These quotes about special needs will help you navigate your own unique parenting journey with a smile and some positivity Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you’re needed by someone. – Martina Navratilova Special Needs Parent Quotes As parents of children with special needs, we can often feel frustrated, depleted and even hopeless. While everything may seem like a challenge, it is important to also pause and count our blessings. These quotes are for the parents of special children out there who need some inspiration: The central struggle ..read more

This post was sponsored by Google in partnership with the Forward Influence Network. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We live in a world where technology is integrated into almost every facet of our lives. Yet, more and more parents are asking – “How do I limit my kids’ screen time?” As a mom to teens, it is easy to see my kids become more and more distracted as they spend more time online. They are spending a lot of time trying to navigate their social media accounts. Or they are rushing through the task at hand to go watch their favorite videos or scroll through funny me ..read more

What an Author and Illustrator Learned Firsthand about the True Meaning of Inclusion when Creating the Children’s Book “Chicago Treasure” Children’s Books About Disabilities This post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure statement. There are many children’s books about disability that teach the value of inclusion. Oftentimes the purpose of these books is to promote awareness. While Chicago Treasure includes children with disabilities in its gorgeous photographs and storylines, it does not distinguish or call for any special awareness. It includes chi ..read more

The following is an honest review of the Spectrum Surprise subscription box for children with autism. Parents of autistic children and children with sensory needs are often on a never ending search for toys and gadgets that will entertain their kids. Sometimes kids with autism do not play with age appropriate toys or even play with any toys at all. Or, if they do play with toys, they become more focused on the wheel of a toy car or the hair of a doll rather than using the toy in a functional way. We are often left guessing what sorts of toys to buy for our kids and frustrated whe ..read more

Have you ever thought to yourself: I think my child needs an IEP – what do I need to do to help my child in school? Parents often suspect that their child needs more support in school, but do not know the process to request more help. If you are ready to figure out why your child is having difficulty in school and what can be done to support your child’s learning, then this article is for you. Be persistent and organized If you believe that your child needs an IEP, then your first step should always be to collect as much data as you possibly can. You want to have evidence to s ..read more

It is important to recognize the positive traits of autism instead of always focusing on the challenges. We can oftentimes get bogged down in how difficult things are and wonder why everything just seems so hard. By no means am I negating the fact that there are significant struggles for our children with autism. In fact, some times I consider my son to be the strongest person I know because he works so hard to do things that come naturally to his peers. It can be heartbreaking and exhausting – at times it can even make us, as their parents, feel depressed. Sometimes being the m ..read more

It’s been over a decade since we received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for our son. Somehow it feels like it has been longer than that, yet it also feels like yesterday. The actual moment felt like it was frozen in time. It will be etched in my brain forever. Hearing that your child has autism is like an honest to goodness gut punch – even if you had been suspecting it for a long time. Honestly, I went in to the appointment totally expecting it. But the official stamp from the developmental pediatrician somehow sent me into a tailspin. Have you ever felt like you were ..read more

If your child has been struggling with sensory issues, it is likely that they are also having a difficult time paying attention. Sensory processing disorder causes a dysregulation of the sensory system. One may experience hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensory input. You may notice that your child is easily distracted, appears hyperactive, or struggles with impulse control. Conversely he or she may appear tired, disinterested, apathetic or spaced out a lot of the time. RELATED READING: Sleep Strategies for Kids with Sensory Needs Signs of Sensory Processing ..read more

Parenting a child with autism can be challenging. There are times we may feel like complete failures and that we are just not cut out for the job. We may feel guilty at times for a multitude of reasons – there are always more therapies to try, more strategies to learn, more specialists to seek out. As special needs parents, it seems like we are always fighting. We fight for services, we fight for acceptance, we fight to help our kids make progress. What we need to remember is that we are mere humans with needs of our own doing the best we can. There is no award for perfect speci ..read more

The symptoms of sensory processing disorder are not necessarily straightforward and often overlooked. Read more to see if your child’s behavior might actually be signs of sensory processing disorder. Are my child’s behaviors red flags for sensory processing disorder? Sensory processing disorder (SPD) affects how your brain processes sensory information. Sensory information includes things you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. There are other sensory systems at play as well that are responsible for body movement and balance. The vestibular system is often associated with the ..read more