I gotta tell you that every year as those of us on the conference staff of ATN go through the proposals for workshops for our upcoming conference, I get SO excited! This year is no exception. Yesterday we waded through the truly fantastic topics and speakers and had to narrow them down to a number that fit into our three-day schedule.

This year’s Parenting Traumatized Children conference (June 26-28 in Andover, MA) is shaping up to be the best one yet. Our conference chair has found a location, the Franciscan Center, that is truly an affordable and relaxing... more

If you’re the parent of a child with a disability, it would greatly benefit you to have a basic understanding of the federal laws dealing with disability and what they cover. Like any other legislation, disability laws are not always clear-cut or completely understandable. But by having a basic overview of what laws are in place, you will know which law is likely to cover your situation, should one arise.

There are numerous laws that impact people with disabilities. But there are three key federal disability rights laws that every parent should be aware of:

1. The... more

One thing that became apparent as I listened to our speakers at the Partners in Policymaking class this weekend was how huge the disability community is (over 53 million Americans at last count).

The other thing that became apparent was how splintered this “minority” is as a group. We have hundreds of organizations representing every possible disability we could have. In fact, I got an email today about Non-verbal learning disability (NLD). Lest you think I’m making light of this disability, I know that it’s real and a serious problem for many. But the email... more

Several days ago, Super Dad and I attended a session at a local autism support group on special needs trusts and estate planning. It is hard for me to imagine “estate” planning, since the few assets we have are far from an “estate”. But that is all the more reason we need to be thinking about the future for LuLu.

What we learned from the attorney who spoke, who specializes in special needs planning, is that we need to make provision for whatever inheritance that LuLu could receive from us so that it doesn’t negatively impact whatever disability assistance moneys... more

I’ve enjoyed listening to Dr. Don Colbert on the Joyce Meyer show this week. While the last place I expected to find a person promoting principles that I consider biomed to be speaking was on Christian programming, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

I often watch Joyce in the early morning to get my day started on a positive note. This week she’s been interviewing Dr. Colbert on his book, the Seven Pillars of Health. Now, I’m aware that in the alternative medicine... more

Feel like watching TV tonight? Well, I’ve decided that tuning into the new ABC drama, Eli Stone is going to be worth the watch. Why? Because it’s in the center of the autism controversy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for ABC to cancel the first episode of this series because the story involves the main character, a prophetic attorney, representing a mother and her son with autism against a vaccine manufacturer (and winning) for the mercury placed in the vaccine that “caused” the boy’s autism.

The AAP believes that airing this show will increase the number of parents who decide not to... more

Is there something different about your adopted child’s eyes, especially in photographs? I was reading about the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s child of the month recently. Her name is Jaylynn and her mother noticed that Jaylynn’s eyes looked different in photographs. The nine-month-old’s eyes took on a yellowish reflection in her photos. Sometimes her eyes would cross. Her mother took her to the doctor, who referred her to specialist who discovered the tumors, and referred her to the Mayo clinic. Jaylynn was diagnosed... more

I am by no means an expert on children’s grief. But, having been through a family death recently (and the loss of three of LuLu’s grandparents in the decade she’s been in our family), I can offer you the insights I have for dealing with special needs children and their responses to death…or at least MY special needs child and HER responses to death.

Keep in mind that our children will each respond as differently as we do. Some people cry, some are angry, some don’t want to talk about it and some want to talk about it non-stop. Our children’s responses are really... more

Parents of special needs children are always swimming in uncharted waters. And when it comes to the topic of death and grief, we don’t get a pass on that either. I was reminded of just how “goofy” LuLu’s grief appears when another mother was describing her son’s reaction to a recent death in their lives. It seems that a teenager who participates in the same sporting league as her son (son is much younger) died recently.

Her son’s reaction to this news was all over the place emotionally. I can relate. The most frustrating (and appalling, if you’re not ready... more

Traumatized children can display some challenging behaviors for their adoptive parents and caregivers. These behaviors frequently tend to isolate these adopted children from the rest of the family or group. Giving them time out or sending them to their bedrooms can isolate them even more. Our therapist has been recommending time in for these traumatized adopted children. Time in, can help them connect with the parent or caregiver. Being in close proximity to a significant adult can help a traumatized child regulate his or herself.

Instead of sending the child off to a corner... more