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

Practice Without Pressure

BY DEBORAH JASTREBSKI Practice Without Pressure™ greatly reduces and, most times, eliminates the need for sedation and restraint. The PWP model includes the individual, the family/caregiver, and the clinician, and introduces the PWP practice specialist into the paradigm. THE NEED You wake up one morning and your tooth hurts. Although it’s not your favorite thing you call your dentist, make an appointment and go get it fixed. You’re nervous but you tell the dentist that, […]

Physical Therapy: What You Should Know

THE FITNESS PRIORITY BY KRISTIN MCNEALUS, PT, DPT Feel free to get second opinions. Physical therapists treat many different diagnoses, again at many different stages. Exceptional Parents often are well versed in many avenues of care for themselves and their children, including all of the rehabilitation professionals. Do you know what each auxillary profession is knowledgeable about? As a physical therapist, I am going to present some information that I think may be useful to […]

Holistic Guide For Families Who Have A Loved One With Special Needs

PUBLIC BENEFITS BY CALEB HARTY Many important benefits are outlined below, but not all. Also, effort has been made to point out important aspects of the programs, but outlining every detailed exception, rule, etc., is beyond the scope of this informational guide. For context, most of these programs are “means-tested,” which means they are usually not available until the child turns 18 because up until that point the parents’ assets and income are taken into […]

Managing Expectations With A Home Remodeling Project

BY DEBORAH PIERCE, AIA, CAPS A road map for putting your remodeling project on a solid foundation. Renovation’s no “walk in the park,” as anyone who’s remodeled an older house will attest. And when we live with disabilities, little inconvenience can loom large. Yet renovate we must, to have a home that’s wheelchair accessible, or where our children can gain a degree of independence. The homes we live in today were built in a different […]

The Big Cheese

PUZZLES & CAMO BY SHELLY HUHTANEN Broden is the one that the smaller kids watch and look up to now… He’s the one who plops in the chair in the morning and yawns because he knows he’ll tackle this long day of ABA, just like any other day. It was the first day of school at the Autism Learning Center. Broden knew the drill as he slid out of his car seat and grabbed his […]

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 […]

On Catching the Number 7 Bus Home

ANCORA IMPARO BY RICK RADER, MD ■ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The tale of Gertie and Gail serves to emphasize the fundamental tenet of caring for and about individuals with dementia, and that is to “live in their world.” Following family tradition, England’s Prince Charles, the Duke of Wales, served in the Royal Navy. He served on an array of ships including guided missile destroyers, frigates, mine hunters and aircraft carriers. Young English schoolboys looked up to him […]

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 […]