Yoga for Children with Special Needs

Dec 11, 2012 by

My boys have been taking yoga in some way since they were babies. We were lucky enough that our child care center offered it as part of the curriculum so even infants were visited by a trained yoga professional. I also took a park and rec yoga class many years ago that I absolutely loved. It really relaxed me and provided me with a nice quiet space to clear my head…before I truly needed one.

For a few years I’ve been looking for a parent/child class to take with Max. We both run at a high level of stress and anxiety and I wanted a way for us to connect and  was also looking for techniques to help us both take a minute to regroup and change focus when needed. He really responded to the class at daycare and I felt he needed more. Enter blogger extraordinaire Dena Fleno. She sent me an article about Lucy Rosenblatt and the yoga classes she runs for children with special needs. I contacted Lucy right away and Max and I started attending class the very next week.  Read more...

Not Your Average Support Group

Oct 23, 2012 by

The Epilepsy Foundation of CT runs a parents of children with epilepsy support group. I was thrilled to discover this when I moved here because MA didn’t have one. Unfortunately, it’s not very well attended…in fact, I’ve only made it to one meeting since May because of other obligations or a lack of babysitter. And the people who do attend are friends on Facebook, so we kind of chat all the time anyway. Just this past weekend, some of us were discussing the lack of attendance and how to improve the group.  Read more...

My Doctor Used the “R” Word

Aug 21, 2012 by

We finally decided on a pediatrician and had our first appointment. We really liked her. She was cheerful, the boys connected with her and her words even got Ben to try eating a vegetable. She agreed with Max’s treatment plan and even called specialists for us to make sure we saw the exact doctors she wanted us to see in a timely manner. She took notes on Max’s file and asked us a lot of questions.

There was an issue with a prescription she wrote so I had to go back into the office. As I was waiting, the doctor came into the hallway so the office manager could explain the situation. She had written the script so it read that we only needed 1 pill vs. 1 month’s worth of pills. The doctor was told that the pharmacy wouldn’t fill it that way. They wanted a corrected script. That’s when I heard the words “That is so retarded, just call them and tell them to fill it.” Do you hear the sound of tires screeching? I did. Wait. What did she just say?  Read more...

Back to School: Special Needs Edition

Aug 14, 2012 by

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Back to school! New clothes, new pencils, new class lists, new medication authorization forms, new IEPs, new explanations of medical conditions or accommodations. Is there a new bottle of wine around here anywhere? I’m finding my first “back to school” season to be pretty stressful.

In a few weeks, Max starts Kindergarten and there are just so many things to think about. Should I let Max take the bus or will it be too stimulating? And what if he has a seizure? Should I meet with his teacher ahead of time, or just let her meet him and work with him and form her own opinion? Should I trust that the school nurse will train the teacher on seizure first aid, or should I have the Epilepsy Foundation come in and do a training? Should I push more to meet with the IEP team sooner than the 30 day allotment they have to transfer his IEP from MA to our new school system?  Should I try to find him supplemental therapies outside of school or wait and see how he does? Is he going to collapse from exhaustion when he gets home or is he going to drive his teacher crazy because he can’t sit still? Will other kids like him even though he can’t write his name or play ball with them?  Read more...

Special Needs Tuesday

Aug 7, 2012 by

I’m guest posting for this column since our usual columnist Kris-Ann is on vaca!

A friend and colleague of mine (thanks Amy!) sent me this article a few days ago and it really resonated with me. It’s called What My Son’s Disabilities Taught Me About ‘Having it All’ and it’s well worth the read.

The author walks us through what life is like for her raising a son with severe developmental disabilities. As an outsider, it’s easy to read about her life and automatically wonder – how does she do it? How does she cope with life? It’s also really easy to think, “Gosh, I’m really happy I’m not in her position.”

In fact, people ask her those very question all the time, even her son’s own doctor has asked her how she’s coping.  Read more...

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