Bringing a newborn home from the hospital can come with stress for any parent. Coming home with twins can be double the stress. This article shares the story of a couple faced with this situation 12 years ago with the birth of twins, one was born with complications. They lived in a Colonial until the twins were almost five years old, at which time…

Moving Forward Towards Independence, a California-based nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by a group of parents, is a unique residential program where young adults with disabilities learn to enjoy productive, fulfilling and healthy lives within a caring, responsive community made up of fellow residents, trained staff members, parents and…

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…

This article features Melmark New England, a private, nonprofit, community based organization dedicated to serving children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injury, neurological diseases and disorders, and severe challenging behaviors. The Melmark parent corporation, a Pennsylvania based provider of services for those…

A grandmother tells of her emotional reaction to and gradual acceptance of her severely handicapped grandson. She notes her initial reaction, her anger and hostility, her gradual acceptance of the situation, her recognition of the child as a person, and her involvement with the child. (DB)

The Mother of Daniel, a severely handicapped child, helped the classmates of her nonhandicapped children understand about disabilities by bringing Daniel to school and answering questions. She and the teachers stressed Daniel's similarities with young children. The experiences helped Daniel's brother and sister deal with their own feelings toward…

The authors note that there are more questions than answers regarding the value of extended school year programs for students with disabilities. Questions include effects and cost effectiveness of summer programing. (CL)

The parent of a severely handicapped child encourages parents to prepare written care plans when leaving a child with others for a respite period. (DB)

A respite care program in New Jersey provides 50 families of mentally alert severely disabled adults with periodic relief. The program, which featured recreational and social activities, promotes the mental health of parents and families. (CL)

The development of effective community integration training programs for persons with severe handicaps is examined in terms of the human needs of severely disabled persons, the importance of comprehension and community-oriented training, emphasis on generalization, and consideration of individual preferences and interests. (CL)

The mother of a severely physically handicapped child relates her feelings upon learning of her child's handicap. (SBH)

Parents of severely disabled or chronically ill children need to find competent baby-sitters for respite as well as opportunities to spend time with other family members. Baby-sitters, who may be found among supportive professionals, community groups, and college sutdents, may be trained to deal with specific child care concerns. (CL)

The author describes the difficulties her family of 12 has faced with finding the best programs for their multiply handicapped, severely physically disabled preschoolers. (CL)

The article recalls working with young severely disabled children able to communicate only through eye movements or specially developed communication boards. These children could now be helped by sophisticated computerized technology, standard and specialized forms of which are described. The influence of positioning, portability, and other…

The case study analyzes the family situation in which parents of an institutionalized severely brain damaged son cannot agree over the child's return for the summer. The two daughters and the parents were helped to discuss the situation and improve their communication. (CL)