My Kid Works Harder than Yours

PUZZLES & CAMO BY SHELLY HUHTANEN A child with special needs may need to try to do a skill 100 times to get it right as opposed to a typical child that may take three times. It’s official. Summer has arrived. Our pool bag is permanently placed in our kitchen nook for easy access full of sunscreen and swim goggles. Our lawn furniture is placed strategically in the backyard for get-togethers in the evening once […]

Inclusion In Sports

BY JENNIFER WOODWORTH, PSY.D. Often, inclusion is a word used in education when a child with special needs is included in a typical classroom, with or without an aide. What about outside of school? How does inclusion work when coaches or other group leaders are not informed, do not understand the challenges that your child faces, or how to handle them? It is possible and beneficial to include children of all abilities in recreational activities […]

Direct Support Professionals Workforce

AAIDD and NADSP Issue a Joint Position Statement Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have long sought lives where they can be fully contributing and valued members of their communities. Federal regulations including the Americans with  Disabilities Act (ADA), and more recently the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule and the US Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) have set forth standards […]

Are We There Yet? Make Summer Trips Extra Memorable

BY KAREN KABAKI-SISTO, M.S. CCC-SLP Your child ought to be a highly active participant in your family getaway – and more confident and excited than ever to share their experiences with others. Summer vacations, an important part of childhood, create lasting memories. You can help your child with special needs enjoy all of the awe and wonderment of those special family getaways with the following suggestions! BEFORE THE VACATION TIME CONCEPTS Mark the date of […]

Can I Get a LIft Here?

BY CHARLES M SCHWAB, ARCHITECT; ILLUSTRATIONS PROVIDED BY CHARLES M. SCHWAB It can be difficult for us adults to imagine, but try if you can: your stellar child will be growing up in a time when the ultimate automated mobility lift will take the form of an automobile. Some of us might, before too long, be using pre-programmed or remote controlled automobiles. When you think about it, these are just other terms for mobility lifts. […]