When holiday season rolls around, we all want to be able to sit around the dinner table and experience something reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting. Unfortunately, the holidays tend to bring out the worst in some families. Dr. Travis...
MoreActivities that Help with Development
Activities that Help with Therapy and Development
MoreSuccessfully Transitioning Special Needs Kids
Successful Transitions: Moving from Childhood into Adulthood and from Pediatrics into Adult Care Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, transition is a word you need to know. As the parent of a teenager with asthma...
MoreFiring the Butler and the Maid . . .
. . . A strategy for helping your child with special needs learn to problem solve.Moms and Dads of children with special needs tend to take on the role of butler and maid far too long for the well-being of their son or daughter. As a consultant I...
MoreNutritional Assessment for Special Needs
Nutrition therapy for children with special needs varies greatly and must be individualized for each issue. Swallowing difficulties, positioning and nutrient deficiencies are just a few of the variables that can have an impact on your...
MoreHow to Find a Special Needs Day Care
According to the Children’s Defense Fund, 19 million children in kindergarten through eighth grade are regularly in nonparental care before and after school.
MoreCerebral Palsy — An Adoption Story
“I hope to adopt someday.” The sentiment was real, yet my idea of adoption was romanticized and I lacked a real understanding of adoption. I pictured bringing a shy, malnourished, lonely child to my home who would transform into a...
MoreThe Journey of the Parent with a Special Needs Child
I think it’s time we acknowledge the internal emotional experience of a parent of a child with special needs. This is a journey, and there are times when you will feel traumatized or in disbelief with your experience, and times when you...
MoreThe IEP Process Explained by an Attorney
Christopher Knauf is the founder of Knauf Associates in Santa Monica, CA. His law firm specializes in disability rights and education-related legal disputes. He has also served as an independent hearing officer for Section 504 special education...
MoreBridging the Healthcare Gap
As a parent and a doctor, I have plenty of experience with our fragmented and confusing healthcare system. I have seen firsthand the challenges faced by patients who navigate it. From the first sign of illness to the last medical bill, our...
MoreCanine Companions Provide Four-Legged Friends
Canine Companions for Independence is a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs for people with disabilities completely free of charge. Canine Companions serves adults and children with a wide range of physical and...
MoreWild Onion Press Stars Kids with Disabilities
NPR Commentator and novelist Shelley Fraser Mickle takes on a new title, Publisher, with the startup company Wild Onion Press, Books Starring Kids with Physical Differences.
MoreBenefits of Yoga for Special Needs Children
What are the benefits of yoga for children with special needs? What is a special needs yoga class like? Is your child expected to lie still on a mat? These are questions that Alex Newell, voted LAFamily.com’s Yoga Teacher of 2010, is happy to...
MoreSpina Bifida: From Patient to Parent
Spina Bifida is one of the most common birth defects, occurring in 1 out of 2,500 babies. Also termed a “cleft spine” or “open spine,” it affects the lower back and in more severe cases, the spinal cord. Carla Lohr was born with Spina Bifida...
MoreBullying and Children with Special Needs
Bullying is a serious problem affecting many children and teens, but it is not likely that most children, especially those with special needs, will walk up to their parents and tell them, “I’m being bullied.” Bullying can involve name-calling...
MoreHoliday Meals and Families with Special Needs
Parents of children with special needs often find themselves feeling pressured to explain or apologize for their child’s behavior around the holiday dinner table. Maybe your child is a picky eater or prone to outbursts. This may cause tension if...
MoreGirl with Down Syndrome Signed as Model
Urban Angels, an elite UK child modeling agency, opens their books only twice a year in search of new talent. Little Taya Kennedy was one of 50 children chosen out of 2,000 applicants. The fact that she has Down syndrome “did not enter the...
MoreAvoiding Obesity in Kids with Special Needs
Childhood obesity is a rising problem in the United States, both for typically developing children and children with special needs. According to a Fact Sheet released by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Disability and Human...
MoreKeeping Hope Alive When a Child Has Special Needs
Keeping Hope Alive When Your Child Has Special Needs I pull into the carpool lane to pick my kids up from school and am yet again touched by the sight of a service dog with a bright pink lunch pail hanging from her mouth as she trots...
MoreImprove Your Special Needs Financial Planning
The Hidden Financial Costs of Having a Child with Special Needs: Part Two
MorePatients Share the Significance of Transition
Transferring from pediatrics into the adult medical system is a big step for families who have children with special needs. The medical care models are very different. Even prepared parents and young adults express shock at how different the two...
MoreMedical Professionals Share Transition Advice
Current research shows that an organized, methodical approach to transition is crucial. A. Kennedy et al. states: “Increasing evidence shows that adverse health consequences occur when inadequate transition arrangements are in...
MoreInteractive Metronome Hits the Right Beat
Three and a half years ago, Diane Solomon was at the end of her rope. Her son Adam was in second grade and nobody knew what was wrong with him. When Adam was 18 months old, he had been diagnosed with a rare childhood inflammatory disease called...
MoreIce Hockey Meets Special Needs
Since it began five years ago, the Special Needs Ice Hockey program in Panorama City, California, has provided an opportunity for kids and adults with developmental disabilities to learn and play hockey. Until just six months ago, it was the only...
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