Parents of children with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions, or other special needs may assume that any caregiver on an agency list has the training, experience, or basic skills to care for their son or daughter. Agency training may cover only filling out paperwork or timecards.

We can be thankful to one another for the inspiration to be the mothers our children deserve and the advocates that society demands, keeping one another reaching forward for our children and reaching back to other moms and families.

Supporting children with special needs in mainstream physical education classes by introducing adaptive P.E. strategies creates better opportunities for mainstream students and builds life long habits for recreation and enjoyable fitness activities.

Students with Down syndrome are successful in mainstream classrooms when adaptations are made to the regular curriculum and teachers are allowed the flexibility needed to create natural supports

Brownie and Girl Scout troops in your community may already include classmates and neighbors who have developmental disabilities like Down syndrome, chronic health conditions like insulin dependent diabetes, or other special needs. Information and support are available to Girl Scout leaders.

Practicing inclusion in mainstream classrooms and community programs for our sons and daughters with disabilities benefits all children.

Topics including prenatal diagnosis, adoption and foster care can be inappropriate when families of children with special needs are sharing their experiences in early intervention, advocacy or support groups. It is important to be considerate and kind when speaking with other families.

Raising a child with a developmental disability and chronic health condition has introduced me to a greater appreciation for welcoming congregations. They can unfortunately be sabotaged by certain conversations. Many of us avoid or choose not to respond to these topics when our children are present.

Preparing for an IEP meeting may be more stressful than planning an appropriate IEP for a child with special educational needs

Writing IEP goals for children with special needs can be a challenge for teachers and other school personnel who are not yet familiar with your child as an individual