Knowing what to get for a child with special needs can be somewhat difficult, especially if you’re buying a gift for a child that isn’t your own. While having some knowledge of the child’s needs can be helpful, it isn’t always a necessity, and there are a variety of gifts that are ideal for children with all types of special needs.
I remember when my daughter was born and just a few months old. I had not been around babies much in my life at that point and I did not really know what made them tick. I was in love with my daughter and everything she did was amazing and beautiful to me. I remember the first time I heard her laugh. If you have ever heard a baby laugh a full on belly busting laugh you know that it is the most precious thing you have ever heard. You cannot keep from laughing yourself when you hear their laughter. I do not mean just a giggle or a coo; most of you know what I am talking about.
According to the National Autism Association, drowning is the #1 cause of injury-related deaths in children with an autism spectrum disorder. Every year children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) die from drowning, when these children wander off and are attracted to the water. Children with ASD do not fear “death” the way we do. At early ages, they do not understand the finality of death nor are they afraid of those things that could cause death, like water.
A summer family activity often means swimming at a pool, lake, river or beach. Regardless of the location, the same water safety rules apply. Many things that happen to our children are beyond our control but being safe around water IS entirely in the hands of parents. Water safety is a life skill that our children will in turn hand down to their kids. Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under the age of 14. For every child who drowns, another five are hospitalized and another 16 are treated for submersion injuries. Take water safety seriously, teach it to your children and know your child’s safety near water is YOUR responsibility.
We often get emails from families with special needs kids. Often these messages are emotional.
My post today is about such a family. As a Canadian, I am usually stunned at the financial hardship that my neighbours to the south endure. This story is no exception.
Hope For Evangelina was written by Mom Amanda, using a MOBILE PHONE. Complete with vivid images, her message brought up the memory of my own 30 wk premie. Their financial and family issues are unlike ours, but the helplessness of having to watch your child struggle, is shared. Many of you will also empathize, Evangelina pulls at the HeartStrings…
All of us make daily choices in life. Most of these choices are trivial, like what to have for dinner or what color socks to wear. Other choices are more life-changing, like whom to marry, where to live, or what house to buy. Sometimes, choices are made which at the time seem to be in error, but allow us, if our ears, eyes, and mind are open, to learn about life, our children, ourselves. Sometimes a wrong turn can lead to nothing less than a miracle.
Life is too hectic and you don’t find time to slow down and smell the roses? Looking for a magic solution to defuse meltdowns and get your kids to wind down so they can go to sleep quietly and quickly? Are your older kids often at each other’s throats because sensitive ears cannot tolerate the surrounding sounds? Calming, stress relieving, relaxing music is perhaps just what is needed to manage inappropriate behaviors and bring smiles all around.
We were pleased that Allison Foster contacted the folks behind KidCompanions Special Needs Blog to offer a guest post on a very important topic: child obesity! Recently I read an article that claimed that child obesity is a form of child abuse if the child does not have a medical condition that causes a child to gain wait or is taking medication with weight gain as a side effect.
Vous voulez en savoir plus, mais en français, à propos de notre KidCompanions Chewelry? Pierrette et Lorna peuvent vous servir en français aussi. Vous pouvez nous écrire ou nous parler au téléphone en français. Pierrette a fait ses études à l’Université d’Ottawa et vécu dans cette belle région de notre pays pour quelques années. Lorna a enseigné en français pour la commission scolaire CSAP. Alors, KidCompanions Chewelry: Qu’est-ce que c’est? Qui en a besoin? KidCompanions Chewelry est un accessoire mâchouillable pour les enfants, adolescents et adultes qui s’autorégulent en mâchant ou comme jouet antiagitation. En anglais on parle de “chewy” ou ” hand fidget”.
Pierrette and I thank Tracy Palmer for her guest post telling us her story and for sharing her beautiful poem for the teacher that made all the difference. Today I will post only part of her story, the part about how grateful Ms. Palmer is to the teacher that finally made a difference in their lives. During this first part of May, folks are sharing stories for Teacher Awareness Week and National Teacher Day and Tracy Palmer’s poem if perfect to show the positive effect one caring teacher can have.
It is an undisputed fact that young and old must strive for a healthy lifestyle. This means kids, teens and adults must keep mentally and physically fit. Children with special needs most definitely benefit from having a balance in all aspects of their life: social, physical, and mental. My post today will bring out the benefits of physical activity for a child with special needs and what is available to make this happen.
Folks at KidCompanions Chewelry Special Needs Blog are pleased that Patrick Del Rosario offered to write the following guest post, Helping Kids with ADHD: Top Ten Ways on How to Increase Concentration Skills. Patrick Del Rosario is part of the team behind Open Colleges. We know that parents of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will find his ten tips to help their kids concentrate very helpful.
Friendship Circle has organized for the second consecutive year a Great Bike Giveaway for kids and young adults with special needs. When families decide to take part in the Great Bike Giveaway, it is a wonderful opportunity for families to discuss the benefits of physical activity for all members of their family.
If you’re a parent, chances are you’re constantly advocating for doors to open for a better life for your child. A fit child has the odds stacked in his favor for a better life everything from a hearty appetite, to increase attention for seat work, to a good night’s rest. Also physical activity is important because usually inactive children are likely to become inactive adults. Parents can be role models for an active lifestyle. Lead by example, make physical activities a family affair and best of all play and have fun!
Are you looking for answers to help you understand sensory processing disorder (SPD)? Our site, Special Needs Book Review, found just the right parenting book to recommend. Sensory Parenting: The Elementary Years: School Years Are Easier when Your Child’s Senses Are Happy! by Britt Collins MS, OTR and Jackie Linder Olson. It is a sequel to their popular book, Sensory Parenting: Newborns to Toddlers published in October 2010.
Pierrette and I appreciate when the authors we meet through our Special Needs Book Review site keep in touch. One amazing young woman we have met is Tali Field Berman, co-author of Play to Grow! Over 200 Games Designed to Help Your Special Child Develop Fundamental Social Skills. In my review of Play to Grow! I wrote that parents and team members of children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental delays should all have this book by Tali Field Berman and Abby Rappaport.
Are your summer months marred by a child’s anxious questions about his next school term? Is the first day of school marked by tears and meltdowns? Is the Fall term at school a failure due to stomach aches and headaches resulting in many absent days? What can parents do to make the transition to a new school year or a new grade easier for the child and themselves? Back to school is always a big transition because your child needs to cope with a new teacher, more academic demands and probably a changing social circle. Timely preparation can make all the difference your child needs.
A Parents’ Guide to Extended School Year Services: Summer Break an Extended Teaching and Learning Opportunity by Marie Jackson is reprinted with permission from the Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine, March/April 2008 issue. We have added the photos and subtitles. Check out this bimonthly magazine at www.AutismDigest.com. Some information on the Extended School Year Services (ESY) may have changed since this post has been written but it is important for families of children with special needs to know about Extended School Year Services; therefore, I am reposting it. You may also find information on the web site of the U.S. Department of Education – Sec. 300.106 Extended school year services and also on WrightsLaw.com
Can you believe this, my teen son got a diagnosis of autism, dyspraxia, sensory integration difficulties, and ADHD in his final year of school! Pierrette and I thank Tracy Palmer for her guest post telling us her story and for sharing her beautiful poem. Dyspraxia is a learning difficulty affecting some skills and abilities, including balance and coordination.
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