Caregiving, Special Needs Parenting
Stephanie McKeever
Finding Thankfulness in Disability

There were young kids, teens, young adults, even his best friend, all playing together, learning and laughing. But, there was no sign of my child. I searching the parking lot where everyone was talking and hanging out with their families; not there either. Here is where most people panic. But, deep down I knew; look with the younger kids. It was there I found him, rolling down the hill, filled with that bold childhood laughter, having the time of his life. No pressure here. No one asking him to make quick decisions he had to worry about in that football game. There was only freedom and joy. I want him to be something he isn’t sometimes, but I’m learning to start finding the thankful in disability.

Finding Thankfulness in Disability
Caregiving, Challenges, Living Life Daily, Love, Special Needs Parenting
Cindi Ferrini
Counting the Cost

How many of us counted the cost (both emotionally and financially) of what it would take to raise a child and/or care for an aging parent? Many are doing both…Because we love our child, we don’t often consider the cost because we simply do what is needed and want the best for them.

Counting the Cost
Caregiving, Challenges, Down Syndrome, Special Needs Parenting
Evana Sandusky
For When You Don’t Feel Thankful

My daughter arrived in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the middle of the night on the eve of Thanksgiving. A tough respiratory virus attacked her lungs, and she needed a substantial amount of oxygen support. And now, this unexpected illness meant Thanksgiving was going to be completely different than we had all planned.

For When You Don’t Feel Thankful
Challenges, Hope, Scripture, Special Needs Parenting
Kara Dedert
When Thankfulness Seems Impossible

Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this? 

When Thankfulness Seems Impossible
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

Living Life Daily

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Love Language Hacks for the Coronavirus Shutdown

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Love Language Hacks for the Coronavirus Shutdown

Love language hacks for the coronavirus shut down, at least from my vantage point, are an easy stretch. I know this because the hacks have already been created by parents of kids with special needs and disabilities. This post offers a few examples how to create love language hacks for your family, whether or not you are directly involved in caregiving.

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Bringing Love to Life

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Bringing Love to Life

Every child receiving services in the special education system is required to complete a series of assessments every three years. One question I was asked at least every three years was particularly haunting: Where do you see your daughter working and serving in the community in 5, 10 or 15 years? I have often asked God to give us vision, and I’ve learned that Jesus measures a person’s value and success very differently than the way we do.

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Affair-Proof Your Marriage

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Affair-Proof Your Marriage

We all have times when we feel we’re not heard, loved, noticed, cared for, or appreciated by our spouse. In the world of caring for one with special needs, caregivers are often going, caring, and serving with little rest or reserve for one another. That is dangerous. Here are some things to consider to protect your most important relationship, your marriage.

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What is Your Special Needs Mystery Tool?

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What is Your Special Needs Mystery Tool?

Over all of those years I’ve had a Swiss Army knife, I’ve used it a lot, or rather I’ve used most of it a lot.There’s a tool on it that I hadn’t used so much; in fact, I wasn’t even sure what it was for. As I thought about this some more, I realized that the Swiss Army pocket knife, and the particular tool I was looking at, makes a great metaphor for many of us who care about children and young people with special needs or disability.