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Roll Model: A Woman On Wheels Aces Marathons
I recently exchanged tweets with disability advocate Nic Steenhout, who mentioned that he couldn’t stand the term “wheelchair bound.” As he once wrote on his blog, “The expression evokes images of...
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Better Plane Travel For Kids With Special Needs
Soon after US Airways got a $1.2 million fine for failing to provide proper wheelchair assistance to fliers, news came out that the U.S. Department of Transportation will make flying more accessible....
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Should Taiwan Be Eliminating Babies With Down Syndrome?
A report in the Taipei Times last week revealed that prenatal testing has significantly reduced the number of babies born alive with Down syndrome in Taiwan. While 70 percent of pregnancies positive...
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Autism Is Not A Crisis. But Families Do Need a Plan.
This is a post in the weekly Autism Hopes series by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, a mom who blogs over at AutismWonderland. Five years ago, when my son Norrin was first diagnosed with autism, Autism Speaks...
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When Strangers Stick Up For People With Special Needs
The story of the man with Asperger’s who got berated by a customer at the supermarket for checking her out too slowly went viral after his big sis posted about it on Facebook. Jamie Virkler, 43, asked...
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How Moms Of Kids With Autism Can Reduce Stress
Moms of kids recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can get seriously stressed—but they have the power to control it, finds a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers...
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This Is My Son. This Is Autism.
This is a post in the weekly Autism Hopes series by Lisa Quinones-Fontanez, a mom who blogs over at AutismWonderland. With my husband, Joseph, and son, Norrin. Celebrating Joseph’s birthday at one of...
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More Cases of ADHD—But Kids Are Missing Out On Treatment
There’s been a 42 percent rise in reported cases of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, per new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 6.4 million children 4 to 17...
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How The Brains Of Kids With Autism And Other Special Needs Work
If you’re the parent of a child with autism or other special needs, you may often wonder just how their brains work. Obviously, any kid’s brain is somewhat of a mystery, as you may well know when your...
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Blatant Disability Discrimination vs. Cowardly Discrimination: Which Is Worse?
Obviously, any kind of discrimination against kids and adults with disabilities is troubling. But two recent headline-making incidents have me mulling over blatant discrimination vs. the cowardly...
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Would You Cure Your Child’s Special Needs?
Lately, there’s been lots of news about “curing” special needs—scientists pinpointing the gene for autism or discovering it’s possible to switch off the genetic material responsible for Down syndrome....
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When Laws Are Made To Be Broken For Kids With Special Needs
J.J. Hart, a three-year-old boy with autism, used to sit around staring into space a lot. He barely spoke, and had temper tantrums. Then his dad started looking into animal therapy for kids with...
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Describing Disability: If You Use These Terms, Think Again
These are some descriptions that regularly come up in my Google feed: “Wheelchair-bound” “Cerebral palsy sufferer” “She suffers from Down syndrome” “Cerebral palsy victim” Before I had a kid with...
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More About The Girl Who Signed Her School Concert For Her Deaf Parents
Kindergartner Claire Koch of Clearwater, Florida, wanted her mom and dad to fully enjoy her holiday concert. So she did one thing: She signed it for them. Both her parents are deaf. The video her mom,...
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7 Ways To Entertain Kids With Special Needs Over Winter Break
Winter breaks are rarely a vacation for parents, but they can be even harder on ones who have kids with special needs. Children can be thrown by the lack of their familiar school schedule. Meanwhile,...
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Wishing You Naps In The New Year!
I have one running fantasy in my life, and it does not involve my husband, a larger home, chocolate cake or exotic travel. It involves me, a bed and a nap. I want one. Bad. It’s not just finding the...
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Home Is Where The Special Needs Heart Is
Our family loves going to hotels. Any will do, but it’s a major treat when it’s one like the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in California. We splurged on a stay after our trip to Disneyland. I expected...
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Knowing When To Push A Child With Sensory Issues
Here’s Max peering into the Disney Junior—Live On Stage! show at Disney California Adventure Park. We were there on vacation over the holiday break. While we spent a whole lot of time in the wondrous...
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More Parents Trying Alternative Medicine For Kids With Special Needs
An increasing number of families are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for children with autism and other developmental delays, finds a new study from the University of...
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A New Test That Diagnoses Developmental Delays
A new blood test will detect chromosomal variations that may be responsible for a child’s developmental delay or intellectual disability. Called the Affymetrix CystoScan Dx Assay, it can do a complete...
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