About.com Parenting Special Needs

Gym Class as a Disability Right

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:04:56 +0000

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

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:06 +0000

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

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:30:02 +0000

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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Site of the Day: Article on Find My Family

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:29:52 +0000

What It Is: An article on the ABC show Find My Family, which debuts tonight. Writer Martha Osborne -- who is both an adoptee and an adoptive parent -- expresses misgivings over the show's apparent exploitation of adoption reunions and devaluing of adoptive families, and suggests how to watch and discuss it with adopted kids.

Who's Behind It: The article appears on the adoption advocacy site RainbowKids.com, "the largest and oldest, online website helping people to adopt from multiple countries." Osborne founded RainbowKids.com in 1996 "with the purpose of advocating for families that wish to adopt, and children who need families."

Why It's Worth Checking Out: If your child with special needs was adopted, as mine were, you may have been taken aback by the commercials for this show from the makers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The language in the ads makes it sound as though birth families are real families and adoptive families are ... what, chopped liver? Osborne has some suggestions for viewing the show with your child -- or not, depending on your child's age -- and turning a potentially hurtful program into an opportunity for discussion.

More Sites of the Day

+ Page of the Day: Top Ten Great Things About Adopting a Child With Special Needs +

Site of the Day: Article on Find My Family originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 08:29:52.

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Weekly Round-Up: Week of November 16

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:55:38 +0000

Here's your weekend round-up of all the articles, blog posts, and site updates you may have missed from the past week in About Parenting Special Needs.

New Articles

Sites of the Day

Weekday Reflections

Blog Posts

Updated Pages

Weekly Round-Up: Week of November 16 originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 14:55:38.

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Thanksgiving Games and More Fun Things to Do

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:48 +0000

A Saturday "Site of the Day" special: Most days, a single Site of the Day is plenty to keep you occupied. But on Saturday morning, with kids underfoot and a weekend's worth of amusement needed, something more intensive is called for. So be sure to stop by here every week for your super-sized listing of Five Fun Things to Do Today -- including a family activity, a site for the kids, a shopping site, a site offering humor or inspiration about parenting children with special needs, and a site that's just silly or fun. Today's list:

Activity: Indian Corn Cob Craft
Kids' Site: Thanksgiving Games
Shopping: Oliver's Labels
Inspiration: Ten Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Child With Special Needs
Just for Fun: Write an Academic Sentence

Thanksgiving Games and More Fun Things to Do originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 08:00:48.

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Glee, the M-Word, and More of Your Comments

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:36 +0000

Here's a list of posts that have received one or more comments this week:

Top comment-getting post is the one about how "Mongoloid" isn't as archaic as it oughta be, and my personal pick for comment of the week is this one, left by commenter Chris G in response to a post on hoarding: "My son's hoarding isn't quite as severe as others, but he can't get rid of anything willingly-I always do it when he's not around and I save much more stuff than I would like. I often put stuff in a holding area in the basement or attic, then if he's forgotten about it I pitch it, but he sometimes remembers years later. My standard answer: "I'm sure it will turn up sooner or later." And here's a funny story: he is now obsessed with real estate magazines. They are all over the house and my in-laws were babysitting and got nervous because they thought we were planning to move!"

What's on your mind today? Speak out in the comments below, or add your opinion to the posts above.

Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Glee, the M-Word, and More of Your Comments originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 15:00:36.

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Let Your Child Help Decorate for Thanksgiving

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:03:12 +0000

Whether it's a piece of art brought home from school or something you work up at your kitchen table, Thanksgiving decorations are a great way to include your child in the excitement and festivity of the day. You can make these preparations ahead of time, before the stress meter gets turned up by guests and food and noise. I've got some ideas on making decorating a turkey-day tradition with your child. What do you do to make the day special?

More Parenting Tips: Tips of the Day | Holiday Survival Kit | Parenting Book Reviews

_{Image by Terri Mauro}

Let Your Child Help Decorate for Thanksgiving originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 12:03:12.

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Weekday Reflection: Headlines

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:19 +0000

Read: "We want to build devices that provide not just communication, but the foundation for a change in perceptions. So if a person in a wheelchair with a device has a headline over their head that says 'This is a difficult life,' my vision is that the headline becomes: 'This is an interesting life. This is someone who has insight and fun. This is someone worth knowing.'" -- Richard Ellenson, from an interview with Louise Kinross on the blog Bloom

Reflect: What headline do people see over my child's head? Over mine? What can I do today to change those headlines?

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

Weekday Reflection: Headlines originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 09:00:19.

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Site of the Day: Caregiver Stamp Petition

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:57 +0000

What It Is: A petition asking the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee to recognize "all family caregivers in America by honoring us with a United States Postage Stamp. Family caregiver responsibilities span endless hours and reach across all boundaries of ages, demographic and economic groups with almost everyone at some time in their lives either being a caregiver or needing a caregiver. Currently there are more than 50 million family caregivers in the United States. Services provided by family caregivers represent over 80% of all long term care services with a market value conservatively valued at more than $375 billion."

Who's Behind It: "The National Family Caregivers Association and the Caregiver Community Action Network, its dedicated network of state volunteers, are proud to sponsor this U.S. Postage Stamp Campaign in honor of all the family caregivers in America. NFCA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering family caregivers to act on behalf of themselves and their loved ones, and to remove barriers to their health and wellbeing by educating, supporting, empowering and speaking up for America's family caregivers."

Why It's Worth Checking Out: November is National Family Caregiver Month, a good time to ask for a little recognition and respect.

Where to Start: Fill out the online petition, and send the link around.

More Sites of the Day

+ Page of the Day: Special-Needs Parenting News +

Site of the Day: Caregiver Stamp Petition originally appeared on About.com Parenting Special Needs on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 06:00:57.

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