport described a vacation trip to the swimming pool with his sons. At the pool, his son Evan became friends with a little girl named Renee. Evan was unable to communicate verbally because of Noonan’s Syndrome, but used sign language. Renee, a child with Down Syndrome, communicates both verbally and with sign language. They were perfectly at ease with... read more