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

A Special Olympic Athlete's Road to Gold
Book Review: Spirit, Courage, and Resolve - A Special Olympic Athlete´s Road to Gold, by Tom Lambke, and I Just Am, by Bryan Lambke
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57914.asp

Does your local parks department, school district or other group provide Special Olympics training and/or other sports and recreation programs for students and adults with special needs? Most families have found that the availability of both inclusive mainstream programs and specialized recreation activities have been important for their children and local adults in their communities.

Please visit specialneedschildren.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Special Needs Children.

Some parents are reporting that other students at their child's school instigate inappropriate behavior that their children would not engage in otherwise. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support relies on observation and recording of events before a targeted behavior happens - and this can benefit mainstream classmates, too. No one wants them to get into bad behavior habits like bullying, teasing or otherwise disrupting the educational atmosphere at school.

Positive Behavior Support and Interventions - PBIS
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58507.asp
Challenging behavior was cited as a primary reason that students with IEPs had been blocked from inclusive classrooms in their neighborhood schools, until 1997 amendments to IDEA established PBIS as the recommended form of behavioral intervention, as does NCLB (No Child Left Behind). PBIS is now embraced as an excellent strategy for all students.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58507.asp

To participate in online discussions or let other families know about advocacy events or concerns, this site has a community forum associated with the Special Needs Children website, 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

The Special Needs Children website can be found in the "Family" section of BellaOnline.com

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Many schools have information for teachers and other staff about chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and food or other allergies. Parents may ask to read through the material on file and then offer to have their children's doctor's office update or add to the appropriate file. Sometimes the school's PTA or other parent group takes on the responsibility of this task. When a teacher has a child with a specific condition or diagnosis for the first time, encouragement and reassurance can be appreciated as much as the basic information on the safety and health support needs of the student.

Diabetes Information for Classmates
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32541.asp

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Many children with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities grow up learning two or three languages that are spoken in their home, among extended family or in their neighborhoods. There is no excuse for speech therapists, early intervention staff or teachers not to be aware of the research and best practices among multilingual families. Feel free to enlighten them with research and anecdotal evidence as well.

Bilingual Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51927.asp

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Seeing Children with Disabilities in Movies, Ads and Television
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art54743.asp
Advocates are stepping forward to describe the importance of children with disabilities being represented in movies, commercials, and television shows as main characters as well as casual extras. Seeing children with disabilities in movies, ads and television impacts siblings and mainstream peers.

MRSA Antibiotic Resistant Staph Infections
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56280.asp
MRSA and ORSA are antibiotic-resistant staph infections that can quickly become life threatening when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. Children with certain health conditions and developmental disabilities may be more susceptible due to skin conditions, injury, accidents or hospitalizations.

Melissa Riggio Made a Difference
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56423.asp
Melissa Riggio´s birth inspired the creation of the Special Needs section at Barnes & Noble bookstores. Her life in twenty years made more of a difference in the world than many lives of 80.

Encouraging Late Talking Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55867.asp
Finding ways to encourage late-talking children to communicate helps us to build better relationships within the family and community. When a child misses developmental milestones in speech, or does not speak at all, alternative forms of communication help them show us their full potential

Communicating with Babies
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art54401.asp
Responding to a baby´s cries and filling their needs teaches them that their attempts to communicate work, that they are loved, and that they are surrounded by people who care deeply about them. An Australian woman with a photographic memory for sound discovered five sounds that babies around the world use to communicate their needs as newborns.

Kindergarten Transition
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49718.asp
Planning the transition from preschool to kindergarten can include
visiting available classrooms before summer break, considering an extra
year of preschool in a transition or mainstream program, private
kindergarten or homeschooling

Oral Health and Dental Visits for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55319.asp
The Winter 2008 Linkages Newsletter features a focus topic on Oral Health for Children with Special Health Needs, with resource links for dental professionals outlining appropriate treatment, establishing better dental health habits, and preparing children and families for office visits and care.

ADHD Medications and Cardiovascular Events
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56634.asp
It's now recommended that all children who use ADHD medications schedule an ECG and cardiovascular check up; stirring alarm among parents whose children are more at risk for a cardiac event if they have an undiagnosed heart problem and use stimulant medications like ritalin, adderall, or concerta.

State and National Park Disability Passes
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56377.asp
Families of children with disabilities may qualify for free or reduced price entrance to state and national parks with disability passes available well in advance of a park visit. Information on documentation, identification and other requirements is available at individual websites.

Early Childhood Education and the NAEYC
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art53251.asp
The best information about quality early childhood education is available to families of children diagnosed with developmental delays, disabilities or other challenges through the same resources as their mainstream peers

Recognizing Early Signs of Autism
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55223.asp
Recognizing early signs of autism helps families find resoures and support for very young children with autism spectrum disorders. The autism video glossary shows film clips of autism symptoms, helping families reach professionals to find an earlier diagnosis and early intervention options.

Review - Parenting Children With Health Issues: Essential Tools, Tips, and Tactics for Raising Kids With Chronic Illness, Medical Conditions, and Special Healthcare Needs by Foster W. Cline and Lisa Greene
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56840.asp

Faith, Religion, and Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52349.asp
Families of children with special needs have found wonderful support and encouragement from religious groups and their own communities of faith; children who grow up included in a faith community find lifelong friends and good company

Explaining Down Syndrome to Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55519.asp
Deciding how to explain Down syndrome to young children may challenge the beliefs and expectations of adults who see more differences than similarities among children with Down syndrome and their mainstream peers.

Mothering Babies with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50678.asp

Asking More from Medical Professionals
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39121.asp

Seeing Children with Disabilities in Movies, Ads and Television
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art54743.asp

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

Explaining a Serious Diagnosis to Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56383.asp

Universal Design for Learning - Access to General Education Curriculum
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp

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

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

IDEA - Education Law
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art204.asp

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

Inclusive Education and the Culture of Down Syndrome
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44827.asp

The Power of Communication
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32725.asp

Disability Advocacy and Awareness
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35878.asp

Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art432.asp

Oral Health and Dental Visits for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art55319.asp

Sleep Disorders and Children with Special Needs
http://http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33877.asp

Is Diversity Like A New Box of Crayons?
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5144.asp

Accessible Playgrounds and Naturally Integrated Play Areas
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51542.asp

Accessible Designs in Playgrounds and Play Areas
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51609.asp

A Brand New Baby with Down Syndrome
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51264.asp

Pain Relief for Childhood Blood Draws, Injections or IV Lines
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51944.asp

Pain Management for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51895.asp

Back to School with Celiac Disease
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52323.asp

Finding Strollers, Walkers and Wheelchairs for Children
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art9507.asp

Dolls for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51720.asp

IDEA - Education Law
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art204.asp

Printing and Cursive Handwriting
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51023.asp

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

Access to General Education Curriculum - Universal Design for Learning
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp

Book Review: Raising A Sensory Smart Child
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57603.asp

Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device
http://www.www.bellaonline.com/articles/art58353.asp

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

How Uncomfortable is Your Child? Sensory Processing Disorders
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art960.asp