Read below for a guest post from Stef McKeever. We are a loud family. When we show up people know it. There is no hiding us. A day in our life may include yelling, "BobGoblin!" (from Nickelodeon's Wallykazam) with the 4 year old and "GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" during the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer games with the almost 20 year old. I've even been trying to teach my teenage son with special needs, Evan, … [Read more...]
A Mom’s Advocacy for Her Son {Guest Post}
Read below for a guest post from Ron Sandison. My development began normally until eighteen months. At that time I began to rapidly regress, losing the ability to communicate words I had previously learned and ceasing to have eye contact. Raising a son with autism began my mom’s career as an advocator. As I entered kindergarten, the school specialists labeled me as emotionally impaired. My mom … [Read more...]
Shine {Guest Post}
Read below for a guest post from Lisa Bonnema. Today was one of those days I feel like God gave our family a secret. A secret that is available to anyone who wants to pay attention, but a secret that we get to live and breathe and feel in the depths of our souls. Today, I sat in an audience and watched my baby dance. On a stage. In all of God's glory. The baby I cried for and … [Read more...]
Just Horsing Around {Guest Post}
Read below for a guest post from Lorna Bradley. If I had known the day was going to include a life or death, headlong, downhill race after my son, I would have worn different shoes. In hindsight, I should have seen it coming. We moved to Chicago from Alaska while my husband attended graduate school. Living on a tight, student’s budget, we were happy to find a family friendly event in the … [Read more...]
DUMB…The Power of Words Rooting
“…will she always look DUMB...” Those words were like nails running down a chalk board. We were shocked. Before I proceed, you need to understand the background. Fayth, our daughter with Down syndrome, was just 6 months old at the time. We had traveled out to California for Christmas to be with my family. Fayth was also only 3 months out of her open-heart surgery. To put it lightly, my wife … [Read more...]
How To Make Others Understand
You’re about to pull your hair out. You have tried to explain your situation more times than you can count. So why do others still not understand? How can you make others understand? The life of raising a child with special needs can be frustrating and draining. But dealing outsiders is a whole other deal. Whether it is your extended family, friends, church leaders, or neighbors, dealing with … [Read more...]