Children with disabilities experience childhood abuse and neglect at least as often as their mainstream peers, but may deal with delayed rescue or assistance due to communication challenges, exclusion from ordinary classrooms and programs, or different expectations of their behavior and development.

Assisted listening devices like FM, soundfield amplification, and induction loop systems, help students challenged by hearing loss, classroom background noise, auditory processing challenges and/or fluctuating conductive hearing loss often found in students with Down syndrome,

Purses, diaper bags and suitcases - childhood treasure chests - are often overlooked as dangers even in child-proofed homes and vehicles. Parents, babysitters, relatives and visitors may not realize how inquisitive and vulnerable children may be to accidental poisoning, choking, or other injury.

Parents share creative ideas to show appreciation for teachers who have created better learning opportunities, support, and welcoming classrooms for our sons and daughters with special needs and inspired our children to exercise greater potential than can be predicted by tests and evaluations.

Reports of iPhone and iPod Touch apps especially developed for children and adults with developmental disabilities or alternative communication options have inspired parents to start thinking about what might benefit their son or daughter with special needs.

Students who qualify for special education services through and IEP or 504 plan may also benefit from extended school year services to focus on existing or emerging skills that can diminish or be lost be lost over summer vacation. An excellent resource for parents is the Wrights Law website on ESY.

Summer learning opportunities can pop up in unexpected places for children with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions or other special needs. Our children may benefit from neighborhood play, extended school year classes, summer camp, parks department programs or respite and daycare.

Families of children with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions or other special needs faced disproportionate challenges due to the effects of the 2009 Swine Flu (A1N1 Influenza) outbreak, in reducing risks, maintaining medications during illness and routines during school closures.

Mothers with babies and young children at home may project images of themselves and their children to other moms that are as unrealistic as the perceptions that other mothers may have the resources, support, ideas and energy we can´t find. This is also common for mothers of kids with special needs.

Service animals have aided children, teens and adults with disabilities for decades. Although some leading animal rights activists protest the use of working dogs and other animals, we applaud those who rescue dogs to train for companionship, therapy and service or breed and train them specifically.