4 Ways Tech is Improving Special Needs Education

Special needs children represent a significant portion of the public school population. As of 2013-14, there were 6.5 million children and young adults ages 3-21 who were receiving these services in the United States. Although they have to overcome challenges their peers don’t, these kids can and do thrive, especially as educational technology has improved. In the past, special needs kids typically didn’t have a chance at a level playing field when it came to […]

Forgetting Milestones and Learning to Measure Progress…a New Way of Thinking! – Fighting for Inclusion and Acceptance

By Mary Ellen Bogucki  As July came to a close, I witnessed the launch of the “Inclusion Revolution” with the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration. I wondered that with the celebration behind us, would the momentum continue and would society step up to the challenge? The challenge is defined in the “Inclusion Revolution” pledge. The pledge states: I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied. I […]

This is Why I Will Forgive

by Tulika Prasad A few days back, while I was browsing the aisles of a store, my 9 yr old son brushed against another customer. I was hoping it would not be a big deal but she had something else in mind. I said sorry and explained that my son is autistic. She was not ready for that excuse and said that if that’s the case, I shouldn’t “let him loose” and that she has been […]

A More Accessible Home for a More Inclusive Family

by: Caitlin Hoff Someone who was born with a disability or grew up from a young age with an impairment can tell you that for them, it is their “normal.” They have grown up instinctively adapting to an able-bodied world. What we don’t often talk about is a parent’s initial adjustment to their child’s disabilities. Overtime, these parents become expert caretakers and passionate advocates for their child and other children with disabilities, but it’s not […]

Sensory Challenges in Children

by Lisa Cohn When I asked my son, Michael, age 10, to explain what it feels like to have “sensory processing disorder, (SPD)” he said that the sound of a food blender sends him sprinting into a different room; the feel of a wool sweater against his skin “is like a bomb to me.” For Moira, age 10, loud noises are difficult.   And it’s hard for her to sit still for more than an hour […]