Parents & Caregivers

By Ericka Polanco Webb, Becoming the Mrs. Motherhood Blog Playdates and playgrounds. I vividly remember, my son was at the age when climbing trees, hanging on monkey bars and running up and down the slide was the highlight of children his age. However, this was not the case for him. He’s a wheelchair-using child that has…

Kyle Fiorelli was a special education teacher with a special problem. “When looking at books that feature children with disabilities, I found that most of them focused on the disability.” Fiorelli shares. Kyle began her career as an aide to a young girl with cerebral palsy named Maggie, and there was no good representation in any…

By Tracy Suzanne Williams The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as other healthcare organizations promote the importance of family meals. Families who frequently eat together are more likely to be closer because family meals give children and adults alike an opportunity to discuss their day. The Family Meal Project says that children and…

By Tanya Sheckley, Up Academy This is Harold on Wheels. He is a Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Scottish Deerhound and some other stuff. He’s pure mutt, which we know because we had his DNA tested. Harold shows people everywhere that all we really need is love and acceptance to thrive. I first saw Harold when he was…

By Jenny Wise There are so many thoughts and emotions that whirl through your mind when you learn your baby has a disability. Once the initial surge of emotions has passed, it’s time to think seriously about how you’ll prepare your life for a child with a disability. These are the five things every parent…

Living in a 1,000 square foot apartment, the Copp Family committed to their dream of providing an accessible home for their two boys, Calan and Lawson. Their boys depend on mobility devices like wheelchairs and posterior walkers due to a rare mitochondrial disorder which makes it difficult to receive much support. The Copps had their…

An interview with Karen Kain, CEO of Lorrin’s World, by Sarah Galbraith Laucks, Abilities Expo Education & Events Director In 1994 Karen Kain gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Lorrin. Two months later at her regular check-up, Lorrin received her first and only DPT (diphtheria pertussis tetanus) vaccination. Lorrin had a severe reaction to…

By Kay Carter If your child has an anxiety disorder, creating a calm and inviting home environment can help with the daily stresses and worries brought on by anxiety. Here are six ways to transform your home into a stress-free environment and make it more comfortable for your child. Create a Peaceful Haven for Rest…

By Michelle Haney, Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy Everyone needs some rest in their lives. In this day and age, we are all running around day to day filling every minute of every hour. This is true of the average person. Now add a child, or several, to the equation. Now add…

By Julie Keon Julie is the mother of a child with disabilities and shares her wisdom and experience in this powerful essay. I sensed someone watching me as I comforted my daughter after a particularly traumatizing dentist appointment at the Children’s Hospital. I looked up and saw you staring at us from across the waiting…

Children’s books are an essential role in young lives, they not only encourage literacy but influence our minds with creativity and valuable life lessons. Let’s Read is an up and coming company created by Author/Illustrator Brenda E. Koch. Educated as an Aboriginal Child Development Practitioner and an active Early Childhood Educator, Brenda has worked and…

By Karen Kain, Lorrin’s World I was at a block party with my new neighbors last week. It surprised me that every neighbor who attended was either a parent of a child with a disability or working in the field. As we stood in the street comparing our experiences, all completely different, one neighbor of…