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My Child's Development
My Child's Development
Practical tips and information on ways to maximize the main areas of development for children.
Health & Day Care
Health & Daily Care
From mealtimes to vaccines and everything in between, this information will help you establish routines for the day to day needs of your child.
My Community
My Community
Connect to a network of parents and professionals and develop your own support network of peers and advisors.
Establishing Services
Establishing Services
Don't know where to start? Overwhelmed by all the acronyms? Learn how to navigate the system of care and tips on preparing for IEPs.
Meet Our Experts
Meet Our Experts
Our panel of experts combine medical and therapeutic perspectives with years of experience working passionately alongside famiiles and children with special needs.
Tools & Resources
Tools & Resources
A library of resources, reference links and easy to print guidelines for you to post on the fridge and share with others!
Love, Laugh & Live
Love, Laugh, & Live
This section is devoted to our amazing moms. It's ok, in fact we encourage you to laugh and develop goals for YOURSELF! Share your secrets of sanity and be encouraged to take time for you!
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Reactions from Society and Feelings of Isolation: Taking your child with social and/or physical differences out into the community can cause people to stare, make comments or fail to understand incidents or behaviors that may occur. AbilityPath.org's "Mom's Wisdom" provides personal stories from other mothers on how to deal with some of these situations including fostering friendships for your child community. To read more about "Mom's Wisdom" visit www.abilitypath.org/love-laugh--live.
Feelings of Grief: Parents of children with special needs often experience states of grief for the child and lifestyle they feel they have lost. AP Expert and licensed marriage anf family therapist (MFT) Kristin Reinsberg, has written a number of articles for parents on this topic. To view her articles and blog, click here.
Stress for Siblings of Children with Special Needs: An often overlooked population is the siblings of children with special needs. There is a lot of literature on the affected child but siblings and their stress contributes to the mother’s stress. Make sure that your neurotypical children have a ‘safe’ place to express their feelings and ask questions. For more information read AbilityPath.org's article on siblings.
Concerns about the Future: Contact a lawyer experienced in special needs estates to help you set up a trust for your child. Speak with your social worker about adult programs in your area for your child. It will give you peace of mind to know what will be available in your child’s future. Your local Family Resource Center may also be able to refer you to local attorneys that assist with this service.
Finances: Having a child with special needs is often a financial concern and drain on your resources due to expenses such as evaluations, equipment, and various therapies. For some quick tips on tax deductable expenses click here.
What stresses you? Share your experiences and seek support with other moms.