Special Parents Confidential: Recent Episodes
John Pellegrini
Formed Families Forward – SPC Episode 72. Formed Families Forward is a support organization located in Fairfax, Virginia. They help families in Northern Virginia who have adopted, are fostering, or are kinship families for special needs children. They provide supports, counseling, training, and education. Adoptive Families, Foster Families, Kinship Families. Being a parent of a […]
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Special Parents Confidential 71 Patrick Parkes Part 1. Patrick Parkes shares his life story. All parents worry about their kids and how their futures will turn out. But for parents of special needs kids, those worries can be much more immediate. It’s not just ‘will my kid make it through school’ – but will my […]
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Autism Goggles. Part 2. We’d like to introduce you to Autism Goggles, a website and blog dedicated to helping people understand what it’s like to have Autism. Created by Maxine Share, and her son Daniel Share-Strom, this site is an outgrowth of Maxine’s work as a special education advocate. She began this career while trying […]
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Autism Goggles. Part 1 We’d like to introduce you to Autism Goggles, a website and blog dedicated to helping people understand what it’s like to have Autism. Created by Maxine Share, and her son Daniel Share-Strom, this site is an outgrowth of Maxine’s work as a special education advocate. She began this career while trying […]
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The Pushy Lawyer. Meet Kelley Simoneaux, aka, The Pushy Lawyer. Some people go into disability advocacy and disability law because they feel compelled to help serve in a community that has many areas that need representation. Then there’s Kelley Simoneaux, who’s known as The Pushy Lawyer. Kelley suffered a spinal injury in a car accident […]
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When the Nightmare Happens. This episode could probably be called Parent Story number four, but I’ve chosen to call it When The Nightmare Happens. Because this is the kind of parent story that you don’t want to happen. Meet Kiri Salazar. Kiri Salazar is a person that my wife Sarah and I met here in […]
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Mental Health America. Mental Health is a subject that has taken center stage in large areas of our conversation. Everywhere you look in the media, people are talking about mental health. Certainly within the special needs community, the awareness of mental health for both people with special needs, and their caregivers, has become a major […]
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Growing Roots. Growing Roots is a new program in West Michigan that’s introducing therapeutic farming. We al know that getting your hands in the soil can help you relax. You get a feeling of accomplishment and it helps to relieve stress. The same thing holds true with caring for animals, whether it’s a pet or […]
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5p Syndrome aka Cri du Chat. Cri du Chat, aka 5p Syndrome is a chromosomal deletion disorder resulting in a wide spectrum of intellectual and developmental abilities. Each year in the United States, approximately 50 to 60 children are born with Cri du Chat, or 5p Syndrome. These individuals will likely need a lifetime of support. […]
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Inclusive Education Project. The Inclusive Education Project is a non-profit charity, founded by two special education lawyers, Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett. It’s also the name of the podcast they both host that deals with subjects on special education law and advice. Special Education Lawyers. Amanda and Vickie started the Inclusive Education Project to, in […]
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Lori’s Voice. We’re introducing you to Lori and Dave Hastings, and their organization, Lori’s Voice. As any parent of a special needs child can tell you, money is one of the biggest challenges. It seems that everything involving your child requires large amounts of money. Medical treatments, therapies, additional equipment, travel expenses, the list can […]
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Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. “The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, or EDS is a group of connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility.” The above is from the ‘What is EDS’ webpage of the Ehlers-Danlos Society. EDS is a genetic disorder that, for […]
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Military Families. This episode of Special Parents Confidential is devoted to Military Families with special needs kids. Parents of children with special needs know first hand how challenging any situation can be from starting school, to getting the kinds of medical and therapeutic help their kids need, to just social life in general. Now add to […]
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Parent Stories 03 We continue our new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to parents of special needs […]
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Children’s Healing Center Every so often you run across an idea that is so perfect, you find yourself wondering why it hadn’t been done before. Such is the case with The Children’s Healing Center, a new play facility in Grand Rapids, MI. All Kids Want To Play We all know the importance that play time […]
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Special Parents Confidential 57 Parent Stories 02 We continue our new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to […]
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Special Parents Confidential 56 Parent Stories 01 We begin a new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to […]
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Collaborative & Proactive Solutions. In this episode we’re taking a look at Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, which was developed by Dr. Ross Greene and his Foundation, Lives In The Balance. Child behavior problems are always a concern for parents, and sometimes it can seem for parents of special needs kids that the behavior concern is […]
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Down Syndrome. Recently Gerber Foods announced their first ever “Gerber Baby” who has Down Syndrome. In honor of this great milestone, we are taking a look back at Special Parents Confidential Episode 34. Down Syndrome. Myths and Facts. Down Syndrome is one of the most well known of all disorders and disabilities. The common facial […]
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Vaccine Safety. In recent months there’s been a resurgence of concerns about vaccine safety. Claims about this year’s flu shot being ‘not as effective’, has given the anti-vax movement new attention. But, as we noted in 2015 when we posted this episode, those claims are nonsense. So here’s a revisit of SPC episode 22, in […]
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Bullying and social problems in school are a continuing problem. While improvements have been made in how some school districts handle these issues, the problem is still unaddressed in many cities, towns, and states. So we’re reposting SPC Episode 53, in which we learned about the ‘be nice’ campaign. be nice. A new program called […]
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Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein We’ve decided to start off the new year by reposting what I think is one of the most inspiring interviews I’ve done. Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein. Blind Justice In November of 2014 Richard Bernstein became the first blind attorney to be elected as a Justice to the […]
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Deafness and Hearing Impairment. Deafness and Hearing Impairment are now very well understood, and once diagnosed, can be successfully managed. Everyone at some point in their lives experiences some form of hearing loss, either from their environment or due to advanced age. However many children are born every year with deafness or hearing impairment. Technology […]
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Social Issues In School. When we talk about issues that can cause anxiety for parents of special needs kids, dealing with social situations in school and elsewhere is probably right at the top of the list. Will our children be accepted or will they be teased or shunned? Will our kids be able to handle […]
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Death And Grief. Death and grief are subjects that are often overlooked at the holidays. Celebrations can be difficult for families who have recently experienced a loss. Adults and children experience grief in different ways, especially children with special needs. The important thing to remember is there is no time-frame for ‘getting over it’ or […]
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A Sibling’s Perspective. The Holidays always mean family visits, and with that in mind, we thought our episode on a sibling’s perspective would be a good one to repost. This episode is from October of 2015, when we interviewed Aubrey Boerma, who grew up with an older brother who has Autism. What’s it like growing […]
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Sibling Support The Holidays always mean family visits, and with that in mind, we thought the subject of Sibling Support would be a good one to repost. This is the first of two episodes on Sibling Support we did, back in July of 2015. Being a parent of a special needs child requires a great […]
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Learn The Signs – Act Early Last spring we talked to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention about their Learn The Signs, Act Early, program to help parents better understand if their child has Autism. Autism is a growing concern for parents across the United States and around the world. It’s estimated that 1 […]
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Colds and the Flu – Revisiting SPC Episode 48 It seems like every year the season for colds and the flu gets longer. Whether you’re a parent of a special needs child or not, our kids are coming down with colds and the flu all year round – for that matter, so are we parents. […]
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Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA. In January of 2014 we posted episode 15 of Special Parents Confidential, in which we learned about Applied Behavior Analysis ABA. Our guest was Conny Raaymakers, who is a board certified behavior analyst. Her interview has become our most downloaded and listened to episode, with nearly double the listens of any […]
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Education Funding Every year it seems the news is full of stories with politicians calling either for cuts in education funding, or increases in education funding. This year, however, cuts were attempted in special education funding. Thankfully, the Congress was able to work out a bill that increased funding for special education. Never the less, […]
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Neurocore and the Education Secretary The new Eduction Secretary of the United States has caused some controversy in the past months since her appointment over her views on special education, and her financial ties to a company called Neurocore. Specifically, she seems to have no interest in special education at all. Indeed, one of the […]
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be nice. A new program called the ‘be nice’ campaign has been started in West Michigan to help end bullying. One of the hardest issues to deal with for parents of special needs kids – as well as parents of any child – is bullying in schools and online. What do you do if your […]
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Ponseti Method of Clubfoot Treatment Clubfoot, or talipes equinovarus, is a treatable birth defect that affects approximately 150,000-200,000 children each year. When clubfoot occurs the foot is twisted inward and down. For decades the standard treatment for clubfoot consisted of performing radical surgery on the tendons and bones of an infant’s feet. In the mid […]
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Michigan Alliance For Families. Find out how the Michigan Alliance For Families, and other similar organizations around the United States can help you negotiate special education services for free. What Is The Michigan Alliance For Families? Trying to get help with the special education process can be very difficult, and potentially expensive. There are dozens […]
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Early Intervention – Revisiting Special Parents Confidential Episode 25. It’s IEP Season and we’re looking back on older episodes that deal with Individualized Education Plans. Early Intervention is one of the first terms that parents hear when they are trying to find help for their children. We talk to an early intervention coordinator to learn […]
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Revisiting Special Parents Confidential Episode 06 Special Education Advocacy. It’s IEP Season and we’re revisiting older episodes that offered information to help with the IEP process. Today we’re Revisiting Special Parents Confidential 06 Special Education Advocacy. Learn about the role of the Special Education Advocate and how they help parents negotiate the Individualized Education Plan, […]
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Revisiting Special Parents Confidential Episode 10 Special Education. It’s IEP Season, and we’re revisiting some of our older episodes that have information that will help you with the process. In this episode, we find out what Special Education is all about. Special Education. In this episode we take a look at the world of Special […]
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Revisiting Episode 17 When Schools Say ‘No’. It’s IEP Season and we’re revisiting past episodes on the Individualized Education Plan. Find out what you can do when schools say ‘no’. Special Parents Confidential Episode 17 When Schools Say ‘No’. In 1990 Congress passed IDEA, or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which entitles each student with a […]
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Revisiting Episode 21 Special Parents Confidential IEP And The Law. It’s IEP Season and we are Revisiting Episode 21 Special Parents Confidential IEPS And The Law. Individualized Education Plans. IEPs for short. Possibly one of the most stressful times for parents of special needs children. IEP meetings are those annual events when parents meet with […]
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ADHD Nation Author Alan Schwarz. ADHD Nation, Children, Doctors, Big Pharma, and the making of an American Epidemic, is a new book by New York Times correspondent Alan Schwarz, that is putting a lot of focus on ADHD and the way it’s diagnosed and treated in the United States. Alan Schwarz is the Pulitzer Prize nominated investigative reporter […]
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Parenting Concerns. Having a special needs child always causes tremendous parenting concerns and a lot of work. Many moments can be incredible, exhilarating, and full of amazing wonder. But it can also be extremely stressful. Dealing with schools, social situations, family situations… it can seem like everywhere you turn is another opportunity for more parenting concerns […]
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Colds And The Flu. It seems like every year the season for colds and the flu gets longer. Whether you’re a parent of a special needs child or not, our kids are coming down with colds and the flu all year round – for that matter, so are we parents. But what exactly are colds […]
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Nurtured Heart Approach. What is the Nurtured Heart Approach and how can it help? For many kids with special needs the ability to concentrate, even to sit still in class, is challenging. We’ve given lots of names to these issues: Attention Deficit Disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Difficult Kid, […]
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Sensory Processing Disorder. Virtually everyone has heard of sensory overload, and sensory issues. People who have problems with loud noises, large crowded areas, tastes, textures, strong smells, bright lights, the list goes on. Not A Symptom of Something Else. For decades sensory issues were simply considered a side-effect of whatever the more prevalent disorder was inhibiting […]
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Soledad O’Brien Interview. A few months ago, while in a doctor’s office for a checkup, reading the usual magazines, my wife happened to see an article about Soledad O’Brien. She talked about her son Jackson, who was having issues in school with behavior and not understanding instructions from the teacher. Finally, Jackson was diagnosed with […]
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Alix Generous. In 2015, a young woman named Alix Generous gave a Ted Talk speech that has subsequently had over 14 million views. The speech was entitled, “How I learned to communicate my inner life with Aspberger’s”, and in it Alix talks about her amazing life and how she has achieved so much. Living With […]
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Special Education Rights. For many parents of special needs kids, special education rights continue to be the main cause of concern and worry. Are our kids being given the right accommodations in school? Are the schools being held accountable for special education services, and who is supposed to be checking to see if they are? […]
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Understanding Learning Disorders Part 2. ADD. ADHD. Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Understanding learning disorders might be one of the most difficult challenges any parent can face. We’ve known about these disorders for centuries, and the medical names for them have been in place for decades. But there’s still a lot of misinformation and incorrect beliefs when it […]
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Understanding Learning Disorders Part 1. ADD. ADHD. Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Understanding learning disorders might be one of the most difficult challenges any parent can face. We’ve known about these disorders for centuries, and the medical names for them have been in place for decades. But there’s still a lot of misinformation and incorrect beliefs when it […]
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Child Medication Errors. Have you ever checked your child’s medications to see if you’re giving them the right medicine? Of course you have. Have you ever checked your own ability to measure out the correct dose of medicine? Are you certain your measuring ability and the tools you’re using to measure the medications are accurate? […]
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All About Clubfoot. Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects and can cause serious disabilities for those born with it. The foot can be turned severely inward so that, if untreated, a child will start to walk on their ankles, or in some cases, on the tops of their feet. For over a […]
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All About ER. For some parents of Special Needs Children, trips to the ER – Emergency Room – can become as frequent as going on family outings. Those trips can be frightening for both the parents, the special needs child, and the siblings. What can parents do to minimize trips to the ER? When is […]
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Learn The Signs. Act Early. Autism is a growing concern for parents across the United States and around the world. It’s estimated that 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. The good news is there are now more effective treatments and therapies than ever before, and there is more […]
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Mentoring Programs Mentoring programs for children are some of the most successful social and educational support systems available. Many experts on child education will tell you that having someone who can mentor, coach, or demonstrate to kids how to do things outside of school and family is vital. Being able to talk to an adult […]
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Medical Advocacy. One of the continuous aspects of having a child with special needs is medical care and medical issues. Parents of special needs children often find themselves visiting medical facilities as often as they visit family or friends. Sometimes more often. Understanding the medical issues our children have, however, isn’t easy. Too often the […]
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Down Syndrome. Myths and Facts. Down Syndrome is one of the most well known of all disorders and disabilities. The common facial characteristics of Down Syndrome, along with certain physical challenges make the disorder easy to recognize. Yet, for all the familiarity, most people know very little about Down Syndrome and how it affects those […]
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Lt. Governor Brian Calley Returns. What a difference a year can make. In December of 2014, the Michigan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules was going to approve some changes to the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) that would have severely impacted parent participation in their children’s education. However, during the only Public Comment […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 32 Death and Grief. Death is one of those subjects that few people want to talk about, yet everyone will experience. For children, death, and the grief that comes with it, can be very hard to talk about. Many kids, even teens, don’t have the abilities or the tools to adequately […]
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A Sibling’s Perspective. What’s it like growing up with a special needs sibling? Do you have feelings of being ignored by your parents? Do you worry about how your special needs sibling will be treated by society or your friends in particular? Are you frustrated over how often you have to explain why your special needs […]
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Blind Justice. Our guest for this episode of Special Parents Confidential is Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein. In November of 2014 he became the first blind attorney to be elected as a Justice to the Michigan Supreme Court. Or as he likes to say, “Blind Justice is now on the Michigan Supreme Court”. Justice […]
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Sibling Support. Being a parent of a special needs child requires a great deal of concentration and a lot of involvement. So much so that often if the special needs child has siblings, they can feel overlooked or forgotten. Another challenge is stress involving sadness or unanswered concerns about the special needs child, which can […]
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The Mighty. Once in a while you come across a website that is just so compelling, so useful, and so helpful that you have to share it with everyone you know. Thirty million people have done that with The Mighty. After finding out that his daughter had a rare genetic disorder, and his son was born with […]
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Education Funding. School districts across the United States are facing education funding problems. Whether through outright tax cuts, or reductions in revenue from State allocations, education budgets are getting smaller every year. Unfortunately in order to save funding for general education programs some districts have made the hard choice of reducing special education programs by eliminating support […]
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Parent Problems Parents of special needs children face problems that few others can understand. Extraordinary joy and crushing despair, sometimes in the same day, the same hour, the same moment. One thing is true, people who relate the best to these moments are other parents of special needs children. We have a bond that, while […]
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Early Intervention. There’s probably nothing more nerve-wracking and stressful for any parent than the realization that your new baby, your toddler, your child might have some problems. Whether it’s not speaking, not walking, or not engaging socially like other kids, the hardest question many parents face is, what do I do about this? Of course […]
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MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley. Michigan, like many states, has been working on changes to laws in special education to make sure that the rules are up to date and following the laws that are set down in the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which are the main requirements of how special […]
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Finding Matthew For parents of special needs children perhaps the most stressful and anxious time is when you are first told that your child has problems. That first diagnosis is such a shock. You don’t know what to do, you don’t know what to think, and you feel completely overwhelmed with it all. One of […]
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Vaccine Safety In the last 20 years or so we have seen an increase in popularity of an anti-vaccine movement which is based on some very disturbing claims. Primarily among them being that the MMR vaccine, which stands for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, causes autism. Others claim all manner of health problems can come from […]
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IEPs and the Law. Individualized Education Plans. IEPs for short. Possibly one of the most stressful times for parents of special needs children. IEP meetings are those annual events when parents meet with schools to plan out the kinds of help and services their special needs children are going to receive for the next school […]
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Health and Wellness. Perhaps no other subject is a greater concern to a parent than the health of their children. Parents of special needs children have an even greater concern because our kids often have disabilities or disorders that require specialized health care options. Some disabilities or disorders like Downs Syndrome can be diagnosed immediately […]
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Understood Dot Org. One of the major benefits of the Internet is the amazing amount of information that is available on virtually any subject you might want to know about. The problem is trying to figure out what information is accurate and what information is nonsense, especially when the nonsense information comes disguised as something […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 18 Living With Dyslexia Dyslexia is possibly the single most mis-understood of all disabilities. People who don’t have it think that those who do see misspelled words, or letters out of order, or even that they read backwards. But none of that is actually true. People with Dyslexia can recognize letters […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 17 When Schools Say ‘No’. In 1990 Congress passed IDEA, or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which entitles each student with a disability to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to meet his or her unique needs. Originally titled Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA), it was based on Congress’ […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 16 Gigi’s Playhouse For many parents one of the challenges in raising a child with special needs is finding the right therapy for your child. Sometimes we get lucky and find the right kind of therapy right near where we live. Unfortunately for some people there’s nothing nearby that can help. […]
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Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA. Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA is a term parents of special needs children hear a lot in schools, doctors offices, therapy centers, and just about anywhere our kids interact with people. Studies have shown that ABA can be used to help children as early as 18 months learn to cope with […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 14 We Connect Now When it comes to educating our kids with special needs we as parents tend to focus primarily on the here and now, especially if our kids are younger. But what will life be like for our kids when they get older and go into college and then […]
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Special Parents Confidential Episode 13 The Friendship Circle One of the recurring themes we have in our podcasts is how some of the best information and support comes primarily from parents of special needs children. We know what our children need for help and it’s incredible when some parents step forward and create groups and […]
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School Funding and Special Education. For years we’ve been hearing that our public education system is in trouble. Budget cuts, mis-managed funding, over-paid staff, millions and millions of dollars wasted. Many people want to do away with public education. Their argument is that charter schools and private schools are the better choice. But what about […]
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Spiritual Needs and Special Needs. Religion is an important part of the lives of many people. No matter what your religious beliefs the sense of belonging and community that comes from worship can be a great source of comfort and peace. However being able to attend worship services and learning to fulfill spiritual needs can […]
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Special Education. In this episode we take a look at the world of Special Education. What exactly is Special Education? How do teachers become Special Education teachers? How and why has the concept of Special Education changed over the years from isolation and institutionalization to mainstreaming and inclusion, and has it worked? How do researchers […]
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Deafness and Hearing Impairment. Everyone at some point in their lives experiences some form of hearing loss, either from their environment or due to advanced age. However many children are born every year with deafness or hearing impairments. Although many therapies and technologies exist to help correct hearing impairments, the same questions and issues still […]
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Social Issues In School When we talk about issues that can cause anxiety for parents of special needs kids, dealing with social situations in school and elsewhere is probably right at the top of the list. Will our children be accepted or will they be teased? Will our kids be able to handle the day […]
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One Parent’s Journey Parents of special needs children spend most of their time dealing with the present. We tend to think mostly about what our children are doing right now, tomorrow, and maybe next week. If we think of the future, it’s mostly along the lines of, “what is school going to be like for […]
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Special Education Advocacy. As parents of special needs children we hope that our kids will have every opportunity to get a good education, and get assistance when they need it in school. Special Education has changed over the past couple of decades. Special needs children are spending more time in mainstream classrooms and spending only […]
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Assistive Technology. Not so long ago ‘Assistive Technology’ meant a typewriter, special pencil grips, or maybe a cassette tape recorder. Today, parents of special needs children are constantly being bombarded with new ideas, devices, software programs, and apps that say they can help with our children’s learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and even physical disabilities. There […]
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ADD ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Probably two of the most misunderstood disorders in the world. There are a lot of ideas about both. Some think they’re not even ‘real’ disorders but rather just fancy medical terms for anything from bad parenting, to ‘watching too much television’, to laziness, to sleep deprivation, to […]
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Playdates. Guest: Cyndi Blair. Special Parents Confidential Episode 03. Playdates. Sleep overs. Parties. Extra-cirricular activities. Friends. Many children have active and highly involved social lives. But that’s not always possible for special needs children who have challenges in social situations. Meeting new friends and having lasting friendships can be difficult for kids with special needs. […]
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Legal Issues. Guest: Dan Blauw. Special Parents Confidential Episode 02. How much do you know about legal issues, the law, and how they apply to your special needs child? Parents of special needs children sometimes aren’t aware of all the various legal issues that can affect the life of their child. Understanding your rights and your […]
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Support Groups – Guest: Carol Lippert. Special Parents Confidential Episode 01 For our first episode of Special Parents Confidential we talk about support groups for parents. Our guest has some valuable information, especially if you’re not apart of a support group right now. Why are support groups important? If you have access to support groups […]
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