Word to Your Mom (or Dad)

When we hear the word communication, we most often think of speaking. This is fair and quite logical, as most of us use words to convey messages each and every day with a variety of people. We talk about our weekends and the tastes of the foods we eat and how we feel about Hurricane Sandy, Argo or the upcoming election.
But many children with special needs are often unable to effectively express even their most basic needs and desires. They do not have the words to say, " I absolutely despise broccoli," or "I'd rather watch SpongeBob," or "I need help in the bathroom."

The Unsinkable Alex Jones

From Huffington Post's Leda Natkin Nelis.

Alex Jones is our family's human safety net.
Alex is the glue that keeps our household in one piece. Even though she makes her way only intermittently into our lives without any official title or regular timetable, she has more than managed to make herself indispensible. Every special needs family needs an Alex Jones.

Pennsylvania Dental Association Seeks General Anesthesia Coverage for Young Children and Patients With Special Needs

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) is urging state lawmakers to support legislation (House Bill 532) requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of general anesthesia for young children and patients with special needs.
Many young patients and those with mental or physical disabilities often experience stress when visiting a dentist's office. Some patients require general anesthesia before a dentist can treat them. However, many insurers refuse to cover the cost of anesthesia for dental patients.

More than one hundred contestants attended The Arkansas Angels Pageant

More than 100 were contestants in the event, several from Faulkner County. However, five states had contestants. One family, the Phillip Ventura family, said they drove 300 miles from Texas allowing their 5 year old daughter Audrey Rose to participate. Two set of grandparents also drove—one driving more than 400 miles.
“We just wanted Audrey Rose to be able to do this,” Phillip Ventura said. “This is the first pageant that we have found for her. She’s loved it.  It has just been wonderful.”
Contestants walked on stage, they rode in wheelchairs and they were carried. They smiled, they cried tears of joy and so did the audience. Boxes of tissue were available on every isle.

Budget Cuts Threaten California Family's Ability to Support Special Needs Children

CORNING, Calif. -- Dan Steigman and his wife had depended on the HIPP or Health Insurance Premium Payment Program to reimburse them for most of their medical needs.
But due to state budget cuts, he hasn't received any money from the program since June.
He's already out more than $1,200 dollars and even worse he just found out in an email that he might not get a reimbursement check until November.

The Importance of Arts and Crafts for Special Needs Children

From AJ Tyne of the Raleigh Parenting & Autism Examiner. AJ is the mother of a 10-year old with autism who is mostly non-vierbal. She writes regularly about raising a child with autism - the emotional issues, resources, support and tips for managing challenging behaviors.

Arts and crafts projects, as well as music, and the natural world should be taught regularly to all children, but are especially important for special needs children.
With parents so busy these days, and many schools cutting costs, it's easy for the importance of teaching our children arts and crafts to be lost along the way.
Many special needs children, if not all, need extra sensory stimulation. They can't gather information from their environment, or from their bodies interacting in their environment, the way that typical children can. This can be the result of physical disabilities or developmental disabilities. Adding more sensory input helps to calm these children, as well as helping them to explore the world around them.
Older children are often isolated from activities that could help them.
Often it seems teachers and parents concentrate on arts, crafts, and related sensory activities in the early years, but after about age 4 or 5, they tend to leave this method of teaching and exploration behind. It's important to continue this type of learning experience for many reasons.