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

8 Ways To Get The Best Medical Care For Your Kids

BOOK EXCERPT TIPS FOR PARENTS FROM HEALING CHILDREN: A SURGEON’S STORIES FROM THE FRONTIERS OF PEDIATRIC MEDICINE BY KURT NEWMAN, M.D. Over the years I’ve found myself giving advice to parents about how to tackle the confounding range of decisions involved in finding the right doctors and medical care for their children. A good guiding principle is that the more you use experts and facilities that specialize in pediatric care, the better your child’s experience […]

Sex Chromosome Variations

BY VIRGINIA ISAACS COVER, MSW, MBA Mark had always had challenges. As a toddler, he had speech and physical therapy through Early Intervention to address delays in meeting milestones. Although he managed to earn B’s and C’s in elementary school with the assistance of 504 accommodations, by Fifth grade he was falling behind, academically and socially. A developmental pediatrician diagnosed ADHD. Six months later, the school psychologist suggested an evaluation for autism spectrum disorder. Testing […]

The Importance Of Enrichment Programs For Students With Learning Differences

BY EMILY MARTON, B.S. State funding of school districts has continued to weaken nationwide since 2008. In fact, at least 31 states provided less state funding per student in the 2014 school year (end) than in the 2008 school year before the recession took hold (CBPP, 2016). These budget cuts cripple the ability for schools to maximize student learning potential and creative development, usually beginning with the elimination of arts and enrichment programs. Ironically, these […]

Motivation to Get Moving

THE FITNESS PRIORITY BY KRISTIN MCNEALUS, PT, DPT Write down your goals to keep you focused on why you are exercising. Are you trying to stay healthy for your children? Are you trying to cut down on medications you have to take? We all know that exercise has many benefits for us, both physically and psychologically. It can keep our bodies and our minds healthy, and yet most people do not get enough exercise. Why […]

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 […]

Understanding Accessible Housing: The Fair Housing Act

You know how difficult it can be to get around on crutches or in a wheelchair. You may need a wheelchair ramp or wider doorways in order to enter a building or even your own home. An accessible home is one that allows its occupant to do what he or she wants and needs to do, as independently as possible. The good news is, if you or your family member has a disability that requires […]

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 […]

The Case of the 125-Pound, Drooling, Snoring, Gassy, Loud and Silly Girl

ANCORA IMPARO BY RICK RADER, MD ■ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Most journal case presentations provide building blocks of information. After the initial description, they proceed with the results of diagnostic tests that were ordered. In 1792, British physician Dr. John Howard advised his colleagues, “The examination of a patient should be made by a medical gentleman of the hospital, with the patient before him, his notes to be corrected by himself… and if anything extraordinary or worthy […]

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 […]