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

Orthotics and Shoe Inserts for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63716.asp
Families of children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or other conditions may be unfamiliar with the use of orthotic shoe inserts that help beginning walkers learn how to take their first steps and retrain older children and teens how to balance and walk without causing lifelong discomfort or pain.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63716.asp

Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for even more great content about encouraging, educating and parenting children with special needs.

Teaching Children to Plan Meals and Cook
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art38064.asp

Affirmations - Expressing Affection and Acceptance
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art208.asp

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

Recess Skills
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art432.asp

School Bus Rides
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45298.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

The iPrompts Application and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63982.asp

Nintendo Wii Therapy Rehab for Children and Teens
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63675.asp

Proloquo2Go for iPod Touch and iPhone
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63999.asp

Nintendo Wii Therapy Rehab for Children and Teens
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63675.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

Photography Lessons for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63595.asp

If you are planning a family get-together for Thanksgiving, keep in mind that everyone's family is unique and wonderful, but things often go terribly wrong no matter what our best intentions may be. Perfection is over-rated! Hang in there.

This is the sixth week in AmazonDOTcom's WishList Sweepstakes - the prize is a Yellowstone Photo Expedition. What would you put on your family's Wish List?
An Apple MacBook ?
http://tinyurl.com/AppleMC207LLA
An iTunes Gift Card ?
http://tinyurl.com/ZiTunesGiftCard
My son seems to think that a Wish List is for gifts he would like to give someone else - he is saving up for an iPod gift card for his sister, but wishes he could give her the Macbook she has been admiring. He does write gift lists of items he would enjoy - mostly CDs and DVDs, back issues of his favorite magazines - but he can't reconcile his list with my explanations of what a Wish List is for the rest of us. Maybe that's the difference between a Wish and a Plan. He's just a little too practical now for wishing, but a good plan usually works out.

Tuesday evening we saw Maria Shriver on The Colbert Report, spreading the word about Loving Scoopful ice cream that benefits Special Olympics.
http://tinyurl.com/LvnScpSO
Stephen Colbert happened to bring out a pint of his Ben and Jerry's flavor,
Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, that benefits the Americone Dream Fund for children, veterans, and the environment.
http://tinyurl.com/AmerDrmFund
The silliness of their taste-testing battle over charitable flavors was the most tolerable conflict I've witnessed in recent times.
On this Veterans Day, November 11, 2009, it would be a sweet treat to pick up a pint of Americone Dream, and to ask your grocer to carry Lovin Scoopful flavors when they are available.
The Colbert Nation is also sponsoring the US Olympic Speedskating team - and I find that absolutely delightful.

In other news:

Wednesday's episode of 'Glee' features a young actor with Down syndrome, Ms. Lauren Potter, who tries out for the cheerleading squad:
http://tinyurl.com/LaurenPotterGlee
but has caused some discussion of roles for actors with disabilities:
`Glee' wheelchair episode hits bump with disabled
http://tinyurl.com/CastDisAbilities

The new paperback edition of Gene Stallings' _Another Season - A Coach's Story Raising an Exceptional Son_ includes a few more stories of the life of his son with Down syndrome, John Mark Stallings, and his passing in 2008.
http://tinyurl.com/AnSeasGS

The movie, Precious, will be in theaters soon. It is based on the novel, PUSH. The main character has a baby with Down syndrome. The language used is almost as heartbreaking as the storyline, and both should come with a warning. Read more about the story:
http://tinyurl.com/PreciousPUSH

To participate in free online discussions, to post resources or questions, our website has a community forum all about childhood disabilities located here -

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

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

TV Actors with Down Syndrome
http://tinyurl.com/dsActrTV

Down Syndrome and the Acting Gene
http://tinyurl.com/dsActgGn

Encouraging Fussy Babies and Sensitive Toddlers
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art62765.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