Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Hope, Special Needs Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Sunita Theiss
Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, ...

I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.

Discovering What God Already Knew About Me, Through My Children’s Diagnosis
Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily
Jolene Philo
Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy

Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?

Enjoying the Holidays with a Food Allergy
Caregiving, Challenges, Grief, Hope, Special Needs Parenting
John Fela (Felageller)
A New Home

It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.

A New Home
Autism, Caregiving, Challenges, Special Needs Parenting
Mark Arnold
Halloween & Special Needs: How to Make it ...

While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, children with special needs can safely join in the fun, too. So what are some of the things about Halloween that children with additional needs can find hard?

Halloween & Special Needs: How to Make it Fun for Every Child
Caregiving, Hope, Living Life Daily, Marriage, Special Needs Parenting
Joe and Cindi Ferrini
It’s Not Just “Us” 

“While we’ve had many years of travel speaking together on marriage, discipleship, and other topics, we are seldom alone and ‘just us’”Joe & Cindi Ferrini write on the struggle of never truly being along as special needs parents, and the importance of making time “just for us.”

It’s Not Just “Us” 

PTSD

, , ,

Things I Want My Child’s Therapists to Know About Families Raising Kids with Disabilities

, , ,
Things I Want My Child’s Therapists to Know About Families Raising Kids with Disabilities

In a recent viral social media post, Rachel Olstad expressed what she and many other families with children with disabilities would like to express to those who help care for their children.

, , ,

How Can I Make You Feel Safe?

, , ,
How Can I Make You Feel Safe?

Our job as caregivers, whatever the age of those in our care, is to make them feel safe. Which is why we should ask the same question every day–How can I make you feel safe?–and observe the words and behaviors of our loved ones, so we can create the secure environment they need.

, , ,

Mommy Can’t Right Now: An Open Letter to My Touch-Dependent Child

, , ,
Mommy Can’t Right Now: An Open Letter to My Touch-Dependent Child

Joanna French writes an open letter to her youngest child, whose love language is very different than hers, and also causes her emotional distress.

, , , , ,

Ten Ways to Prioritize Mental Health While Quarantined with Special Needs and 8 Kids

, , , , ,
Ten Ways to Prioritize Mental Health While Quarantined with Special Needs and 8 Kids

The time quarantined with 8 children, including five teenagers and one child with profound special needs, has been intense. Prior to the worldwide pandemic, my husband Ryan and I successfully prioritized self-care. We understand how fragile our mental health can become in stressful circumstances, having each experienced bouts of overwhelm, PTSD, and anxiety. May is Mental Health Awareness month. Here are ten routines we have incorporated to preserve the integrity of our well-being that may be helpful to others as well.