One very positive thing I’ve learned through all my court battles with the school district is the intricacies of each of my daughter’s disabilities/disorders. I have also learned there’s a whole world of tools out there to help.

LuLu struggles mightily with reading. Perhaps it is this struggle that made her behavior significantly worse when she was sent to a separate classroom for reading instruction each day. Perhaps it was exacerbated by a young teacher and inexperienced parapro. But most likely it was because reading taps a variety of her... more

I received an email from a concerned reader reminding us that flu season is upon us and it is so important for Asthma sufferers to get flu shots. One web site said that the flu could be fatal to kids suffering from Asthma.

“Atlanta, GA -- Children with asthma aren't getting the flu shots US officials say they should. The flu can be fatal to children with the chronic lung problem that's marked by wheezing, coughing and labored breathing. They face flu complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory disease. Officials... more

I’ve always admired parents whose children are medically fragile or who have some chronic medical conditions that require frequent visits to doctors and hospitals. But this week, I really admire them.

Despite any plans I’ve had to the contrary, this week is officially “doctor week” around here. It started Sunday night in the ER, then 4 hours at the pediatrician’s on Monday. Tuesday was spent with the school psychologist and trying to contact the pediatric GI specialist.

Today was LuLu’s eye exam. This was the only scheduled appointment of the week.... more

Melatonin is available in tablet form in the pharmacy area of major grocery stores without a prescription. I usually find it next to the natural vitamins and herbs. It’s inexpensive; I just bought a bottle of 120 3mg tablets at WalMart for $5.47. I noticed that the bottle says not for use by children less than 12 years of age. However, my pediatrician wrote out a “prescription” for my seven year old for me to keep at my house; Directing me to give her one 3mg tablet about an hour before bedtime. It has worked really well for my... more

One of my sons is seventeen and a really great guy with a lot of friends. He’s gone on mission’s trips, shot paintball and rode dirt-bikes with friends, and been employed for over a year. I’m not sure any of his friends or coworkers know that he is dyslexic. We tried several techniques while he was in elementary to help him with his reading skills and reversals in his writing. But there is no easy fix; it’s a long hard road and a lot of work.

One summer he completed a ten week course in Vision Therapy. He had two, one hour... more

Apparently God hasn’t allowed me to learn enough patience as yet, so I needed another course in it. That’s what I get for complaining about being up all night with the baby with Asthma. Now it has been three weeks since I’ve slept more than a few hours in a night. I have two children on antibiotics for ear infections. I have four children with wheezing that require breathing treatments every three to four hours and I only have one nebulizer so I have them get in line. I have a child with Epstein Bar (reactivated Mono) that keeps... more

I guess it’s that time of year. It seems like everyone in town and at our house has a cold. Our little Ami is no exception and as you well know having a cold wreaks havoc on the little ones with asthma. So at this point I’m totally exhausted. Last night I had to get up with her twice, at 2 am and 5am to give her breathing treatments. She woke me up both times with that pitiful, I can’t breathe, whine and I could plainly hear her wheezing from across the room. Then, of course, she needed a diaper change and a bottle each time since she... more

Yesterday I volunteered at a daycare center. Not that I have extra time to give away but it’s affiliated with my local adoption support chapter, three employees had called in sick, and they really needed my help. Nowadays daycare centers can’t call in just anyone to fill in for a sick employee or I would have suggested someone else. In order to work you need a current physical, TB test, current CPR training, local police and child protective clearances, and you need an FBI clearance. What lay person, not currently employed... more

I don’t think I’ve ever blogged about Quantitative EEGs, a non-invasive way of examining the brain’s ability to function by examining it’s brainwaves. Here’s a more scientific description:

In the last decade or so, a more advanced form of EEG has been developed, called quantitative EEG or qEEG, in which the signal is converted to digital form and compared to a database of individuals without any known neurologically based disorder. In this way, we are able to analyze the background activity... more

Three of my children have completed a ten week session of vision therapy in the past. Each child worked one on one with a different therapist, for a one hour session twice a week. Prior to beginning therapy each child had a complete eye exam. Each child was given “homework” which consisted of memorization and tracking exercises. The memorization was learning all the presidents of the United States by looking at a rather unique; cartoon type drawing that fit them all onto one page. The home tracking exercises consisted of a... more