The possible causes of learning difficulties in children with epilepsy are long and complex. In order to see that a child is given an adequate evaluation, an understanding of what these many causes are and how those causes may be interrelated is necessary. This article discusses the first three of the six categories of the causes: (1) Organic; (2)…

Vacations for exceptional families require flexibility, persistence, a sense of humor, and a view of the world as the glass being half full. In this article, the author shares her family's summer vacation experience. If "getting there is half the fun," the author's family has had more than their share of fun times. She has learned the…

Eighteen years ago, the author's son Teddy was born with an unbalanced chromosome translocation of 10/12, leaving him with severe disabilities, medically fragile, and chronically ill. The author describes how her entire world was changed that day. Through it all, her journey through life has been an extraordinary educational experience, despite…

When it comes to making the right choices for children with disabilities, families are the experts. To prove this point, the Hatton Project sponsored a grant wherein researchers interviewed members of 12 families of children with disabilities on factors that caused them to identify themselves as "successful." The results yielded eight lessons…

This brief article presents the author's experiences with her three autistic children. She tells of how caring for her autistic children is a tough responsibility, but it has made her see things with new eyes and made her life better. Although her hands may be full, it is full of joy.

Family counseling helped parents, who had spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to determine appropriate interventions for their autistic son (amid conflicting recommendations from professionals) to better deal with other family problems, and their nonhandicapped daughter's behavioral problems, feelings of sadness and ineffectiveness in…

The younger brother of a hyperactive, severely learning-disabled 21-year-old recounts his feelings regarding lack of parental attention, jealousy toward his older brother, embarrassment, and finally empathy for his older brother. (CB)

This article, written from the perspective of a special educator who has a daughter with mental retardation, describes the marital stress that having a child with a disability brings about. The article also notes the importance of parents getting away by themselves and offers suggestions for accomplishing this. (JDD)

A husband and wife's self-described difficulties illustrate the complex effects of living with a special needs child on marital relationships and on communication between parents and professionals. Practical solutions included obtaining child care help and meeting with the family pediatrician to coordinate information and records from a variety of…

The progress of a developmentally delayed child is described by his mother, covering his infancy, placement in and withdrawal from a residential school, family life, placement in a day school, adolescence, and entry into adulthood. (CB)

In a family with an 18-year-old mentally retarded son who had trouble finding and keeping a job, counseling helped the father to set reasonable expectations for his son, the mother to reserve criticism until an appropriate time, and the son to be more responsible for his vocational training and job hunting. (CB)

Counseling helped parents of a mobility-impaired 16-year-old recognize her need and struggle for independence, first indicated by her refusal to participate in the family vacation. Counseling helped both parents and the daughter to appreciate the other's viewpoints and to change the ways in which they dealt with family problems and communication.…

A case study is presented of a family in which the parents disagreed about the role their young daughters should play in caring for their baby son, who was born with severe physical disabilities. Through counseling, the parents learned to improve their communication, deal with stress, and accept outside help. (JDD)

A family experiences difficulty dealing with a 20-year-old daughter who establishes a pattern of criticizing her parents' lifestyle, their relationship with each other, and their relationship with their 15-year-old learning-disabled son. (JDD)