Special Parents Confidential

Formed Families Forward – SPC Episode 72. Formed Families Forward is a support organization located in Fairfax, Virginia. They help families in Northern Virginia who have adopted, are fostering, or are kinship families for special needs children. They provide supports, counseling, training, and education. Adoptive Families, Foster Families, Kinship Families. Being a parent of a […] The post Special Parents Confidential Episode 72 Formed Families Forward appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Special Parents Confidential 71 Patrick Parkes Part 1. Patrick Parkes shares his life story. All parents worry about their kids and how their futures will turn out. But for parents of special needs kids, those worries can be much more immediate. It’s not just ‘will my kid make it through school’ – but will my […] The post Special Parents Confidential 71 Patrick Parkes Part 1 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Autism Goggles. Part 2. We’d like to introduce you to Autism Goggles, a website and blog dedicated to helping people understand what it’s like to have Autism. Created by Maxine Share, and her son Daniel Share-Strom, this site is an outgrowth of Maxine’s work as a special education advocate. She began this career while trying […] The post Special Parents Confidential 70 Autism Goggles Part 2 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Autism Goggles. Part 1 We’d like to introduce you to Autism Goggles, a website and blog dedicated to helping people understand what it’s like to have Autism. Created by Maxine Share, and her son Daniel Share-Strom, this site is an outgrowth of Maxine’s work as a special education advocate. She began this career while trying […] The post Special Parents Confidential 69 Autism Goggles Part 1 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

The Pushy Lawyer. Meet Kelley Simoneaux, aka, The Pushy Lawyer. Some people go into disability advocacy and disability law because they feel compelled to help serve in a community that has many areas that need representation. Then there’s Kelley Simoneaux, who’s known as The Pushy Lawyer. Kelley suffered a spinal injury in a car accident […] The post Special Parents Confidential 68 The Pushy Lawyer appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

When the Nightmare Happens. This episode could probably be called Parent Story number four, but I’ve chosen to call it When The Nightmare Happens. Because this is the kind of parent story that you don’t want to happen. Meet Kiri Salazar. Kiri Salazar is a person that my wife Sarah and I met here in […] The post Special Parents Confidential 67 When the Nightmare Happens appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Mental Health America. Mental Health is a subject that has taken center stage in large areas of our conversation. Everywhere you look in the media, people are talking about mental health. Certainly within the special needs community, the awareness of mental health for both people with special needs, and their caregivers, has become a major […] The post Special Parents Confidential 66 Mental Health America appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Growing Roots. Growing Roots is a new program in West Michigan that’s introducing therapeutic farming. We al know that getting your hands in the soil can help you relax. You get a feeling of accomplishment and it helps to relieve stress.  The same thing holds true with caring for animals, whether it’s a pet or […] The post Special Parents Confidential 65 Growing Roots appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

5p Syndrome aka Cri du Chat. Cri du Chat, aka 5p Syndrome is a chromosomal deletion disorder resulting in a wide spectrum of intellectual and developmental abilities. Each year in the United States, approximately 50 to 60 children are born with Cri du Chat, or 5p Syndrome. These individuals will likely need a lifetime of support. […] The post Special Parents Confidential 64 5p Syndrome aka Cri du Chat appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Inclusive Education Project. The Inclusive Education Project is a non-profit charity, founded by two special education lawyers, Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett. It’s also the name of the podcast they both host that deals with subjects on special education law and advice. Special Education Lawyers. Amanda and Vickie started the Inclusive Education Project to, in […] The post Special Parents Confidential 63 Inclusive Education Project appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Lori’s Voice. We’re introducing you to Lori and Dave Hastings, and their organization, Lori’s Voice. As any parent of a special needs child can tell you, money is one of the biggest challenges. It seems that everything involving your child requires large amounts of money. Medical treatments, therapies, additional equipment, travel expenses, the list can […] The post Special Parents Confidential Episode 62 Lori’s Voice appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes. “The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, or EDS is a group of connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility.”  The above is from the ‘What is EDS’ webpage of the Ehlers-Danlos Society. EDS is a genetic disorder that, for […] The post Special Parents Confidential 61 Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Military Families. This episode of Special Parents Confidential is devoted to Military Families with special needs kids. Parents of children with special needs know first hand how challenging any situation can be from starting school, to getting the kinds of medical and therapeutic help their kids need, to just social life in general. Now add to […] The post Special Parents Confidential 60 Military Families appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Parent Stories 03 We continue our new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to parents of special needs […] The post Special Parents Confidential 59 Parent Stories 03 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Children’s Healing Center Every so often you run across an idea that is so perfect, you find yourself wondering why it hadn’t been done before. Such is the case with The Children’s Healing Center, a new play facility in Grand Rapids, MI. All Kids Want To Play We all know the importance that play time […] The post Special Parents Confidential Episode 58 Children’s Healing Center appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Special Parents Confidential 57 Parent Stories 02 We continue our new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to […] The post Special Parents Confidential Episode 57 Parent Stories 02 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Special Parents Confidential 56 Parent Stories 01 We begin a new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs. When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to […] The post Special Parents Confidential 56 Parent Stories 01 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions. In this episode we’re taking a look at Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, which was developed by Dr. Ross Greene and his Foundation, Lives In The Balance. Child behavior problems are always a concern for parents, and sometimes it can seem for parents of special needs kids that the behavior concern is […] The post Special Parents Confidential Episode 55 Collaborative & Proactive Solutions appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Deafness and Hearing Impairment. Deafness and Hearing Impairment are now very well understood, and once diagnosed, can be successfully managed. Everyone at some point in their lives experiences some form of hearing loss, either from their environment or due to advanced age. However many children are born every year with deafness or hearing impairment. Technology […] The post Deafness and Hearing Impairment – Revisiting SPC Episode 09 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.

Social Issues In School. When we talk about issues that can cause anxiety for parents of special needs kids,  dealing with social situations in school and elsewhere is probably right at the top of the list.  Will our children be accepted or will they be teased or shunned? Will our kids be able to handle […] The post Social Issues In School – Revisiting SPC Episode 08 appeared first on Special Parents Confidential.