Category: Exceptional Blog

Recognizing Survivors of All Ages & Abilities This Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Exceptional Blog 11/01/2018 publisher

Lance Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator, ACL Throughout Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we mourn the loss of victims of domestic violence, support the resiliency of survivors, and spread the message that healthy relationships are not violent. At the Administration for Community Living (ACL), our mission is to promote individuals’ independence, health, and wellbeing through our programs for older adults and persons with disabilities—and the right to live free from violence is a central tenet […]

Forgetting Milestones and Learning to Measure Progress…a New Way of Thinking! #TravelingWithAutism

Exceptional Blog 10/25/201810/25/2018 publisher

By Mary Ellen Bogucki For a long time we didn’t travel or take vacations. From a very young age, my daughter, Bree hated car rides. The minute the car started moving, she would cry. It took us years before we learned she had Autism and sensory issues. Her vestibular sense was affected and movement was a problem for her. The biggest mistake we made was when we decided to stop at a waterpark on our […]

When PTSD is not PTSD and why I can’t wait to have it.

Exceptional Blog 10/22/201810/18/2018 publisher

by Amanda Heller I know that sounds crazy, who in the world would want PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, much less look forward to it? I am not making light of such a struggle. I learned first hand how bad living with PTSD was after significant trauma years ago. I actually thought I had it again when dealing with my daughter’s complex medical problems, but I realize I was wrong. PTSD is serious and debilitating but […]

3 Popular Caregiver Apps

Exceptional Blog 10/18/2018 publisher

“There’s an app for that” is a phrase we often hear from enthusiastic friends and family. In the case of the busy caregiver managing the home medical needs of a loved one, the latest caregiver apps for smartphones and tablets offer an efficient way to organize important health details and improve family communication. Here are four apps to consider: ♥ Caregiver App #1 Let’s get started with CareZone, an app that offers a safe place to manage […]

On Being Normal

Exceptional Blog 10/15/2018 publisher

by Carey Handley Last week, for the second time in my daughter’s 24 years, she asked me why she couldn’t be Normal. Having been through this conversation half her life ago, I was able to reach into what’s left of my memory and recollect what it was I had told her the first time. My daughter was 12 the first time this particular subject came up and I had been completely unprepared for this discussion. […]