Category: Special Needs
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Post #7 Assessments

Assessments are a critical part of “accessing the curriculum”, the cornerstone of services and specialists who may influence outcomes for your child. Take them seriously; this is your most important role as chief advocate. Read the fine print, know your rights as a parent – never abdicate those rights. Guard your reputation as it is…
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Post #6 Advocacy

Thank you, teachers, resource specialists, administrators, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, for doing what you do, who give so much to help our children realize their potential – you are doing God’s work. Do not miss this opportunity to inform. The synergies of cross-functional teamwork cannot be understated. Advocacy is paramount to getting the…
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Post #5 Digging In

The heavy lifting is in the day-to-day. The wins are often far apart but the cumulative effects are gratifying and lasting. Be patient with the process; early intervention does work. Staying in the moment helps from becoming overwhelmed. Getting creative improves the odds. This critical window of development is time-boxed. Maximize it. At age four,…
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Post #4 Empowerment

Imagine growing up in a body where your senses are constantly assaulted: fabrics, water, sand, sounds, food textures, eye contact, surfaces all offend. Add the inability to understand or be understood. Add poor balance and injuries, a fear of escalators. Add night terrors, the worst of it all – and aptly named. The screams are…
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Post #3 Getting the News

Sometimes getting the “news” is not a singular event. Luke’s first major seizure at eighteen months confounded me as small bits of foam spilled from his mouth. I was stunned when advised to call 911. With Luke in my arms, I was a hair-trigger panic-attack away from losing it in the driveway – the fire…
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Post #2 It’s All About Luke

It was time to deliver on a promise made. People I deeply trust, our prior daycare director and pediatrician, urged me to get help for Luke, “there’s something wrong” was all I could take away. The preschool experience for Luke was not fun, despite exceptionally trained staff. What appeared as a lack of participation in…
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Post #1 Navigating a New World

The only person’s life not worthy of a movie is the unexamined one. We all bear evidence of the human experience: dealing with adversity, caring for others, and hard-won resilience in the day-to-day-day. If this blog can help one other person navigate the complexities of coping with, and helping a special needs child achieve their…