Kathleen Deyer Bolduc
Kathy’s main passion in life is looking for and writing about God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, whether difficult or joyful. She loves helping others do the same through her Spiritual Direction practice at Cloudland, the contemplative retreat center she and her husband are establishing outside of Oxford, Ohio. She is the mother of three adult sons and three daughters-of-heart. Her youngest son, Joel, who has autism, has been the inspiration behind her award-winning books on disability and faith: The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities, Autism & Alleluias, His Name is Joel: Searching for Joel in a Son’s Disability, A Place Called Acceptance: Ministry with Families of Children with Disabilities
You can read more about Kathy’s books and ministry at www.kathleenbolduc.com
Sarah Broady
Sarah Broady is a mother passionate about encouraging parents of special needs children. She is married to her college sweetheart who is in ministry at their church in southern Maryland as the associate pastor of worship and family ministries. They have three boys. Their second son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. It turned their world upside down, but God is using it for His glory in more ways they could have ever imagined.
Sarah advocates for children with autism within her state and has spoken for the Maryland Autism Technical Advisory Group making decisions regarding insurance benefits for children with autism. She has also spoken for both the MD State Senate and House of Representatives various committees in order to secure more available openings on the MD Autism Waiver. She has also lobbied on Capitol Hill for meaningful policies and laws that benefit families living with autism.
More than speaking in the political arena on behalf of families living with autism, her greatest desire is to reach the hearts of special needs parents and give them the hope that is found in Christ. Sarah also leads an encouragement group (and the group leaders) here at Not Alone.
Sarah blogs about her life raising a son with autism at Hope in Autism. She writes about every day happenings, grief and other emotions that come with the life of a special needs parent, while seeking to show the hope they find through Jesus in any circumstance. Read more about Sarah’s writing here. Sarah can be contacted through her blog, on Facebook or on Twitter.
Faith Clarke
Hi, I’m Faith, married 20+ years to my honey, Isaiah, homeschooling mommy to 3 amazing kids. My oldest, Jaedon, was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old, and the 14 year journey from that point has been both devastating and life transforming for our family. One of the fruits of this journey is Melody of Autism, which provides caregiver training, consultations and carers for families supporting loved ones with ASD. Whenever possible, I share with faith communities about the beautiful, sacred moments encapsulated in caring for our children with special needs. God meets us in these moments, and we are changed.
Emily Colson
Emily Colson is an author and speaker. Emily speaks to churches and organizations nationwide, and has appeared on numerous media outlets including Focus on the Family and the Huckabee show. In her book Dancing with Max, Emily and her father, Chuck Colson, share the struggle and beauty of life with Max, Emily’s 25-year-old son with autism. The book has recently been awarded “Book of the Year” by the Autism Society. Through her message, Emily has inspired many to persevere through their own challenges and see the gifts. Emily has been a single mother for most of Max’s 25 years, with hard fought lessons in life, love and a whole lot of laughter. Emily and Max live on the coast of New England where they can often be found dancing.
You can find more information at www.EmilyColson.com. Or contact Emily at EmilyColsonMinistries@gmail.com
Karen Crum
Karen is the parent of two children with neurobiological conditions, Karen’s priorities have always centered on caring for her family, and she has first-hand insight into the challenges families face. She has been a home-schooling mom. Karen excels in inspiring hope, perspective, and skill development in parents and professionals who feel weary or overwhelmed.
Karen’s newest mission includes her work with a Christian focus. Dr. Crum is the author of Preserving Parent: Finding Strength to Raise Your Child with Social, Emotional, or Behavior Challenges. This book points to God’s truths and to practical and spiritual principles that enhance hope, joy and effective special-needs parenting.
Jeff Davidson
Jeff and his wife Becky started Rising Above Ministries after realizing the incredible gift and blessing their own son with special needs (Jon Alex) was to their family. Jeff felt God’s calling to found Rising Above and become God’s missionary to the special needs community. In addition to leading and directing all aspects of Rising Above, Jeff is an author and speaker who enjoys speaking at churches, conferences, events and to groups, ministering to special needs families and individuals, and engaging churches. He blogs regularly at GoodNightSuperman.com. He is a contributing author at comfortinthemidstofchaos.com.
He is also the special needs team writer at 1corinthians13parenting.com. Jeff leads the No More Vacant Dads initiative to reach dads of children with special needs. He is the author of the new book, No More Peanut Butter Sandwiches: a father, a son with special needs, and their journey with God.
Jeff, his wife Becky, and son Jon Alex live in Cookeville, Tennessee.
Kara Dedert
Hi! I’m Kara, the official scribbler at EnRoute. Life is filled with extraordinary heartbreak and joy; I like to write about it and faith lessons learned along the way. Darryl and I have been blessed with four kids — Sophie, Noah, Evelyn, and Calvin. Darryl and I had anticipated a life overseas but after five years as missionaries in Cambodia we had a son, Calvin, born with a neuronal migration disorder and severe brain malformations. Our lives have changed drastically but God continues to display His faithfulness and grace in our lives.Barbara Dittrich
The mother of three children, all of whom have a variety of chronic illnesses or special needs, Barbara Dittrich founded SNAPPIN’ MINISTRIES (Special Needs Parents Network) in 2002 and currently serves as its Executive Director. The organization she leads was one of three finalists for WORLD MAGAZINE’S HopeAward for Effective Compassion in October of 2009, in conjunction with the American Bible Society. With a unique vision for serving parents of children with chronic illness, disability, or special needs, she has led the SNAPPIN’ MINISTRIES team in developing an innovative parent mentor curriculum. She lives with her husband of 20+ years in Wisconsin, writes and speaks nationwide, and is the creator of the blog http://www.comfortinthemidstofchaos.com/.
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
Joe and Cindi are authors of Unexpected Journey – When Special Needs Change our Course who enjoy speaking on topics that will encourage men and women to make a difference in their sphere of influence by being all they can be for the Lord, their families, and themselves. They speaking nationally for FamilyLife Weekend To Remember Get-a-Ways and are on associate staff of CRU. Make sure to check out their blog and how to connect with them on other social media at Creative Management Fundamentals.
Mike George
I am an author, speaker, and Inclusion evangelist but, most importantly, I am a parent of a young adult with multiple disabilities, and have invested a lifetime to helping him become the person he is meant to be.
As co-founder and Chief Motivator for SoaringFamilies.com (to be launched very soon), I am driven to help persons with disabilities and their families find their voice and place in the world. SoaringFamilies is about believing in a future that is bigger than the past, creating a world where all persons are accepted and included, and where every life is of equal value.
My first book, Third Time Lucky: How Ben shows us the way, tells a very personal story of our family’s determination to unleash the smart, social, loving son who was trapped deep inside a spastic body. My drive to restore normalcy and predictability to our shattered world led me to unearth a deep-seeded passion that made me whole … which was to make him whole. Learn more at www.thirdtimelucky.ca and at www.bmgdynamics.com.
Craig Johnson
Craig is currently the Director of Ministries at Lakewood Church, overseeing all pastoral ministries and staff and the founder of Champions Club developmental centers for special needs with over 30 centers across the world. Craig is the co-author with Dr Sandy Robinson of “Champions Curriculum” a full scope Christian curriculum for special needs. He is the author of Lead Vertically: Inspire People to Volunteer and Build Great Teams That Last and his new book Unrehearsed Destiny: Its Intermission, Your Second Act Is Coming. Craig and his wife of 26 years, Samantha, have three children: Cory, Courtney, and Connor.Stephanie McKeever
Stephanie and her husband are parents of all boys, one of which is a young adult with both physical and intellectual disabilities. God is teaching her big things through their trials that she probably would have never learned without them. You can find more from her at www.mostlyeandme.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
Patty Myers
Patty Corrigan Myers is the author of Autism Is A Blessing. Mrs. Myers has a degree in Psychology from King College. Currently she is the Director of First Hope at The First Academy, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Orlando and is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. Autism Is A Blessing is about the author’s struggle to understand Autism and the effect it has on the child and the family. Mrs. Myers has 2 children, Chelsea and Charlie. Charlie was diagnosed with autism in 2004. One of her passions is disability awareness and working with churches, schools, and other organizations to get the word out. Mrs. Myers’ perspective is to look at the positive side of all struggles that we face and how we can learn and love through them. Make sure you check out Patty’s blog at PattyMyers.com!
Sandra Peoples
Sandra Peoples near Houston, Texas where her husband is planting a new church. They have two sons, one with autism.. Sandra has a degree in English from Hardin-Simmons University and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Sarah Parshall Perry
Sarah Parshall Perry is the co-author of When the Fairy Dust Settles (Faith Words, 2004), the author of Sand in My Sandwich (And Other Motherhood Messes I’m Learning to Love) (Revell, 2015), and is a contributing author to The Horse of My Heart (Revell, 2015). Her next book, Mommy Needs a Raise (Because Quitting’s Not an Option) (Revell) is slated for release in July. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter where she’s (sometimes inadvertently) making people laugh at her jacked-up life.”
Sarah has written for numerous publications on topics ranging from disability and family to education and the arts. She has a B.S. in Journalism from Liberty University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is a former senior fellow at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.
Sarah has served in youth ministry for over 10 years, and also writes for ChosenFamilies.org, where she uses her boys’ autism diagnoses to encourage other families touched by disability. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children.
Jolene Philo
Jolene Philo is the daughter of a disabled father and the mother of a child with special needs. After a 25 years as an elementary teacher, she left education in 2003 to pursue writing and speaking. She’s the author of several books about special needs parenting, caregiving, special needs ministry and her most recent book about PTSD in children. More information about them can be found at the book page of her website. Jolene speaks throughout the United States about parenting children and adults with special needs and post-traumatic stress in children. Her blog, www.DifferentDream.com, provides resources and encouragement for parents of kids with special needs. She also blogs about life on her dusty gravel road at www.jolenephilo.com. Jolene and her husband live in Boone, Iowa and are parents to two adult children. They are known as Grammy Jo and Papoo to their three adorable grandchildren.
Ellen Stumbo
Ellen Stumbo writes with gritty honesty and openness. She is passionate about sharing the real—sometimes beautiful and sometimes ugly—aspects of faith, parenting, special needs, and adoption. Ellen’s writing has appeared on Focus on the Family, LifeWay, The Mighty, MomSense., Not Alone Parents, Different Dream for My Child, the ParentLife blog, and The Huffington Post. Ellen blogs at ellenstumbo.com and you can also find her on twitter and Facebook.
Ellen’s husband is a pastor. But before you think of her as “the pastor’s wife” know that she is a broken person with much need of grace. She is a mom to three girls. Her second daughter was born with Down syndrome, leading them to adopt their third daughter with cerebral palsy.
Ellen is a speaker, often addressing women at different church settings where she invites them to find beauty in their brokenness as God’s love and compassion transform their lives.
One of Ellen’s greatest passions is to see the church embrace disability, not out of pity or out of service, but out of a genuine understanding, acceptance, and celebration of their life. This is why she founded Disability Matters, and organization that strives to encourage every church to embrace disability.
Ellen’s free ebook, You Are Enough is a compilation of posts about disability, parenting, adoption, and a God who changes lives. You can get her ebook by subscribing to her free email list.
Hi there! Your blog is such a blessing to me. I also write a blog that supports moms raising kids with special needs, and have been running it since 2002. I see you are not accepting guest posts right now, but I’d love to be added to the list that you notify when you are, or apply if you ever need contributing writers again. Thank you so much for the uplifting work you do!
This site has blessed me enormously and in many cases your writers have expressed my deepest yearnings and thoughts as a mom of a girl with autism. My book Lonely Girl,Gracious God was published in 2011, but I often write as a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul and others. I would love to know how to contribute to this wonderful site if this is even possible. Thank you for all you do and any information you can offer. Lauri
Hi Lauri! We aren’t accepting guest posts at this time, but I’ll let you know if we open the opportunity up again!
Thank you so much, I will look forward to hearing from you in the future!! Lauri
Hi there,
My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.
I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTING has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 100 Parenting blogs on the web.
http://blog.feedspot.com/2016/02/11/parenting-blogs/
I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of top Parenting blogs on the internet and I’m honoured to have you as part of this!
Best,
Anuj
I so appreciate your place. Thank you for the Hope and encouragement you provide here. I am grateful to have crossed (cyber)paths with you!
I found this site through Twitter. In 2011 I self published a children’s/parenting book about my daughter who suffered 3 strokes as an infant, but is told through the eyes of my then 5 year old son.
Please check out my web site. You will also find a link to the article I had published in Exceptional Parent Magazine a few years back.
Anything you can do to help me promote my book would be greatly appreciated. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to send you a copy.
Thanks for your time.
Julie Wolfe
Hi, I looked you up after seeing your tweet to Andrew & Rachel Wilson here in the UK. I wanted to let you know that I’m a Christian autism mum too and have written a book to help fellow parents. The book is called Faithfully Parenting Autism and offers practical advice but from a Christian perspective rather than world view. I’d love to get in touch properly to explain more.
Nicola
So glad you found us! If you’d like to submit a guest post to reach our community, you can find out how here: http://specialneedsparenting.net/guest-posts/
I stumbled upon your website and I am so glad I did! I look forward to reading your updates!
I have been involved in directing and training for special needs ministry for almost 20 years and
have written the book, Grace Without Margins. I would love to be part of your fellowship that supports the special needs community. Blessings- Deana
So glad you found us! If you’d like to submit a guest post to reach our community, you can find out how here: http://specialneedsparenting.net/guest-posts/
Hello Sandra – I attempted to use this link but it does not work.
Hello! I came across this website while browsing through articles related to disability and special needs, and just wanted to drop a message to say that this is an awesome site! Personally, I am a special educator and God has really put this burden in my heart to serve children with special needs as well as their families. Recently, I set up a facebook page called ‘special needs narrated’, where I am attempting to use stories and anecdotes to tell society about different aspects and perspectives of special needs – stories which go beyond ‘weird’ and ‘disabled’. Would be nice if you guys could check it out! God bless!
So glad you found us! If you’d like to submit a guest post to reach our community, you can find out how here: http://specialneedsparenting.net/guest-posts/
I am a special needs director at Christ’s Church located in Jacksonville Florida. This summer we are hosting a first time event meeting every Wednesday morning for 8 weeks for our kids and parents with kids having a special need. While our volunteers are having a lot of fun with the kids we are offering respite time for the parents including a day of pampering, yoga, a special brunch prepared by our staff, a parent panel, the importance of reading to your child, a painting day ending with a special picnic with their child to close out the event. I would love some ideas from you on how to best show how much we love and honor these very special caregivers. Even thought of bringing in a special speaker….? BTW……looking into providing the parents in attendance a copy of The Spiritual Art of Raising Children With Disabilities by Kathleen Deyer Bolduc. Any guidance or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Hoping to fill these caregivers with joy during our short time we have to love on them.
Thank you for taking the time to read:)
I’ve nominated you for a Very Inspiring Blogger award! http://mitchteemley.com/2015/01/23/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Thanks so much, Mitch!
I am so moved by the organization and support offered through this wonderful ministry. I noticed several of your writers of parents of children with autism, so I thought I might share a story I wrote that was inspired by a dream I had about Christ that forever changed the way I see my son’s autism. It is called,
“The Healer”
It was a bright, sunny spring day in Washington, DC. I lived with my husband and two children in a 3rd floor condo on 17th St., NW where we enjoyed having historical landmarks for neighbors and dwelling among the fantastic cherry blossoms that graced the landscape that time of year. The morning started off like most Tuesday mornings at our house. My husband, Bob, was at work, while my daughter, Jaiden, was at school in the 1st grade. My 8-year-old son, Nathan, was home with me, awaiting the speech therapy appointment we had for him each Tuesday morning at 11 o’clock. The events that unfolded on that, otherwise, typical day changed the course of my family’s life forever.
“Honk! Honk! Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!”
Horns, blasted and sirens sounded. I hurriedly opened the sliding glass door that led out onto our balcony overlooking the city street. With all the commotion and loud noise, my mind raced back to that dreadful day…September 11, 2001. I could almost smell the smoke of the plane all over again. I frantically looked up the block and down it again trying to figure out what in the world was going on. The sounds grew louder and I heard a crowd of voices but could not tell from where they were coming.
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
I thought I could feel the ground rumble, just like I did back on 9/11. Fear pierced my veins as I gazed toward the street corner where loud sounds were flooding the air. Suddenly, I saw them! A HUGE mass of people pouring onto my city block! They were coming in between the buildings and onto the street. It looked like the center of an hourglass as the mass made its way down 17th Street. Having lived through 9/11 as I did when I worked across the street from the Pentagon as a contractor to the military, I thought for sure we were under siege! I screamed to Nathan,
“Go get your shoes on, quickly! We have to go! Now, Nathan, right now!”
I ran to the hallway closet and grabbed the umbrella stroller. Though Nathan had long outgrown it, I knew we would need to move fast, and with his autism, he may not follow my commands as quickly as needed. I strapped him in and ran hastily back to the balcony to see where the mob was headed. That was when I saw him. There was a strange nucleus right in the center of the swarming crowd; a single person walking calmly and peacefully amongst the chaos, right down the center of my street! As my eyes focused, I recognized him – Sun kissed face, straight dark hair tucked behind his ears, short goatee, dark, kind eyes, gentle smile. It was Jesus. It was Jesus. It was Jesus!
Without another thought, I rushed out the door, pushing Nathan in the stroller, running down the hall to the elevator. I pushed the button countless times, yelling,
“Come on elevator! Come on!”
Then I whispered to Nathan, “Jesus is here! Baby, He’s here!”
The moment the doors opened, we ran in and pressed, pressed the ground floor button. Down, down we went with what seemed like an eternity! No sooner had the doors opened that we pushed our way out and fell into the tail-end of the mass following Jesus. They seemed to be headed towards the Washington Monument! The crowd was thick, maybe even 3 city blocks or more deep. Nathan sat, covering his ears, with his Nintendo DS sounding from his lap as we pushed our way through, trying to run, trying to see, and trying to touch Jesus.
As we pressed on, I pulled out my iPhone and tweeted a message to all the autism mothers support groups which I belonged,
“Jesus is here! He is in DC, making His way down 17th Street. He has crossed Constitution Ave. and is headed for The Mall! Come! Bring your children with autism! Come now!!!!”
In this dream, I could see myself from a bird’s eye view, pushing through the crowd while the sounds of front doors were opening all over. Moms were coming out of their homes in the surrounding blocks, out in the suburbs, in the outlying towns, all over the state, all over the country, and finally, all over the world.
“Click. Click. Click.”
The sound of the doors opening played in my ears like a broken record and I could see them! Just like a live satellite image of the world! First the bird’s eye view of the DC Metro Area, then, like a Google Map image of the state, and so on. It was so surreal! Moms were making their way towards Jesus with their autism-afflicted children in arms.
Next, I frantically dialed my husband at work, despite being smack in the center of the mass. People were nearly crushing my arms as I held the stroller tightly with both hands and balanced the phone on my shoulder. As soon as Bob picked up the line, I screamed,
“He’s here, Bobby! Come quickly and meet me on the lawn of The Mall! Bring Jaiden!”
“Who’s there, Vicki?” Bob asked, sounding alarmed.
“It’s Jesus!” I screamed with my voice shaking.
Bob simply said, “I’m on my way!”
I could see edge of the crowd ahead of me. It seemed as though it had stopped moving forward and was somehow fanning out on both sides. I tried to jump up and down to see if I could catch a glimpse of where Jesus was in all of the chaos, and I did see Him, but only for split second. Up ahead was the reflecting pool, and I thought I saw Jesus baptizing someone! I carefully stood up on the rear wheels of my son’s stroller, balancing and trying to see Him more clearly. The crowd fell silent. There He was, baptizing a girl in the name of His Father. When He brought the teenage girl out of the water, I recognized her face! It was the young lady I saw many evenings on my drive home from work. She was frequently standing on the corner of 14th Street, waiting for a buyer. I had wondered many times who she was and how she ended up selling her young body that way. I was overcome with hope and joy for her having been saved by God’s grace!
I pressed forward with Nathan, begging people to let us through, begging their forgiveness a I ran over their toes with the wheels of my stroller. Tears streamed down my face as my arms grew weary and weak, but I couldn’t stop gravitating toward Jesus! Suddenly, when the front wheels of the stroller jammed against the edge of the concrete walkway surrounding the reflecting pool, we tumbled onto its surface. I gazed across the pool, only to see Jesus leaving the water as if His work was done! I screamed out to Him,
“Father! Wait!”
I shoved Nathan, seated in his stroller, across the concrete, towards Jesus. I fell onto the hard surface, scraping both knees and palms. The stroller thrust forward so hard that it ran right into Jesus’s feet! Nathan’s hair was blown into his face from the powerful thrust, as he sat there for a second, looking a little dumbfounded. Jesus simply smiled warmly at him, and then lifted his chin with his hand. Gently, he blew Nathan’s hair out of his eyes with a soft breath. In that moment, my silent son turned to me smiling, and said these very first words,
“Hi, Mommy!”
I ran to him, embracing him tightly, and kneeling at the feet of my Lord, thanking Him repeatedly for freeing my son and for healing him. I heard another little voice yell,
“Mommy!”
As I turned, I saw Bob running toward us with our daughter in his arms. Tears were in his eyes as Nathan called out to him, “Daddy!” and leaped into his arms, hugging him and his sister. A short moment later, he climbed down and walked right toward the edge of the crowd where another mother stood stunned with her autistic child in arms. Nathan took the child’s hand and sweetly said, “Come on. Come with me.” as he led him to Jesus and placed his hand in the hand of our Lord. Jesus knelt down and hugged them both, then whispered to them,
“Did you know that “Autism” is not really “Autism” anymore? It is “Awe ‘tis Him”. In the Holy name of my Father, be free.”
Then he waved His hand across the crowd, and “autism” was no more. Instead, there was resounding “Awe ‘tis Him!” coming from the crowd as they cheered and sang praises to God in thanksgiving. My Nathan, and all affected by autism, was forever healed.
When I awoke from my dream, I knew I would never think of my son’s autism the same again. Whenever I would think about my son’s condition, I would be reminded of “Awe ‘tis Him” and be blessed by the gift God gave me, allowing me to be Nathan’s mom and to watch God move in his life.
After thanking God through tear-filled eyes, my heart came to rest on the concept, “Faith is not believing that God can – It is knowing that He will.” And the Lord’s peace washed over me.
I have written two books about adoption and special needs adoption and parenting. I would love to be considered to be a guest writer or contributing writer for your blog. My books are entitled Gotcha Day : A Celebration of Adoption (Crossbooks 2011) and Chinese Take Out : An Adoption Memoir (Tate 2014) Thank you for your consideration of my request, in advance. Blessings, Sheila Temple
Sheila, you can see our guest post information and contact us that way! http://specialneedsparenting.net/guest-posts/ Thanks!
This says page not found. I’m trying to find out how to be a guest writer.
I am a friend of Emily Colson and author of “I Would Have Said Yes”.
Lisa, we aren’t accepting guest posts anymore. I’ll let you know if we open them back up!
Hello,
My name is Andrea Dunning. A friend just sent me this site knowing that it would touch my heart, and it did. I’m an English teacher/home educating mama of six kids from college to crib. We have two kids with Oppositional Defiance Disorder, two with deep sleep disorder/enuresis, one child with severe dyslexia and dysgraphia, and our latest sweet baby with Down syndrome and Congenital Heart Disease. My blog is fairly new – since February. I would love to be a contributing writer if you’re open/in need of more authors. I write about faith, motherhood, and special needs kids.
Thank you for considering and God bless!