BY LAUREN AGORATUS, M.A. AND DENISE BOUYER-HARGROVE It is essential that families are aware their child with special needs has the right to receive care and education in the least restrictive environment along with their age-appropriate peers. Many families are unaware that their child with a disability or special need could be included in a typical child care or preschool program. Also, parents may not be aware that their child transitioning from early intervention to […]
BY HUGO DWYER & VOR’S COMMITTEE ON GUARDIANSHIP RIGHTS Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their parents, family members and guardians may have heard about Supported Decision-Making (SDM), an initiative that could affect their decision-making rights. Some see SDM as an alternative to guardianship, while others view it as an attempt to remove the legal instrument that provides a safety net for vulnerable individuals. VOR is a national organization that advocates for high […]
BY PEG GRAFWALLNER, M.ED. Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make […]
Much like Kathleen did, families have the ability to trace their family health history. The tree can include everything from information on heredity, diet, work, activities and environment. GENETIC ALLIANCE BY BY CLAIRE MENA Dr. Kathleen Mimnagh, MD was doing a pediatric genetics rotation in medical school when a geneticist noticed her hand as she inserted an IV. He asked her to do a maneuver that stretched her thumb across her palm. Kathleen’s thumb, unlike […]
BY MINDY STANNARD Going through a divorce can be a stressful and trying time for any parent. Parents of a child with disabilities or special needs often face additional challenges when going through a divorce. Even an amicable divorce can include many complicated issues when the parents have a child with special needs. Issues relating to decision-making, a parenting schedule, child support, alimony and division of debts and assets are especially important in cases where […]
