Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Special Needs Parenting
Evana Sandusky
For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful
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

Special Needs Parenting

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My Back-to-School List

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My Back-to-School List

The first day of school for my children is marked on our August calendar. Back to school means I have several preparations to make. While the children need many physical supplies, I need to pray about and look to God to help me with the things I need.

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I Need a Vacation from Vacation!

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I Need a Vacation from Vacation!

The aftermath of being gone for a long vacation was substantial. But as I reflected upon the dear friends and familiar places we visited, my perception of my present situation was changed.

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Fidgets And Fiddles: Meeting Sensory Needs

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Fidgets And Fiddles: Meeting Sensory Needs

Providing a range of fidget or fiddle toys can be a really effective part of the resource toolkit for children’s and youth workers, or for families, offering children and young people safe ways to meet the sensory needs that they have. Here are a few suggestions.

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Three Ways I Got the Office Staff to Hear Me

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Three Ways I Got the Office Staff to Hear Me

The times I’ve had to wait for a doctor I’ve just had to say or do something. Why? Because my time is important, too, and for a child with special needs who can’t sit still, let alone wait for long periods of time, it’s really difficult to expect good behavior. Here are three ways I got doctors’ office staff to hear me, see me and avoid lengthy waits.