About Parenting Special Needs

Weekday Reflection: The Nice Things

2009-11-25T12:00:33Z

Read: "Parents know the sort of questions that parents will be thinking. What they need to hear immediately are the nice things; that their children are pretty; that the children have normal bedrooms; because you only think of the bad things. 'Will I ever be able to leave the house again?' 'Will my life ever be reasonably normal again?'" -- "Parents of Eleanor: 7 Years," one of the parents of children with autism interviewed by Francesca Bierens in A Spectrum of Light, this week's featured book.

Reflect: What did I want to hear from other parents when my child was first diagnosed? What kind of answers can I offer to parents who are just reaching that stage now?

Respond in the comments with your own thoughts on this quote and how it applies to your life with your child.

Every weekday, take a moment to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. ... More Reflections

Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day

_{Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers}

Weekday Reflection: The Nice Things originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 12:00:33.

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Keep Your Child Busy With Official Thanksgiving Hosting Duties

2009-11-25T09:00:34Z

Your child may have trouble with normal socialization, so make an official hosting role part of your family tradition. Things like watching out the window for arriving guests, toting coats to a back room, taking beverage orders, ringing the dinner gong, or checking on pets relegated to a back room give your child a safe way to interact with others and a non-antisocial reason to retreat from disruptive goings-on. Read more of my tips for making a Thanksgiving tradition out of hosting together, and then share your own holiday traditions.

More Parenting Tips: Tips of the Day | Holiday Help | Parenting Book Reviews

_{Image by Terri Mauro}

Keep Your Child Busy With Official Thanksgiving Hosting Duties originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 09:00:34.

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Site of the Day: Allergy-Safe Thanksgiving Menu

2009-11-25T06:00:20Z

What It Is: "It's impossible to come up with one menu of Thanksgiving foods that's safe for every possible set of food allergies, since people can be allergic to virtually any fruit, vegetable, meat, or grain. But common Thanksgiving foods do tend to be rich in some very common allergens -- especially wheat, dairy, soy, and eggs. Here are some suggestions for foods that are seasonally appropriate, festive, and safe for many allergy needs."

Who's Behind It: The list, on the About.com Food Allergies site, was compiled by former guide Victoria Groce and includes recipes and tips from many About.com food guides.

Why It's Worth Checking Out: Thanksgiving's tomorrow, but it's not too late to pick a safe side dish or two to give your child a little more choice on the Thanksgiving table.

More Sites of the Day

+ Page of the Day: More Allergy-Safe Recipes +

Site of the Day: Allergy-Safe Thanksgiving Menu originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 06:00:20.

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Ho Ho, Uh Oh, the Holidays Draw Near

2009-11-24T18:05:42Z

My daughter's favorite radio station is already playing Christmas music 24/7. The weekend newspaper is heavy with gift ads. The first Christmas cards of the season are no doubt on their way to my mailbox, destined to make me feel both merry and guilty. The holiday season seems to be starting earlier and earlier, with Thanksgiving just a speed bump in the way, and there's nothing to do but embrace it. Why not get in a gift-giving mood by sharing present inspirations here on About.com Parenting Special Needs? I've got three Readers Respond pages waiting for your ideas on:

and in the Parenting Special Needs Forum, there's a topic already open on where you're finding gifts this year. One place to find some good shopping sites is my Holiday Survival Guide, the first page of which is devoted to special-needs gift-giving.

Then again, if the thought of impending holidays just stresses you out, give yourself the gift of humor with Special-Needs Christmas Carols. "Hark, the Relatives Complain" should put you in the right frame of mind for this Thursday.

Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day

_{Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images}

Ho Ho, Uh Oh, the Holidays Draw Near originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 18:05:42.

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Weekday Reflection: Being There

2009-11-24T12:00:50Z

Read: "When you introduce a child who has differences, what you also do is ask people to step outside their comfort zone. And there's also the need to allow people time to get over the 'fear factor.'" And I think you can only get over the 'fear factor' by a little public education and by simply being there." -- "Mother of Alex: 7 Years," one of the parents of children with autism interviewed by Francesca Bierens in A Spectrum of Light, this week's featured book.

Reflect: Is my child "being there" in the community? Do people get a chance to know my child and overcome the "fear factor"? What could I start doing right now to start educating the public?

Respond in the comments with your own thoughts on this quote and how it applies to your life with your child.

Every weekday, take a moment to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. ... More Reflections

Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day

_{Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers}

Weekday Reflection: Being There originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 12:00:50.

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Let Your Child Help With Thanksgiving Cooking

2009-11-24T09:00:27Z

Unless you're a master chef, your Thanksgiving recipes are probably the most basic, simple, time-tested dishes you make all year. That makes them good for including your child in the kitchen action. One fun year at our house, when my son was fixated on Emeril and all things Food Network, I made him the Official Thanksgiving Chef. I printed out large-font simplified version of my standard recipes, put a Bam! apron on him, and acted as sous chef for all the hot sharp tricky parts. Read more of my tips for making a Thanksgiving tradition out of cooking together, and then share your own holiday traditions.

More Parenting Tips: Tips of the Day | Holiday Help | Parenting Book Reviews

_{Image by Terri Mauro}

Let Your Child Help With Thanksgiving Cooking originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 09:00:27.

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Site of the Day: Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes

2009-11-24T06:00:02Z

What It Is: "Is this your first gluten-free holiday season, or are you an experienced cook looking for new gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes? ... Choose from among these recipes for making gluten-free versions of traditional holiday foods, from About.com's talented and creative Food Guides."

Who's Behind It: Nancy Lapid, About.com's guide to Celiac Disease, gathered links to the recipes to make a handy holiday reference.

Why It's Worth Checking Out: Whether you're putting together an entire menu that includes your gluten-avoiding child, or just looking for something to bring to a family gathering so your child will have something safe to dine on, you'll find some good ideas and good eats.

More Sites of the Day

+ Page of the Day: More Gluten-Free Recipes +

Site of the Day: Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 06:00:02.

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Gym Class as a Disability Right

2009-11-23T19:04:56Z

I'll admit to having mixed feelings about gym class for my son over the years. Certainly, the opportunity for physical movement during the day is good for him, and when an experienced adaptive gym teacher is available, it offers some impromptu physical therapy. However, even with the adaptive gym teacher, phys-ed is a difficult part of the day for him behaviorally -- loosely structured, in a big echoing room with lots of kids running and thumping and bumping -- and when he's been mainstreamed with a regular class it's been a reliable source of trouble.

For Jack Laughlin, a Philadelphia middle-schooler whose story appeared Friday in the Philadelphia Inquirer and has also been blogged about on ParentDish, the trouble was in not getting gym at all several days a week. His school doesn't offer daily gym, instead rotating it with things like music and reading assistance, but with his diabetes and use of insulin throughout the day, physical movement was essential to Jack's physical health and well-being. After a Section 504 complaint and the gathering of expert documentation of Jack's need, his parents came to an agreement with the district that let Jack get his morning workout.

It made me wonder, though -- and not for the first time -- about the way schools schedule things like gym and electives. At my kids' school, there's gym every day, but one marking period out the year the students sit in a classroom for health instead. Should a student like Jack forever miss things like music and health and driver's education and whatever gets substituted for gym? What if there's no medical reason for your child to get gym every day, but it's essential to his behavioral equilibrium; how much of what kind of proof would you need to present? What if, on the other hand, an hour of overstimulation in the gymnasium makes your child unavailable for learning for hours afterward? Could you make a case to skip the subject altogether, maybe substituting some after-school activity?

Schools aren't all about flexibility these days, though, and standardized testing have made districts a little nuts about cramming as much academic time into the day as possible, regardless of students' individual needs. Do you think they need to be more sensitive about gym scheduling? Would you like your child to have more, or less? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day

_{Photo by Vicky Kasala/Getty Images}

Gym Class as a Disability Right originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 19:04:56.

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Weekday Reflection: It Changes You

2009-11-23T14:30:06Z

Read: "It changes you. It makes you more outgoing because you're always having to stand up for your child all the time. It really brings you out of yourself." -- "Mother of Peter: 17 Years," one of the parents of children with autism interviewed by Francesca Bierens in A Spectrum of Light, this week's featured book.

Reflect: How has being the parent of a child with special needs changed you? Are the changes good or bad? Is there something you'd like to change that you could start working on right now?

Respond in the comments with your own thoughts on this quote and how it applies to your life with your child.

Every weekday, take a moment to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. ... More Reflections

Also new today: Site of the Day | Today's News and Views | Tip of the Day

_{Cover image courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publishers}

Weekday Reflection: It Changes You originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 14:30:06.

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Include Your Child in Thanksgiving Planning and Prep

2009-11-23T11:30:02Z

Figuring out what to serve, what to set up, and how to get ready can be a big Thanksgiving Day challenge. Make it a tradition for your child to help you get things going. Things like suggesting items to serve, using a picture shopping list, designing a picture menu, or getting a little heavy work in by moving chairs or table leaves can make your youngster more a part of the festivities. Read my tips for making a Thanksgiving tradition out of planning and preparation, and then share your own holiday traditions.

More Parenting Tips: Tips of the Day | Holiday Help | Parenting Book Reviews

_{Image by Terri Mauro}

Include Your Child in Thanksgiving Planning and Prep originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 11:30:02.

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