Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily, Hope, Love, Marriage, Special Needs Parenting
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
We're Not Alone

Seasons help us to realize we’re not alone. We might still feel alone but we can see things differently and then change our thinking, and even our responses. We know everyone goes through “stuff” but sometimes we need to recognize it just happens to be our turn. The harder part is that we still have someone we are caring for full time, 24/7 added to the new hard stuff!

We're Not Alone
Autism, Caregiving, Disability Awareness, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
Shannon Blosser
Christmas Doesn’t Have to Be Silent

For families like mine, with an autistic child and my own ADHD and anxiety, Christmas is rarely “calm” or “bright.” In fact, it is often loud, noisy, and overwhelming. Our children get overwhelmed by the lights and the new items. We, as parents, get overwhelmed by all the mess and noise. There are so many sensory inputs flowing through that you feel like you are in a never-ending vacuum of noise. And, that doesn’t even take into account that I’m operating on just a few hours of sleep after leading multiple Christmas services as a pastor.

Christmas Doesn’t Have to Be Silent
Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Living Life Daily, Love, Special Needs Parenting
Evana Sandusky
A Tale of 2 Women, Vastly Different But Forever ...

Ruth saw a bright future for herself. She didn’t have an exact plan in front of her. But at 18, she vaguely knew what she wanted in the future: a master’s degree, a husband, a job she enjoyed, and children. Emma was on another path altogether. When Emma turned 18, she was already enrolled in a school for students with more significant disabilities.

A Tale of 2 Women, Vastly Different But Forever Tied Together
Autism, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting, Scripture, Non-Speaking Communicatio
Mark Arnold
Zechariah’s story: Lessons about non-speaking ...

Zechariah, despite being visited by an angel, doubted what he had been told, and so Gabriel told him that because of this doubt, Zechariah would not be able to speak until his son was born. So, he became unable to speak, and therefore unable to communicate through speech. What did he do? And what does his story teach us about people who cannot communicate by speech, or choose not to, today?

Zechariah’s story: Lessons about non-speaking communication
Caregiving, Special Needs Parenting
Stephanie McKeever
Finding Thankfulness in Disability

There were young kids, teens, young adults, even his best friend, all playing together, learning and laughing. But, there was no sign of my child. I searching the parking lot where everyone was talking and hanging out with their families; not there either. Here is where most people panic. But, deep down I knew; look with the younger kids. It was there I found him, rolling down the hill, filled with that bold childhood laughter, having the time of his life. No pressure here. No one asking him to make quick decisions he had to worry about in that football game. There was only freedom and joy. I want him to be something he isn’t sometimes, but I’m learning to start finding the thankful in disability.

Finding Thankfulness in Disability

expectations

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How to Discern Which Way to Go

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How to Discern Which Way to Go

It seems easier than ever to find resources for families affected by disability or special needs. At times, however, believers need a reminder of the caution Jesus gave us to beware that we are in the world but not of it.

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Invitations, Expectations and Obligations: Finding the Right Mix for Caregiver Support

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Invitations, Expectations and Obligations: Finding the Right Mix for Caregiver Support

Parents of children living with disability or complex medical conditions find themselves needing to recruit an army of resources and a robust system of supports. But asking for help can be so painful. An invitation-without-obligation approach to asking for help can offer valuable insight for our situations.

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The Importance of Expectations for Your Child with Special Needs

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Guest blogger Tony D’Orazio tells a story about his son Jake, who has Down Syndrome, and why it is important for parents to have expectations, even for their children with disabilities.

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Seven Ways to Demonstrate Christ-Like Advocacy

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Seven Ways to Demonstrate Christ-Like Advocacy

I was scrolling through my social media when an image popped up that said, “Calling me mama bear is a sweet way to describe the fact that I’d tear you open if you hurt my child.” I giggled in agreement, but later pondered the question, “What does Christ-like advocacy look like for my child?” Here are seven ways I found to advocate that represent Christ well.

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Resources to Help You Pray Scripture as a Special Needs Parent

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Resources to Help You Pray Scripture as a Special Needs Parent

Several years ago, both of my young sons received several diagnoses and I found myself an anxious and overwhelmed special needs mom, living in survival mode and desperate for God. All my desperate prayers seemed to go unanswered. But just as my sons needed speech therapy to learn to communicate with us, I learned I needed Scripture to help me communicate with God in a new and powerful way.