Search Results for: blog preparing to parent your special needs child

Making Christmas More Joyful for Kids With Special Needs

Many of us look forward to Christmas. Kids that have certain types of special needs might feel left out, or overwhelmed, by the ways that their family celebrates this holiday. Here are some quick tips to help make Christmas more joyful for kids who have special needs. It is a tradition that children write a letter to Santa. Sometimes, Santa answers that letter. When he does, it a note that is written on paper, (and possibly signed by Santa himself). This makes many children happy. However, it leaves out the kids who are blind or who have a vision impairment. … Continue reading →

How to Make Halloween Easier for Kids With Autism

Halloween is a holiday that might be difficult for children who have an autism spectrum disorder to cope with. Things get decorated in unexpected ways. Social skills can falter when a person is wearing a costume. Here are some tips to make Halloween easier for kids who have autism. Start preparing your child now! If your child is in a Special Education classroom, there is a good possibility that his or her teacher has been slowly getting the students used to the idea that Halloween is coming, and has been discussing some of the changes that will happen. Awesome teachers … Continue reading →

New School Year – New Problems With Bussing

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A brand new school year means that changes in routine will occur. This can be really stressful for kids who have certain types of special needs. School just started, but already, there are problems with the busses that transport Special Education students to and from school. Children with autism rely on knowing that their day will have a set, expected, schedule. In school, a student may be using a laminated chart that shows what will happen first, next, and after that, for his or her entire school day. Or, the chart could be a digital one that is on an … Continue reading →

The Overextended Mom

We all have times in our lives where we bite off a little more than we can chew. This is especially common among mothers, and perhaps even more common among single mothers who are doing everything on their own. In order to be a good mother we feel as if we need to take our children to soccer, piano, and ballet, volunteer in the classroom, help kids with homework, make sure they are getting three wonderfully cooked homemade meals each day, while talking to your mother on the phone, maintaining a spotless home, and preparing a presentation for your latest … Continue reading →

Help Your Child Cope With Fireworks Displays

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Traditionally, the way to celebrate the Fourth of July is to observe a loud, colorful, fireworks display. Kids with certain types of special needs may have difficulty coping with what many adults see as an enjoyable form of entertainment. Here are some tips parents can use to help their child cope with the sensory aspects of Independence Day. The Fourth of July might very well be the loudest holiday of the entire year. We have bright and booming fireworks displays at night, and start the day with the screaming sirens of fire engines in the Independence Day parade. This can … Continue reading →

Summer Camps for Kids Who Have Special Needs – 2012

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Children who attend a summer camp get the opportunity to have some unique experiences that cannot be found outside of camp. There are plenty of summer camps that are designed to accommodate children who have special needs. Will your child be going to camp this summer? It is normal for parents to be a bit nervous about the idea of their child attending a summer camp. This is especially true for parents of kids who have special needs. In addition to all the typical worries about the weather and the food, there are genuine concerns about whether or not the … Continue reading →

Cookies with Mommy

When I was pregnant with my second child, my husband and I had some concerns about how our son would handle sharing his time with us with his new baby sister. After hearing numerous horror stories about sibling rivalry, I wanted to find some ways to put aside some special time for just me and my son. I did not want him to feel like he was being replaced or that we loved his little sister more than we loved him. In many ways his baby sister has more needs that require immediate and consuming attention. Once his baby sister … Continue reading →

I Was An Entrepreneur and I Did Not Even Know It

Today, I realized that I had been preparing myself for life as an entrepreneur long before I had even heard of the word. I was reading this blog post by my co – blogger Richele McFarlin about businesses that kids can start, and I realized that I had started babysitting for neighbors as soon as I was old enough to take a babysitting class. Sure, I had other jobs during high school and even during college, but I always had at least a few babysitting clients. When I started out as a babysitter, I was simply watching the neighbor’s children … Continue reading →

Fathers & Food

Most of us have some memories of our mothers making and serving delicious foods, some every day, some just on the holidays. I grew up a very hungry person, well able to consume large pizzas in a single sitting. So I have compassion for hungry children. My wife was in an exciting, entertaining, and not a fun car accident, and while she recovers, I get to cook most of the household foods. There are some downsides to that. While I like quality, tasty foods, I get so hungry that don’t care, as long as it is healthy enough, rather than … Continue reading →

Ways to Make Thanksgiving Less Stressful for Kids With ASD

Thanksgiving is typically celebrated by spending time with family, and eating a big meal. This is a day that is going to completely throw off the schedule that your autistic child is used to. This can make things stressful for both the child, and his or her parents. Here are some tips to make coping with Thanksgiving a little bit easier on your child. Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder rely on there being a consistent schedule. When school is out due to a holiday, like Thanksgiving, this can cause your child to feel some stress. Suddenly, everything he … Continue reading →