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

Inclusion in Brownies and Girl Scouts
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66180.asp
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, support and troop materials are available to Girl Scout leaders and all Girl Scouts.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66180.asp

Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for even more great content about childhood disability, and encouraging children with special needs. Please share this newsletter or articles of interest with other parents, advocates, teachers and therapists. Thank you for creating wonderful opportunities today and building a better future for all our sons and daughters.

March 21 marked the first day of Spring and the promise of better weather, more allergy-related ailments (and behavioral challenges), beautiful flowers and the last months of the school year. March 21 was also World Down Syndrome Day ~ my son celebrated the weekend by going to a movie with his best friend from his mainstream kindergarten class, 20 years ago. I marked the occasion by passing along this website: http://twurl.nl/6an5mh - looking for more views and comments in aid of Down Syndrome Education International.

Easter Sunday is April 4, 2010. Egg hunts, Easter traditions like church services and associated events for children often create lifelong memories. Both mainstream and disability related affairs can be more inclusive for children with special needs and their mainstream siblings. You may want to prepare yourself with advice and stories from moms who have experienced the most wonderful and of course the most terrible holiday celebrations. It could be that your family will have an ordinary but enjoyable time as you mark the holiday. Years later we will laugh at the worst; days later if we have found that kind of friend. I have always enjoyed Terri Mauro's advice:
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/inthecommunity/qt/easter.htm

Easter Craft Ideas
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21925.asp

Easter Events and Traditions
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13561.asp

Faith, Religion and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52349.asp

Communication Partners
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art65818.asp

Adaptive Dance Classes
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art65787.asp

Little League Challenger Teams for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art65635.asp

Vacation Travel and Weekend Getaways
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43397.asp

Home Accessiblity and Visitability - Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art37751.asp

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

Family Games for Parties - Social and Educational
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art64579.asp

Grandparents and Childhood Disability
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art37114.asp

I have signed up for Community Emergency Response Training (C.E.R.T) to learn how to prepare for and deal with an earthquake or other natural disaster in our area. I urge you to look into whether a CERT program is available in your area and send at least two parents from your support or advocacy group each session. My inspiration was reading the blog of another mom whose family moved to Chile and experienced the terrible earthquake and aftershocks there:

And She Took Her Journey - blog
The Terror in Terremotos - 8.8 Earthquake Santiago, Chile February 27, 2010
http://andshetookherjourney.blogspot.com/2010/03/terror-in-terremotos-santiago-chile.html
A few moments of ordinary life weeks after the earthquake: Omelette Making in Chile with Andy
http://andshetookherjourney.blogspot.com/2010/03/omlette-making-in-chile-with-andy-ole.html

For links to current news stories, events
and other information, check out the
Twitter page for this website:

http://tinyurl.com/SNCtweets
or
http://twitter.com/DownSynAdvocacy

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum for families of Children with Special Needs 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

Community Emergency Response Training - C.E.R.T.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66179.asp

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

Teens with Disabilities - Transition to Adulthood
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33519.asp

Kindergarten Transition
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49718.asp

Elementary School Transition
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50637.asp

Transition to Preschool from Early Intervention
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49696.asp

High School Transition and Graduation Options
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art63367.asp

Homeschooling Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45894.asp

Person Centered Planning
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art53731.asp