Challenges, Hope, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting
Kara Dedert
When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this? 

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Sunita Theiss
Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, ...

I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.

Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis
Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily
Jolene Philo
Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy

Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?

Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy
Caregiving, Challenges, Grief, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
John Fela (Felageller)
A New Home

It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.

A New Home
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting
Mark Arnold
Halloween & Special Needs: How to Make it ...

While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, children with special needs can safely join in the fun, too. So what are some of the things about Halloween that children with additional needs can find hard?

Halloween & Special Needs: How to Make it Fun for Every Child

newborn

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What Makes Me Cry as a Caregiver?

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What Makes Me Cry as a Caregiver?

What makes me cry as a caregiver is a list that keeps getting longer. Think of it as reverse bucket list. But really, what makes me cry as a caregiver can be boiled down to two interconnected truths.

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When Life Is Not As It Should Be

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When Life Is Not As It Should Be

When life is not as it should be, whether the cause is a global pandemic or a child's diagnosis, we have a choice to make. As our hearts break and our faith is tested, we have to decide to respond from either a short term or long term perspective.

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20/20 Hindsight About Our Child with Special Needs

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20/20 Hindsight About Our Child with Special Needs

In the early days of parenting our son, we couldn't imagine having 20/20 hindsight about our child with special needs. Nearly 38 years after the birth of our beautiful baby boy, hindsight reveals how his special needs diagnosis transformed us from a young, scared, and unsure couple into braver, confident parents. Here are five of the many means God used to complete the transition.

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My First Christmas Away from Home

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My First Christmas Away from Home

Our first Christmas away from home was a gift wrapped in our son's special needs. It was not the first Christmas away from home I would have chosen. But it was the gift we were given. It was and is one of the most valuable, precious gifts we have ever received. If your child's special needs are shaping the holiday into something different than what you expected, take heart.

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The Transforming Power of Kindness

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The Transforming Power of Kindness

The kindness that changed the trajectory of my life began when a mom took the time to share her story. One day, God will open doors for you to show kindness to hurting moms, too.