Inclusion of People with Intellectual Disabilities is Important

Does someone in your family have an intellectual disability (ID)? A survey shows that inclusion helps people who do not have intellectual disabilities to accept people who do have them. Personally knowing someone who has ID helps people to move past old stereotypes. A survey was done by Harris Poll on behalf of The Special Olympic International World Games, and in partnership with Shriver Media. The survey was conducted online between July 13 and July 15 of 2015. A total of 2,021 United States adults (ages 18+) took part in the survey. Out of this group, 1,103 were identified as … Continue reading →

What’s it Like to Parent Two Mentally Ill Children?

Several years ago, Susan and Michael Schofield learned that their daughter, Jani, had been born with schizophrenia. The couple had a second child, a son named Bodhi. At first, they believed that Bodhi was born without any mental illnesses. As time went on, they learned that Bodhi also has some mental health issues. What’s it like to parent not one, but two, mentally ill children? Michael and Susan Schofield decided to publicly share their story about parenting a child with schizophrenia when their daughter, Jani, was six years old. As an infant, Jani did not sleep for more than half … Continue reading →

The Sequester Will Affect Special Education – Part 3

This is the third, and final, blog in my series that gives details about how the sequester will affect your state this year. These cuts will go into affect on March 1, 2013, (unless Congress prevents that from happening). Minnesota * Loss of $7 million in funding for primary and secondary education * 100 teacher and aide jobs at risk * Additional loss of $9.2 million in funds for 110 teachers, aides, and staff who help kids with disabilities Mississippi * Loss of $5,486,000 in funding for primary and secondary education * 80 teacher and aide jobs at risk * … Continue reading →

The Sequester Will Affect Special Education – Part 2

On March 1, 2013, a series of automatic cuts will take effect (unless Congress does something to prevent it). This is called the sequester. Here are more details about how the sequester will affect Special Education in your state this year. Georgia * Loss of $28.6 million in funding for primary and secondary education * 390 teacher and aide jobs at risk * Additional loss of $17.5 million in funds for 210 teachers, aides, and staff who help kids with disabilities. Hawaii * Loss of $4.7 million in funding for primary and secondary education * 60 teacher and aide jobs … Continue reading →

The Sequester Will Affect Special Education

Scan through the news this week, and you are sure to find the word “sequester” popping up a lot. If Congress cannot manage to come to an agreement about how to balance the budget, it will result in a lot of funding cuts beginning on March 1, 2013. Here is a quick roundup of how those cuts will affect Special Education this year. The source for this data comes from WhiteHouse.gov. Alabama * Loss of $11 million in funding for primary and secondary education * 150 teacher and aide jobs at risk * Additional loss of $9 million in funds … Continue reading →

Senator Rubio Resigns to Spend More Time With Family

California Senator Michael Rubio, a Democrat, has resigned his position. The main purpose for doing so appears to be an interest in being able to spend more time with his family. He and his wife have two daughters, one of whom has Down Syndrome. The former Senator has taken a job with Chevron. I imagine that it would be quite difficult to be a Senator and to find a way to balance that with family life. I am certain that parents, of any profession, face that same challenge. However, when a parent who is not a public figure changes jobs … Continue reading →

Thieves Steal Funds from Baby Needing Transplant

A baby with a serious infection is waiting on a heart transplant. Her parents had fundraised much of the money that would be required. Sadly, some really heartless thieves stole some of that money on Valentine’s Day. The family still has a fundraiser that people can donate to. Parents Brooke and Joshua Anderson have a baby girl named Jaelyn. She is nine months old, and has been waiting for a heart transplant for almost four months. Her parents have had fundraisers going in the hopes of being able to afford the medical care that their daughter required. Jaelyn has myocarditis. … Continue reading →

Parents Petition to have Son’s Cochlear Implants Covered

Imagine how you would feel if your child needed a device that would greatly improve his life, and your insurance company refused to cover the cost of it. Parents Brian and Shay Rubin are living this experience. Coventry Health Care of Georgia refuses to cover the cochlear implants that their son requires. Health insurance is expensive. There are families in the United States that are unable to afford it, and who do not currently qualify for public forms of insurance. The result often is that the uninsured end up with a mountain of medical debt – or they go without … Continue reading →

Study Provides Clues to How Autism and Schizophrenia Develop

A study done with mice may have provided some clues about how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia develop. It seems that the genes that are connected to these two disorders might only be active for a short period of time while brain is developing. This could be a first step towards understanding more about the genetic links to the disorders. What causes autism? There have been several studies that have tried to determine the cause of autism. Many different potential factors have been identified that may, or may or may not, be a clue in the quest to find … Continue reading →

Some Insightful Viewpoints on Special Needs

Often, when parents go online to find information about the special need, or health condition, that affects their children, they are seeking facts. This is perfectly reasonable. Sometimes, it is good to read some opinions, or blog posts, written by other parents or therapists that state their views of situations regarding children with special needs. Here are a few interesting ones to start with. The Huffington Post has a article that was written by Sean Bean. It is titled: “My Son Had Autism. Then He Did Not.” He discusses some of his son’s early behaviors that indicated that he appeared … Continue reading →