Whether one is a parent of a 3-year-old who is curious about why a friend's skin is brown, the parent of a 9-year-old who has been called a slur because of his religion, or the parent of a 15-year-old who snubs those outside of her social clique at school, this book is designed to help teach children to honor the differences in themselves and in…

The term "multiple disabilities" is general and broad. From the term, you cannot tell how many disabilities a child has; which disabilities are involved; or how severe each disability is. Many combinations of disabilities are possible. The different disabilities will also have a combined impact. That is why it is also important to ask:…

Parents who have a child with a disability often find that recreational activities can be anything but accessible. Time for recreation is drowned by the priorities of caring for a child's needs, and the "umph" to get out can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. The activities parents love and aspire to share with their child may seem like one…

Parenting children with disabilities means coming to terms with feelings of loss and grief and balancing these with hope and resilience. Drawing from personal experiences as a parent with two disabled children, the author refers to elements of Schlossberg's model of transition, Herman's writings about trauma and recovery, and elements of…

Raising a child has its frustrating moments; parenting a child with special needs multiplies those times, and parents often experience high levels of stress and frustration. In this article, the authors explore the challenges of parenting a child with special needs and the trials and errors of finding appropriate skills to assist in their…

The long awaited blessings of having a child bring simultaneous bouts of confusion and uncertainty regarding the vast parenting responsibilities that come with raising that child. When the child has a disability, sometimes the tasks can seem especially daunting. In this article, the authors aim to guide parents of children who display challenging…

"Intellectual disability" is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Following a brief story about a child with an intellectual…

There is a famous piece of writing by Emily Pearl Kingsley in which she attempts to describe what it feels like to raise a child with special needs. She explains that it is like preparing for a trip to Italy. One learns the language and buys the travel books. One finds himself on the plane traveling to Italy, and suddenly, the trip is diverted to…

This publication was created for middle-income parents of children under the age of 18 who have disabilities. It is a simple, straightforward resource to help them manage their money, and plan for them and their children's financial future and overall well-being. The financial management techniques presented here can help parents, not just in…

There are many kinds of speech and language disorders that can affect children. This fact sheet will present four major areas in which these impairments occur. These are the areas of: (1) Articulation; (2) Fluency; (3) Voice; and (4) Language. Following a brief narrative on a day in the life of a Speech Language Pathologist, this fact sheet…

A mother of a son with epilepsy and dyslexia offers 10 guidelines for parents including: acknowledge your grief; recognize assets and limitations; encourage independence; ignore unsolicited advice; be proud of your child's achievements; make use of financial aid; subscribe to newsletters; get to know your child's physician; and make time for…

The newsletter issue for parents of handicapped children looks at ways to help the handicapped child improve his self-esteem. Sections discuss symptoms of low self-esteem, patterns of behavior (such as withdrawal, acting out, avoidance, overcompensation, perseveration, and social immaturity); and ways to improve self-esteem including encouraging…

This resource section lists Parent to Parent programs, which match "veteran" parents of disabled children with new parents of disabled children. The partial directory, organized alphabetically by state, gives names, addresses, and telephone numbers of programs in states from Kentucky through Oklahoma. (JDD)

An organizer of a support program for fathers of children with disabilities discusses the father's role in the family, myths surrounding the father's role, coping with the extra stresses in families with disabled children, and emotional adjustment to the disability. (DB)

Following the birth of a handicapped child, both parent and grandparent experience similar feelings of consternation, shock, and grief. The grandparents' reaction is double, however, as they suffer not only for the newborn but for their own child's pain as well. This article focuses on dealing with grief and its stages, including numbness, denial,…