Here's the latest article from the Special Needs Children site at BellaOnline.com.

Nintendo Wii Therapy Rehab for Children and Teens
The Nintendo WII video gaming system can be used by children, teens and adults with injuries or disability, for physical therapy and rehabilitiation as well as entertainment. Student programmers have created software making the Nintendo Wii remote (WiiMote) functional for people with disabilities.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63675.asp

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Special Needs Children located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=57

My favorite parent ed instructor used to quote advice from a book or article she recommended - 'grant your child in wishes what you cannot provide in reality' - maybe we should be keeping our own wish lists current, with frivolous or fantastic wishes as well as the more practical ones.

Amazon.com has started its ten week 2009 Wish List Sweepstakes ~
http://tinyurl.com/AmzWishLstSwps
I believe that clicking on this link will mildly benefit the SNC website (like the amazon affiliate links in my articles) but I have mixed feelings about the contests.
Looking at the featured prizes it's too obvious that what I wish for most can not be found at an online retailer's website. On the other hand that did not stop me from reading about each week's offerings. Week one (Twilight theme), two (Dream Kitchen), five (backyard theater) and eight (High Def) might make me laugh; but how about four (Kindles), six (Photograph Yellowstone), or seven (Disney Orlando)- wow.
Week 3 is a trip to London, and we would no doubt enjoy the Jonas Brothers (my son has type one diabetes like Nick) but I'd feel terribly guilty if I won that one because like Week One's prize package, I think it should go to a Big Fan.
As for week nine - the "Glamorous Life Wish List" - all those childhood hours happily playing dress up, and grand occasions looking through mom's jewelry or admiring her as she dressed up to go out seem very far in the past these days.
The reality is that any of those prizes would be wonderful - well, my dream kitchen might come with someone well paid to shop, cook and clean up - but I am having a failure of imagination as holidays loom. Week ten's prize is a secret but the shock of it all is that in ten weeks the calendar will read Dec 7-12! I had better start dusting my IRL stove.

Articles, News Stories and Events of Interest to families raising children with special needs are posted via Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/DownSynAdvocacy

Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for other articles of interest to families and advocates for children and teens with special needs.

Halloween Costumes and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63629.asp

Costumes for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36415.asp

Halloween Safety Tips - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58864.asp

Soothing Children's Fears
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35602.asp

IEP Goals - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4330.asp

IEP Preparations - Teacher Support
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44746.asp

Gifts: How People with Down Syndrome Enrich the World
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63458.asp

Teaching Students in Inclusive Classrooms
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63003.asp

Inclusive P.E. and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46155.asp

Amazon Kindle and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art60812.asp

iPhone and iPod Touch Apps - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art62136.asp

Holiday Party Planning - Support Groups
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47060.asp

Holiday Parties with Children with Disabilities
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46990.asp

Disability and Future Planning for Parents
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art59032.asp

Anxiety and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art59924.asp

Sensory Integration and Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48942.asp

Sensory Processing Disorder in Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art960.asp

Pain Management for Children at Clinics and Hospitals
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51895.asp

Interviewing Caregivers for Your Child
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art62519.asp

Teaching Relatives to Care for a Disabled Child
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art62563.asp

Child Safety - Pills, Purses, and Suitcases
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art62309.asp

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Pamela Wilson, Special Needs Children Editor
http://specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com


Reading Strategies - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35577.asp

Preparing for an IEP Meeting
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32971.asp

Teaching Math Skills - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art38411.asp

Teaching Handwriting - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51022.asp

Teaching Printing and Cursive Handwriting - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51023.asp

Sign Language and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49898.asp

Seeing Children with Disabilities in Media
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art54743.asp

Down Syndrome and the Acting Gene
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34198.asp

Friendship and Inclusion for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48700.asp

Universal Design for Learning - What Makes General
Education Curriculum Accessible?
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp

High School Transition and Graduation Options
for Students with Developmental Disabilities
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63367.asp