The child was about 12 years old and weighed about that many pounds or a few more. As a young high school aged student I didn’t know how to relate, respond, or inquire about my friends sibling that I was seeing (not meeting) for the first time. I’d known my friend for at least 3 years, and not once did my friend mention this sibling. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. It was my first … [Read more...]
5 Reasons Why “All You Need is Love” Isn’t All you Need
We all love our child with special needs, caring for them with all the love we have inside of us…but while love is the biggest most important thing we have going for us in this unexpected journey….there are indeed, other things needed to get us to the finish line! Here are a few we’ve found to help us on our journey: BOUNDARIES - Boundaries for our family is so important. We need to know when … [Read more...]
We Long to Fit In – 7 Ways to Try!
Inclusion and Mainstreaming has long been a back and forth quandary. How inclusive must a classroom be? If the special needs student doesn’t understand numbers should they be in a regular math class? If this student has a buddy to help in an art class, should they be welcomed with mainstreaming? These are all great debates and questions for the classroom but what about family functions and other … [Read more...]
“As Long as the Baby is Healthy” – 10 Reasons Why That Isn’t Most Important
Pregnancy goes hand in hand with this common saying. If you’ve had pregnancies, you’ve heard it. Perhaps you’ve even (as I have) said those words to others. However, after having a child with special needs, we changed our response to, “Well, even if this baby isn’t healthy, we’re not giving it back.” We’re not sure if it’s taken seriously or with humor, but how does that sit with you, especially … [Read more...]
Provision Even in the Little Things
She always wanted a family of “four” – a dad, mom and 2 children. Apparently, her request was heard differently and God gave her TRIPLET GIRLS just days before her son turned two years old: thus a family with 4 kids! God’s sense of humor is really something! As I watched this mom navigate 4 children under the age of 2, I was ALWAYS in amazement. At the time I had 2 children spaced nearly 3years … [Read more...]
The Simple Life of “Special Needs”
Folks with special needs (often) tend to have lives that are simpler. I didn’t say easy; I said simpler. Over the course of our sons’ span of 39 years of life, it has been interesting to observe how little he wants, how little he asks for, and how little he has. Of course, what he does have is very important, meaningful, and necessary to and for him. Things like his: DVD’s Disney movies … [Read more...]