Parents & Caregivers

By Lisa Wells, Cure Medical Parents often arrive at the Abilities Expo looking for resources and services that can help their child who has a disability or special needs. That’s why we are so excited to share a free, new resource from Cure Medical designed especially for children by pediatric nurses! The Cure Medical Pediatric Education program is…

By Kerri Budde Meet Alexandra (Alex), the youngest of four children in the Strzepa family of Shrewsbury, MA. Adopted from Korea as an infant, she initially met all developmental milestones until walking, when her excessive tripping and falling began. The Strzepas took her to Children’s Hospital, where they received Alex’s cerebral palsy diagnosis. Further genetic…

By Kristin Hartness, Canines for Disabled Kids Why yes, it is true you may indeed see service dogs in school. One of the most asked questions about service dogs working with children is do they have access to school. Does a school have to allow a service animal in with a student? The short answer is…

By Caroline Linne, USC Rossier Recent changes to the California Department of Education’s teacher education curriculum is ushering in a new age of inclusion in today’s public school classrooms. In the fall of 2017, they introduced a significant change that will include special education into all general education programs. Before this, the two teacher preparation programs…

By Sherie Raymond Parenting isn’t easy at the best of times and having a child with a disability creates new challenges that the majority of parents could never imagine facing. This is especially true when it comes to education. There’s a lot of pressure to succeed and a lot of steps that have to be…

By Deanna Power, Disability Benefits Help Children with a wide range of medical conditions are able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. When a child receives benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), these benefits are usually paid through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a need-based form of disability that requires a detailed review of medical…

By Janis Gioia, ComfortingAnxiousChildren.com Looking to enhance your child’s therapies with something that can instantly calm, balance and center her?  Would you like to help your child develop: Would you like to: You can, quite easily. Here’s how: Give your child extended periods of uninterrupted, child-directed play in nature. Not on brightly colored plastic playsets. Not…

By Chris Kain, kellisaspath.com My 15-year-old daughter Kellisa spends the night at 20-25 hotels every year. Kellisa has hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, significant developmental delays, and low vision and is dependent on a wheelchair. I always make an online reservation for a first floor room and follow-up with a phone call to the hotel to hopefully guarantee…

By Tamara Simmons, The Funding Guide for Children with Disabilities Parenting a child with special needs is a unique, fulfilling, challenging and heartwarming experience. But, let’s face it—it’s not cheap. And, as we all know, there are devices that your kid absolutely needs to enhance their quality of life that your insurance won’t cover. The Funding Guide…

By Brittany Commodore, Inspired by Drive At Inspired by Drive, we do what we do because making a difference for special needs families matters. By combining the resources and strengths of two industry leaders, we pave the way for children with disabilities to shine. Columbia Medical + Wenzelite Rehab = Renewed Commitment to Special Needs Families…

Four-year-old Fatima of Dearborn, Michigan has cerebral palsy. Doctors predicted she wouldn’t sit, crawl or walk. “We were planning to go to the end of the world to find the right physical therapy for Fatima. Her doctor believed in the benefits of intensive therapy, and we were very lucky to find Euro-Peds. She has been…