Special Needs Children and Camp: Part I – Benefits of Camp for Children with Special Needs

It’s that time of year again; time to start thinking about your summer plans. It’s time to research activities to keep your children occupied and engaged through the weeks without school that will be here before you know it. For many children, it will be a summer of attending different camps from day camps to sports camps to overnight camps. There are many camps to choose from, even for children with special needs. Camps come in many shapes and sizes these days including camps for children with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, children with chronic conditions and children facing emotional stresses … Continue reading →

Benefits of Music Therapy

We’ve all done it – used music to learn or remember some bit of information. Think back to how you learned the alphabet. It was to a sweet little tune called the ABCs. Music helps all of us to improve a variety of skills from memory and balance to relaxation and relationships. The same goes for children with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Music Therapy is defined as the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish goals. It is thought that music can promote overall wellbeing by helping with relaxation, stress management, memory, communication and physical rehabilitation. Memory … Continue reading →

New Law to Help Those with Disabilities Access Technology

On the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Barak Obama signed into effect the Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act. This bipartisan bill will help expand access to technology such as smart phones, television and the internet, to those with disabilities. There are 25 million visually impaired Americans and 3 million hearing-impaired Americans who are eagerly waiting to benefit from this new law. Many of us take our sight and hearing for granted, and never consider how the millions of Americans with sensory impairments communicate in today’s technologically advanced world. Imagine watching television or trying to … Continue reading →

Put the Fun in Fundraising for Kids

Each year, our school-aged children typically fundraise for something for themselves, such as a class trip or individual prizes. This year, consider teaching your children how fundraising can be about helping someone else. There are plenty of charities that would love your help and the benefits for your child are endless. Ways to Raise Money You can help enrich the life of a child with a terminal or life-altering condition by having your child’s school collect change. Each class can compete to see who raises the most money and the winning class can receive a pizza party as a thank … Continue reading →

Calendars for a Cause

It’s true that these days I can’t live without my cell phone / personal assistant. All of my appointments are in there safe and sound, unless of course I drop my phone in a puddle, which I have been known to do. So I also have my good, old-fashioned wall calendar hanging in the kitchen for those times when my phone is dead or missing. Everyone should have one. But, instead of buying one of those cartoon calendars or one loaded with pictures of Brad Pitt, I prefer ones that raise money for children with special needs. There are plenty … Continue reading →

Helping People with Diverse Needs Succeed

Tucked away in the green mountains of Vermont is a small company specializing in creating gourmet animal treatments and helping those with learning disabilities find successful, gratifying work. Andy’s Dandys, which was formed in 2008 by Lucie Whiteford and Lesha Rasco, provides specialized work training programs for young adults with special needs and diverse learning styles. Whiteford, an avid baker and mom of a young adult with a unique learning style, and Rasco, a special educator, teamed up to prove that fulfilling employment is possible for everyone at every ability level. Whiteford’s own son Andrew, who has Down syndrome, completed … Continue reading →

Find the Best Toy for the Special Needs Child in Your Life

It’s Black Friday! If you’re like me, you are home, probably still in your pajamas with zero plans of getting in the car and going anywhere today. Or, you could be one of those thrill seekers – car gassed up, list in hand and running shoes on, ready to tackle other shoppers for the best-priced gifts of the season. To you, I wish luck. If you are still wondering, however, what to get the child in your life who has special needs, look no further. AblePlay is a toy rating system that reviews toys for special needs children and passes … Continue reading →

Helping Young Adults and Adults with Special Needs Be Independent

In Tennessee, a group called The GEAR Foundation is working hard to help young adults and adults with disabilities and special needs find jobs and become independent. Their mission is simple: “to provide individuals with disabilities work experiences, which will enable them to discover and develop their unique capabilities and potential, and to help them achieve the highest degree of independence and self respect.” Individuals with disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to finding a job. Their abilities can be vastly underrated and they are left to live a life dependent on others with no hope for their future. … Continue reading →

Make a Wish – Now or Later

As the parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, I joined an online support community of people with CF and parents of people with CF. There has been some talk there lately about the Make a Wish Foundation. Children with CF are eligible for Make a Wish because it is a chronic, life-threatening condition. However, as the median life expectancy grows for those with CF (from age 8 in 1950 to age 37 today), parents are trying to decide at what age to have their child receive her wish. Choosing just one wish out of the millions of things a … Continue reading →