New Year Blues and winter depression can strike families unexpectedly, and may hit harder when parents of children with special needs lack support, understanding and encouragement during the first stressful weeks of the new year and dark months of winter

When my daughter was born, I was surprised that my role in the world seemed to shrink down to being only her mother. When her brother was born, that role seemed to shrink further - I was the mom of a child with Down syndrome. What happened to my history and experience before children?

New Medicaid limits on diabetes testing supplies for children and teens with insulin dependent diabetes will cause far greater expense in medical care, including emergency events requiring paramedics, emergency room visits, and hospitalization. Best practices advise regular and frequent monitoring.

Children with disabilities should be included in school music programs, and allowed to express themselves by playing instruments, writing and singing songs.

Children with special needs benefit from participation in school music programs, expressing themselves by playing instruments, writing and singing songs, learning and being included in the arts.

Recent discussion of the birth of octuplets to Nadya Suleman has included criticism and negative views of the higher risk of developmental disability and other special needs in 'multiple birth' babies. Families raising children with special needs are alarmed by these prejudicial, hateful comments.

MRSA and ORSA are antibiotic-resistant staph infections that can quickly become life threatening when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. Children with certain health conditions and developmental disabilities may be more susceptible due to skin conditions, injury, accidents or hospitalizations.

Moms of children with special needs are mothers first, and it is often that fierce basic mother love that inspires advocacy and awareness efforts that positively change the world for their daughters and sons

Fewer than 3% of babies with Down syndrome are born with the Mosaic variety, but there is information and support available for families of children with Mosaic Down Syndrome.

Mothers who endure long-lasting stressful situations deserve support, respite care and understanding. Sometimes crisis intervention and long term help is needed.