I’ve been missing-in-action for a few weeks. And today I’m blogging just to say my farewells. After 27 months of being an Adoptionblogs blogger, I’m hanging up my keyboard. It’s been a marvelous experience. After more than two years of daily blogging about parenting children with special needs, I’ve covered many of the topics we all face daily. We’ve talked about a lot of things, from specific disabilities and interventions to the commonality in the struggles all children with disabilities face to the need for strong advocacy for our children in schools, the medical... more

If you read one book about parenting special needs children this year...this one is IT! The Elephant in the Playroom is a compilation of essays written by parents of children with special needs, and eloquently compiled by Denise Brodey, editor in chief of Fitness magazine, and mom to a son with sensory integration dysfunction. Ms Brodey has captured the very essence of life as the parent of a “special” kid. I found myself laughing, crying and furiously... more

Many parts of the body are affected by Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Infants affected with this syndrome are considerably larger than normal. Technically, it is referred to as macrosomia. Beckwith-Wiedemann is classified as an overgrowth syndrome. Children who are diagnosed with this syndrome continue to grow and gain weight at an unusual rate during childhood. By the time these children reach the age of eight years, their growth begins to slow down. As they reach adulthood, their height should be comparable... more

Malaria can be deadly. Biting mosquitoes spread it and more than 1 million people, mostly children, die from Malaria each year. Malaria is preventable and it is treatable. Unfortunately, many areas that are affected by Malaria are impoverished. Therefore, the people do not have access to the medicines or tools to keep themselves and their families safe. Malaria is endemic in more than 100 countries and territories. World Malaria Day, April 25, hopes to build awareness to help put a stop to malaria... more

I just commented on one of Marie’s blogs last week about this, “It's Not Always About Adoption!” I confessed to Marie that after 14 years of foster care and adoption I sometimes still cannot tell the difference between an adoption issue and a child issue. I made the wrong call today, a couple of times. Bring out the crow; I’ll eat it for supper. My 10-year-old daughter, adopted in November, was having quite a day. I thought her behavior was passive aggressive. Yup, I thought she was... more

A new study found evidence that eating disorders may be contagious among high school students. Researchers found that poor eating habits like binging, fasting, and using diet pills were clustered in areas within counties, especially among female teenagers. Teenage girls are subjected to strong social pressures to be thin and they are willing to use unhealthy behaviors to get thin. Researchers believe that finding clustered groups of teenagers with eating disorders, instead of county-wide sporadic... more

New research indicates there is a relationship between mitochondrial disease and autism. Although at this point, researchers are not sure if mitochondrial disease plays a role in the development of autism, or if the muscle weakness in a child with autism points to a genetic defect that causes mitochondrial disease. Mitochondrial disease results in muscles not getting the energy they need. This is because the mitochondria convert energy... more

We have all heard about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving a car. Some metropolitan areas have made it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving because of the many related accidents. Last week I wrote a blog on the dangers of brain tumors associated with cell phone use. Researchers are concerned about the long-term effects on developing children’s brains if adults are showing tumors within 10 years of cell phone use. Now we have another warning for our children regarding cell phone usage. Researchers have found that children may not be able to cross the... more

Should you send for a mail order DNA kit to test your adopted child’s DNA? Will this test help you know if your adopted child is predisposed to a genetic condition? If your child came to you through international adoption or another method without a medical history, you may be tempted. The mail order prices even seem affordable and you can order them on the Internet making DNA testing more tempting. Each time you visit a new doctor, dentist, optometrist, or specialist you have to fill out a medical history for your child. If your child has asthma symptoms, symptoms... more

Do you have a child that suffers from psoriasis? It is a chronic skin condition that can have a negative impact on a person's quality of life. It can negatively affect self-esteem and relationships. Your child may be embarrassed by the presence of psoriasis and feel insecure about friends seeing it or finding out about it. This could cause your child to avoid close friendships or staying overnight with friends. The characteristics of psoriasis include red, thick, scaly plaques that itch and bleed. Dermatologists have found a correlation between psoriasis,... more