In this article, the author describes a rock climbing program at Minneapolis-based Courage Center, a rehabilitation and resource center that advances the lives of children and adults experiencing barriers to health and independence. Rock climbing offered participants a unique opportunity for both personal and physical development. The author…

When a child first receives a diagnosis and a treatment plan that includes recommendations for bracing, the prospect of intensive orthotic intervention can be daunting for the parent. Braces traditionally represent a prominent visual cue that the child has trouble walking. The classic brace seems awkward and hard to get into and out of. It is…

Doctors, nurses and other health care providers are making observational associations that individuals with existing disabilities or those who may be medically fragile are susceptible to adverse effects from toxic exposures than the general population. Because of this, the American Association on Mental Retardation has launched an Environmental…

The mother of a five-year-old with partial growth hormone deficiency recounts how she and her son attempted to deal with the physical pain and emotional upheaval caused by the regular injections of human growth hormones she had to administer to the child. (CB)