Results
Research > Funding
Private Foundations Funding Disability Research: A Guide for Advocates and Families
When NIH autism research funding dropped 26% under...past decade, SFARI (Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative) has funded more...on early intervention and pediatric care. Private foundations working in these...Foundation SFARI remains the anchor for autism research. Their grants range from exploratory...
Research > Assistive Tech
Choosing AAC Devices Based on Research: What the Evidence Says About Effectiveness
...produced per session. Others track conversation turns. Still others measure caregiver satisfaction or functional independence. When researchers try to compare...to synthesize. First, the populations studied vary widely. A child with autism and intact motor skills faces different communication barriers than a...
Health > Treatment
Getting Your Child to Take Medicine: Evidence-Based Strategies That Actually Work
...who have disabilities, particularly those with autism or sensory sensitivities, getting medicine into...that over 30% of medication errors in pediatric care occur at home, often because doses are missed, spit...their medication, you're managing a gap in their care, not just a difficult moment. This guide covers...
Global Insights > Healthcare
The Healthcare Transition at 21: How to Prepare Your Child (and Yourself) for the Shift to Adult Care
...neurodevelopmental disabilities transfer to adult care. They smoke more than their peers without transition...the Gap Exists. Most adults with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, or intellectual disabilities grew...mattered for this population, and how to adjust care plans for cognitive or communication differences....
Special Needs > Diabetes
Managing Diabetes When Your Child Has Another Disability: A Dual Diagnosis Guide
...and sent them to the nurse, but your child has autism, and irritability is also how they respond to fluorescent...physical disability isn't just standard diabetes care with extra steps. The entire approach changes because...with the need for action. When your child also has autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, or another...
Social Engagement > Support Groups
Finding Your People: A Complete Guide to Support Groups for Special Needs Families
...condition-specific: autism, Down syndrome, cerebral...emotional context. Caregiver support groups...serve anyone providing care: spouses, adult children...Association and Family Caregiver Alliance run national...national programs for caregivers managing burnout,...logistics of long-term care. If you're not a parent...you're shouldering caregiving responsibilities,...
Social Engagement > Friends and Family
Supporting Siblings of Children with Special Needs: A Parent's Guide
Your 8-year-old asks if she caused her brother's autism. Your teenager cancels plans to help with therapy appointments, and you feel...questions no one answered, the attention imbalance no one acknowledged, and the caregiving roles that crept in without anyone deciding they should. You can't...
Research > Funding
Where Research Dollars Go: Understanding Funding Gaps Across Disability Conditions
...child's condition. The list is short. Then you search autism or diabetes and the volume is staggering. The gap...budget, priorities, and decision-making process. Autism research receives approximately $296 million per...pediatric outcomes. For families planning long-term care into adulthood, that 2.3% represents the entire...
Research > Drug Development
The Drug Development Pipeline for Special Needs: What Parents Need to Know About How Treatments Go from Lab to FDA Approval
You see a headline about a promising autism drug entering Phase 2 trials, and you wonder if this could be the treatment...development pipeline matters when you're making decisions about your child's care, evaluating whether to join a trial, or trying to gauge how long you might...
News > Research
How to Read Research About Special Needs: A Guide for Parents Who Aren't Scientists
...group and someone posts a study: "New research proves this therapy works for autism." The link goes to a blog summarizing a press release. The comments fill...Matters Now. One in five U.S. households has a child with special health care needs. Most of us encounter research through social media, parent groups,...
Medical > Psychiatry
When Behavior Becomes Self-Harm: A Parent's Guide to Managing Self-Injurious Behavior in Children with Intellectual Disabilities
...Understanding what drives it and knowing when to escalate care isn't intuitive. Here's how to navigate the intervention...assessment to psychiatric evaluation to crisis care. What Self-Injurious Behavior Is. SIB includes head-banging,...with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, autism, or both. In this population, SIB isn't rare. It's...
Lifestyle > Self-Care
Sensory Self-Care Strategies for Neurodivergent Adults and Children
...an IEP meeting. For individuals with autism, ADHD, and sensory processing differences,...controlled by it. Understanding Sensory Self-Care. Sensory self-care isn't about fixing...Understanding Sensory Self-care. Sensory self-care isn't about fixing anything. It's about...processing differences are common in both autism and ADHD. Research shows that over...