Special Needs Resource - eParent provides practical advice, emotional support and educational information for families of children and adults with disabilities and special healthcare needs as well as to the physicians, allied health care professionals, and educational professionals who are involved in their care and development

STUDY: The Family Dog Could Help Boost Physical Activity For Kids With Disabilities

BY MICHELLE KLAMPE Researchers designed an adapted physical activity, animal-assisted intervention where the family dog would serve as a partner with the child in physical activities designed to help improve overall physical activity, motor skills and quality of life. The family dog could serve as a partner and ally in efforts to help children with disabilities incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives, a new study from Oregon State University indicates. In a case […]

Anyone Can Sleep in the Top Bunk!

BY LAURA WHITAKER In 2014, Extra Special People (ESP) officially became the proud owner of 70 acres of beautiful, empty land in northeast Georgia – and Camp Hooray, a place where accessibility will be a foundational feature rather than a rushed afterthought, was one step closer to becoming a reality. Worried? Anxious? Not even close. If Toni Boyd could have described her emotions on the day she dropped off her daughter Samantha at summer camp […]

Perceptions of Self

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & DENTISTRY BY H. BARRY WALDMAN DDS, MPH, PHD, STEVEN P. PERLMAN DDS, MSCD, DHL (HON) AND MATTHEW COOKE, DDS, MD, MPH “Prior to the twentieth century, social attitudes reflected the view that persons with disabilities were unhealthy, defective and deviant. For centuries, society as a whole treated these people as objects of fear and pity. The prevailing attitude was that such individuals were incapable of participating in or contributing […]

Empowered Mobility Through a Virtual Presence THE ROBOT AS YOUR CHILD’S AVATAR

BY CHARLES M. SCHWAB, ARCHITECT Telepresence robots – used today by children’s hospitals, various healthcare providers and individuals alike – can provide virtual mobility by allowing your child to go somewhere and move with freedom when he or she may not be able to physically be there, 100% in person. Telemedicine models for healthcare have been growing in recent years. These programs allow specialists to perform consultations between hospitals and remote areas or populations. Telemedicine […]

OPERATION HOMEFRONT

FOUNDED IN 2002, OPERATION HOMEFRONT IS A NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO BUILD STRONG, STABLE, AND SECURE MILITARY FAMILIES SO THEY CAN THRIVE – NOT SIMPLY STRUGGLE TO GET BY – IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO PROTECT. BY DOMINIC CERTO Most military charities have a worthwhile purpose in seeking to support, enhance and, in many cases, rescue a military vet and their family. But managing expenses and providing […]

New Beginnings

EP Magazine’s aim is to reach the widest possible audience with our award-winning content – so please help us spread the word. As we enter our 46th year of continued publication, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your continued support of EP Magazine (Exceptional Parent), as well as for your advocacy and contributions to the special needs community. As EP’s new Publisher, I can assure that you […]

In and Out of the Lines

ANCORA IMPARO BY RICK RADER, MD ■ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF People, like crayons, come in a vast array of colors; but each one contributes to our collective palette. Stephanie Botswich had a particularly stressful day at work. Traffic was horrendous. Paperwork was time sensitive. Emails were haunting. Meetings ware laborious. Lunch was at a drive-thru. Colleagues were indifferent. Her desktop was indignant. By the time she made it home, she was frazzled. Having been through this familiar […]

FUN2GO TANDEM

The Fun2Go Tandem is a side-by-side, three-wheel tandem tricycle in which the users ride tandem and sit beside each other, designed for use by organizations, institutions, and individuals who want to provide social contact and movement for a person with a disability by cycling outdoors. One person steers, and both can pedal. Riders can easily adjust the seat to the required distance with a lever. There is also an optional electric engine to assist a […]