Support Children with Special Needs in Haiti

The Cotting School here in Massachusetts, one of the oldest private schools for children with disabilities, asks for your support of their sister school, Wings of Hope, based in Port au Prince, Haiti. While their school building was severely damaged, fortunately all the students and staff are alive.

Before the earthquake at Wings of Hope, there was no running water and only 2 hours of electricity per day. And this is considered the finest program in Haiti for children with special needs! In addition, all of the children were abandoned and live at Wings of Hope their entire lives. All without government support.

Your donation is vital to helping them rebuild. You can help make Wings of Hope even stronger by donating on-line to http://www.heartswithhaiti.org/ (a 501c3 organization). All the funds go to support the rebuilding effort. If you would rather send a check, please make it payable to: Hearts with Haiti and mail it to 11503 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246. Please enclose a note saying the money is for the Wings of Hope school. Thanks for your support.

For more info and updates about the Wings of Hope School, see http://www.heartswithhaiti.org/

Cones for Kids with Special Needs

Here's a chance to do two great things with your kids: donate to a good cause, and gobble up some ice cream. Friendly's restaurants have started their annual Cones for Kids campaign to benefit Easter Seals camps for children with disabilities. Make a dollar donation now through February 13, and in addition to helping kids have a fun camp experience, you'll get five Valentine cards good for free ice cream cones, plus a $5 off coupon toward a purchase of $25 or more. It's not cheating on your diet if it's for a good cause, right?

More info from Easter Seals and Friendly's
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_friendlys

REPOSTED FROM Terri Mauro, About.com: Parenting Special Needs

A Short Poem

This is a short poem about chance, hope, reality and love.

A Different Kind of Lottery

one in a million

a different kind of lottery

grand prize

million dollar smile

exquisite soul

body under construction

pure luck, pure love

our blood, our love

light as a feather

big arms around

this eternal treasure

million dollar smile

winners forever

A guest post by Pete Sargent, my husband and dad to Graham who has cerebral palsy. Thank you. Still rivers run deep.

Poking Fun at Disability Awareness

It's ok to make light of disabilities when you live with them. And why not? There are plenty of people who do and say stupider things about disabilities out of ignorance everyday. For grins and dose of irreverance, take a peak at some of the disaiblity awareness gift items created by individuals with disabilites and their families available at CafePress.com.

If you haven't been there before, CafePress.com is an e-commerce web site where you can upload your own artwork and it's printed on demand on t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, pins and more. Disability topics cover everythings from autism to epilepsy to rare syndromes. Search for the term "wheelchair" and you'll see some pretty racy slogans created by and for wheelchair users. MANY NOT FOR KIDS!

While you're there, check out my Say it with Symbols Gift Shop at CafePress. You'll find appreciation gifts for teachers and therapists as well as awareness-building t-shirts for children and families who communicate with picture symbols. Certainly less racy than some topics, but the message is equally as important.

www.CafePress.com/SayitwithSymbol

Adapted Gloves?

I came across these "adapted" gloves at a local shop and thought I would share. It's always a challenge to get gloves on my son; his fingers just don't want to separate and cooperate! And mittens are too baby-ish for a middle-schooler. Check out these fuzzy Wristies! - fleecy gloves without fingers! They come in lots of colors and lengths for kids and adults. I spoke with the owner Susan and she offered to give parents a discount off any order placed online at www.wristies.com if they would help our kids.

Use the code SPECIAL-KIDS to receive 10% off your entire order. Use the "APPLY" button to get the discount. This code is good through Dec .31 but she said the best selection is available early in the season. I think these are great and so easy to get on. And my kids think they are pretty cool too!

Check them out at http://www.wristies.com/

Helping Our Kids Understand Flu Prevention

Our kids with special needs can use extra support in learning flu prevention skills and good hygiene such as coughing into your sleeve and washing hands properly. The good folks at One Place for Special Needs have put together a comprehensive collection of nearly 40 online resources for parents and educators. You’ll find social stories, how-to videos, activities, a communication board for being sick, and visual supports for all ages on hand washing, sneezing, coughing and blowing your nose.

You’ll also find H1N1 resources for parents and teachers, Google flu tracker, lesson plans on germs and emergency planning for people with disabilities.

See:  Special Needs H1N1 Toolkit

Review: Schyler's Monster - and Dad

I make an extra effort to read novels that include children with disabiltiies and especially those using augmentative communication. So the book Schyler's Monster by Robert Rummel-Hudson surfaced from the big book pile next to my bed. It's an honest story about a father's journey and struggle trying to "fix" his broken non-verbal daughter and help her communicate using augmentative communication.
There are several good points to be taken; 1) trust your parental instincts when it comes to knowing your child's abilities. The Rummel-Hudson's persevere to purchase a higher-end PRC AAC device and Schyler uses it with success. 2) it definitely pays to engage the help and support of others (in his case friends and blog readers). I could relate to the chilly treatment they received from family, professionals and outsiders.

A few points were irritating to me as a parent with a child with a brain malformation. Diagnosis aside, why did you wait so long for her to receive more intensive speech services? And I don't consider our kids "broken" and in need of "fixing." I also get prickly when journalists don't use "person-first" dialogue meaning that Schyler is a child first and not her disability. So Rob, please stop referring to her as a "special needs child." Overall, I thought it was an honest account and worth sharing with my husband and you.

Find the book on Amazon:  Schuyler's Monster: A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter
Read more about Schyler http://www.schuylersmonsterblog.com/