June has arrived. Around the country, children have hung their countdowns (only 38 hours and 21 minutes of torture left!) up on classroom walls and parents have begun to bid their heartfelt farewells. Goodbye, school. Goodbye, normal, blessed, routine. How many hours until the chaotic, kids-home-all-day stretch ends and camp begins? (And how, pray-tell, will […]
Care Management. What a vague, oft-used term which means too many things. What is care management? If you are wondering what it’s all about (or if you’ve got a care manager, but you have no idea what they can really help you with), you’re in good company. Read on to learn more about what it is, who […]
This past winter was cold, colder than it’s been in years. But to make up for the extra cold, it looks like we’re having a warmer-than-average spring. How’s that for a change? While many parents love the long, sunny afternoons, which afford their children hours of outdoor fun (requiring minimal parental interaction!), lots of parents of […]
Independence. The goal of all goals. If there’s anything we’re proud of, it’s when our children reach a new milestone in self-sufficiency. And New York State, as it turns out, also likes to support new levels of independence. Which is why they offer a range of support services for our kids — among them, OPWDD Housing Subsidy. […]
For some children, it begins with a routine checkup at the pediatrician’s office. Maybe the parent voices a concern, or perhaps the doctor notices that not all of the child’s developmental milestones are on track. The doctor might do a basic Autism screening and refer the child for further testing, if the results of the […]
A few more days, and we’re there! Pesach is coming!!!!!!!!! Aren’t you excited? Come on, aren’t you? No? Pesach is a special yom tov. And also, it’s hard. And that’s okay. Whether you’ve arranged for your child to go away for Pesach and you feel like there’s a hole at the seder table where that child should […]
Get ready, get set… Purim is coming, ready or not! Purim is a wonderful day, full of good food, good music, and a LOT of hurdles, if you are a parent of a child with special needs. If you are looking for emotional support, ready-made resources, and lots of practical tips to get you through […]
When people hear the word “ventilator”, the first thing that comes to mind is often an ICU hospital room, complete with a disproportionate number of medical staff, a spider web of tubes and wires, and an eerie silence punctured by beeping machines. But for quite a few families, things like vents and trachs are de […]
Several years ago, or maybe more than several, a cute little baby was born. The baby had more needs than the average infant, and as the child grew, the needs grew proportionally. And suddenly (it didn’t happen suddenly, of course, but the realization stuck you suddenly) that the baby was no longer a baby, and the lifting, […]
As a society, we’ve truly come a long way in accommodating special needs in the educational framework. 30 years ago, the average class in any given school had a handful of kids who were considered by teachers and peers alike as “wild”, “weird”, or just plain “not the brightest”. Kids in this category were often […]
