Special Needs

Articles

Teaching your child life skills is an act of sustained,...trying to expand what your child can do, who they can become,...clear picture of where your child is right now. Life skills organize...appointments. Communication and self-advocacy: Asking for help, stating preferences,...through each domain with your child in mind. Which tasks can they...

...reports. Then one day you look up and your child is 16, and someone mentions "transition...transition planning is the section of your child's IEP that prepares them for life after...the school isn't just teaching your child to read or do math anymore. They're...real questions: What skills does my child need to hold a job? What supports will...

You've probably been helping your child make decisions for years. Walking through medical...your role as a supporter without stripping your child of their decision-making rights. Many parents approaching...decision-making rights. Many parents approaching their child's 18th birthday face what feels like a binary choice:...

Your child's IEP follows them from school to school....again in 8th, and requires the same advocacy muscle each time. When to Start Elementary-to-Middle...new social expectations. For your child, this isn't just a logistical adjustment....why accommodations exist, what your child needs on a hard day, what works and...

...twelve years, your child had a team. Teachers...exactly what your child needed before they...replaces it is self-advocacy. And here's what...schools provide self-advocacy instruction in...news is that self-advocacy is a skill, not...it before your child ever leaves home....leaves home. Self-Advocacy Is Procedural Knowledge....parents treat self-advocacy as something you...

You've been told your child needs "a plan" to succeed in...has explained which one your child qualifies for, what the difference...require different kinds of advocacy from you. Choosing the wrong...understanding it can leave your child without the services they need....dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. But your child doesn't qualify simply by having...

Your child's specialist just mentioned a clinical...mentioned a clinical trial. Or an advocacy organization sent an email about a...about a study recruiting for your child's condition. You've got a packet of...you're being asked to enroll your child in research you don't fully understand,...

Self-advocacy doesn't start...school, when your child learns to name...teaching self-advocacy. The answer is...transition from parent advocacy to self-advocacy...advocacy to self-advocacy isn't a single...back as your child steps forward....this age, self-advocacy means understanding...simple terms. Your child isn't negotiating...self-awareness. Help your child notice what helps...

...realize the same legal structure that governs their child's education also covers discrimination at work,...everyday spaces. That knowledge is the foundation for advocacy in every other domain of life. The Gap Most Parents...pediatrician's office or the camp that turned their child away. The difference matters because the enforcement...

When your child has both a disability and a...managing how they interact. A child with cerebral palsy and asthma...airways. A ventilator-dependent child with a developmental disability...typically developing children. A child with limited verbal ability...changes in sleep patterns. A child with low muscle tone may not...

Your child has a rare disorder. The school district...conditions. They assess educational need. A child with a rare metabolic disorder who...pathway. They need to understand that the child can't sustain attention through a 90-minute...educational impact qualify here. If your child's condition is so rare that it's undiagnosed...

When your child is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the road ahead can feel overwhelming....understanding treatment options, advocating at school, and supporting your child's emotional wellbeing. It's built for the long haul, not just the first few...