We did. And we have one now. I didn’t know I needed her; I didn’t even know what an educational consultant was. But I knew a piece was missing. After nearly a year of the pseudo-homeschooling of LuLu (it is pseudo-homeschooling not because – as the school contends – I’m not teaching her anything, but because she’s officially in limbo with a filed medical homebound request that the school is not honoring), I still felt overwhelmed and confused as to whether or not I was doing this right.

We met with the consultant for two basic purposes. First, I just need someone to look at what I’m doing and tell me what to do... more

My friend Nancy reaches the half-century mark today! She’s bound to tell you many things about herself in her own blog over on Reactive Attachment Disorder. But there are probably things she will not tell you...and those are the things I want you to know. First off, in addition to being 50 years on the planet, for the last decade, Nancy has been tirelessly running (nearly single-handedly) the Attachment Disorder Network. Starting locally and now reaching out globally, this network supports... more

This one is easier than the gift list for kids. Picking out gifts for special needs children requires you know quite a bit about that child’s interests and special needs. Picking out gifts for their parents, however, is much easier – because our needs are a bit more universal. BUT, often times the gifts these parents need the most aren’t available at the mall.

If you’re looking for the right thing for that friend or family member parenting a special child, consider these:

1. Offer to Babysit. There is nothing that... more

Looking for that last-minute gift for the special needs child in your life? Here are some things to consider:

1. Pick a gift that emphasizes the child’s likes and interests. This is true for any child, but when a child has disabilities, it is important to truly consider what they like to do and what they gravitate toward. For example, a child who is sensory-seeking might enjoy toys with lots of tactile stimulation to them. There are all kinds of balls and textured toys that would be of interest and could be used for games... more

The bad news is that we have reason to use the CaringBridge website. The good news is that the CaringBridge website is there to be used. We have dear friends whose 14-year-old daughter (one of KayKay’s friends) is battling leukemia. It has been a heart-wrenching time for all of us, especially since this family recently moved away and keeping in touch with all their friends and family in GA could have been a monumental burden.

Enter CaringBridge.org. This site was developed nine years ago by Sona... more

…and the vast majority of us therapeutically parenting know this!

This week on one of the attachment disorder lists I frequent, a mom posted some serious concerns she had about a parenting class being offered by her church. Among other things, she was very concerned that the teachings of this class advocated swatting babies as young as 6 months for things like crawling off of a blanket or touching items. The methodology also promoted “crying it out” as the appropriate way to handle bedtime for all ages.

The list lit up... more

I’m going to depart from my usual topic of parenting challenging children to an equally large challenge we’ve been experiencing…parenting a teenager whose friends’ parents have died. As odd as it seems to us, two of our 15-year-old’s friends have lost one of their parents in the last two weeks and a third one has a father hospitalized with cancer. And only a couple short months ago one of KayKay’s friends was diagnosed with leukemia and is currently in a fight of her own.

It’s a grim reality that I don’t remember experiencing as a high schooler…that... more

Half the Sky, a non-profit organization that creates early education centers within Chinese orphanages, is having their annual on-line auction this week! They have over 200 items ranging from books and jewelry, to artwork and handmade quilts. Check out the full auction here.

Half the Sky has really grown to have quite an impact on the orphanage system in China, providing training and support for Nannies to give infants that extra TLC to funding tuition so that school-aged orphans can attend school. Their mainstay is creating and maintaining preschools within the orphanages, and training the teachers.

But... more

Last week I blogged about a wonderful clinic in Canada that combines sensory, neurofeedback and neurodevelopmental interventions for children with learning disabilities, ADHD and processing disorders.

Well today, I’m pleased to share with you about a mental health nurse providing attachment therapy in Sydney Australia. Debbie Jeffrey is an adoptive parent who found the lack of attachment therapy... more

In my Marriage and Disabled Children blog, I outlined the many challenges of keeping your marriage healthy when you’re parenting disabled children. So what’s a couple to do?

I am no marriage counselor. And maybe I’m writing this blog more as a reminder for myself than advice to others. But here are some things I have learned that I think help our marriage (or am learning and need to keep working on):

1. The art of asking for help.... more