Stormy weather or natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, often scare any child, but these events can be magnified for children with special needs. Most parents understand these disasters, but are you prepared? Check out these tips for disaster preparedness. 1. Plan Ahead Think about the possibility of disasters in your area, and ask yourself any possible questions you can think of. For example, you might be at work and your child at school, so you will want to answer questions like "how will we find each other?," "where will we go?," and "what will we do if we don't have water or electricity?" Write down your questions and make a checklist for disaster preparedness. Follow a checklist, such as this one, before a disaster happens: Do you have a care plan and list of medications? Do you have a two-weeks supply of medications? Do you have backups for medical equipment that requires electricity? Does your doctor have suggestions for an ideal place to keep your child during the disaster? Is there a disaster plan in place for when your child is at school, home, or other location? Do you have a disaster supply kit? Does your family have a designated meeting place should you become separated? Does your child know what emergency workers wear? Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors...

For children with special needs, create a disaster plan, prepare a supply kit, practice calm, and follow safety updates in emergencies.

Disaster Preparedness Tips for Special Needs

 Stormy weather or natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tornadoes, often scare any child, but these events can be magnified for children with special needs. Most parents understand these disasters, but are you prepared? Check out these tips for disaster preparedness.    1. Plan Ahead    Think about the possibility of disasters in your area, and ask yourself any possible questions you can think of. For example, you might be at work and your child at school, so you will want to answer questions like "how will we find each other?," "where will we go?," and "what will we do if we don't have water or electricity?" Write down your questions and make a checklist for disaster preparedness. Follow a checklist, such as this one, before a disaster happens:    Do you have a care plan and list of medications?   Do you have a two-weeks supply of medications?   Do you have backups for medical equipment that requires electricity?   Does your doctor have suggestions for an ideal place to keep your child during the disaster?   Is there a disaster plan in place for when your child is at school, home, or other location?   Do you have a disaster supply kit?   Does your family have a designated meeting place should you become separated?   Does your child know what emergency workers wear?   Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors...

For children with special needs, create a disaster plan, prepare a supply kit, practice calm, and follow safety updates in emergencies.

Disaster Preparedness Tips for Special Needs

The wheelchair ramp your family needs costs $4,000. The bathroom remodel to make it accessible costs another $8,000. You own your home, you're rural, and Medicaid doesn't cover construction. You're looking at financing options you can't afford, or not making the changes at all. There's a federal program most rural families don't know exists. The USDA Section 504 Home Repair program offers grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $40,000 for accessibility modifications and health-and-safety repairs. If you're 62 or older, or have a household member with a disability, and your income qualifies, this money can cover ramps, grab bars, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, and structural fixes that make your home safe. Here's who qualifies, what the program covers, and how to apply. What the USDA Section 504 Program Covers. The official name is Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants. It has two components: loans and grants. You can use one or combine both. Loan: Up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, repaid over 20 years. You qualify if your income is below 50% of your area's median income and you can't get affordable credit elsewhere. Grant: Up to $10,000 lifetime maximum ($15,000 in FEMA-declared disaster areas). You qualify if you're 62 or older AND unable to repay a loan. Income must be below 50% area median income. Combined: You can layer both for up to $50,000 total. The money covers two categories of repairs: removing health or safety hazards, and making the home accessible...

USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $40,000 for rural homeowners to make accessibility modifications.

How to Get a USDA Section 504 Grant or Loan to Make Your Home Accessible

The wheelchair ramp your family needs costs $4,000. The bathroom remodel to make it accessible costs another $8,000. You own your home, you're rural, and Medicaid doesn't cover construction. You're looking at financing options you can't afford, or not making the changes at all. There's a federal program most rural families don't know exists. The USDA Section 504 Home Repair program offers grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $40,000 for accessibility modifications and health-and-safety repairs. If you're 62 or older, or have a household member with a disability, and your income qualifies, this money can cover ramps, grab bars, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, and structural fixes that make your home safe. Here's who qualifies, what the program covers, and how to apply. What the USDA Section 504 Program Covers. The official name is Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants. It has two components: loans and grants. You can use one or combine both.  Loan: Up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, repaid over 20 years. You qualify if your income is below 50% of your area's median income and you can't get affordable credit elsewhere.  Grant: Up to $10,000 lifetime maximum ($15,000 in FEMA-declared disaster areas). You qualify if you're 62 or older AND unable to repay a loan. Income must be below 50% area median income.  Combined: You can layer both for up to $50,000 total. The money covers two categories of repairs: removing health or safety hazards, and making the home accessible...

When a frightening and tragic event such as a the Boston marathon bombing, school shooting, terrorist attack, or a natural disaster occurs, children may understandably have lots of questions and concerns. In some cases, they may experience some anxiety , and worry that something similar could happen to them or to their loved ones. Here are some tips to keep in mind when talking to kids about a tragic event or scary news development: As a general rule, it's a good idea to turn off the TV and radio and not read too much internet news coverage after a tragedy. It's to be expected that headlines will be blaring with updates on a big news event like a school shooting or a natural disaster, and many of the images and conversations can potentially be graphic or emotionally wrenching. Try to find another family activity — such as playing a board game or reading a book together — to take your child's mind, and your own, off of the news event or at least put it in the background. Try to minimize your own exposure to the news coverage. Remember that kids are very good at picking up your stress levels and knowing when you feel anxious. Constant updates on the news can also create stress and anxiety in adults, so parents should be mindful about controlling how much they are tuned in to the news. Check in periodically to scan headlines, either...

Discuss tragedies with kids calmly, minimize news exposure, address concerns, and encourage coping strategies.

How to Talk with Kids About Tragic Events in the News

When a frightening and tragic event such as a the Boston marathon bombing, school shooting, terrorist attack, or a natural disaster occurs, children may understandably have lots of questions and concerns. In some cases, they may experience some anxiety  , and worry that something similar could happen to them or to their loved ones.  Here are some tips to keep in mind when talking to kids about a tragic event or scary news development:   As a general rule, it's a good idea to turn off the TV and radio and not read too much internet news coverage after a tragedy. It's to be expected that headlines will be blaring with updates on a big news event like a school shooting or a natural disaster, and many of the images and conversations can potentially be graphic or emotionally wrenching. Try to find another family activity — such as playing a board game   or reading a book together — to take your child's mind, and your own, off of the news event or at least put it in the background.   Try to minimize your own exposure to the news coverage. Remember that kids are very good at picking up your stress levels and knowing when you feel anxious. Constant updates on the news can also create stress and anxiety in adults, so parents should be mindful about controlling how much they are tuned in to the news. Check in periodically to scan headlines, either...

Oh, man. There goes the bell for the end of 4th period. I hate this bell. It means I have to go to my locker and unload all my stuff from the first four periods and pick up everything else I need through the end of the day. I only go to my locker once a day and have to cram everything I need in my backpack, because my stupid lock combination has the number "6" in it. Six is a terrible number – it's associated with the dev... well, you know what I mean. And it's right up there with "9" – which is 6, flipped around. I get stuck on the 6 every single time I do my lock combination and have to say a bunch of good numbers, like "2" or "8," to feel better. And all of this takes up a lot of the passing period. On top of this, there's this really weird kid who walks down the hall every day at this time. No way do I want to bump into him, because if I do, I'm afraid I'll get contaminated and become like him. Now THAT just can't happen. So I have to hide out around the corner until he passes by. There goes some more time. I'm late to 5th period so much that my teacher says she's going to drop me a grade if I'm tardy one more time. And that would be a disaster. Fifth period...

OCD in kids disrupts school, affecting academics and social skills, but collaboration between parents and schools can support them.

The Impact of OCD on Kids in a School Setting

 Oh, man. There goes the bell for the end of 4th period. I hate this bell. It means I have to go to my locker and unload all my stuff from the first four periods and pick up everything else I need through the end of the day. I only go to my locker once a day and have to cram everything I need in my backpack, because my stupid lock combination has the number "6" in it. Six is a terrible number – it's associated with the dev... well, you know what I mean. And it's right up there with "9" – which is 6, flipped around. I get stuck on the 6 every single time I do my lock combination and have to say a bunch of good numbers, like "2" or "8," to feel better. And all of this takes up a lot of the passing period. On top of this, there's this really weird kid who walks down the hall every day at this time. No way do I want to bump into him, because if I do, I'm afraid I'll get contaminated and become like him. Now THAT just can't happen. So I have to hide out around the corner until he passes by. There goes some more time.    I'm late to 5th period so much that my teacher says she's going to drop me a grade if I'm tardy one more time. And that would be a disaster. Fifth period...

After beginning our Transition article series , we received a question from a reader telling us about her experience going from a pediatric clinic to an adult clinic. This patient explains to us her common concern that so many others experience. Lisa Greene responds with some very helpful advice. Question: “I was 19 when I transitioned and it was a huge shock. My peds doctors were amazing, my mom was usually with me but even then my peds doc spoke directly to me and helped prepare me for what was coming. She took so much interest in my life outside of cystic fibrosis (CF) as well (she knew that what was going on at home affected my CF). Transitioning to the adult clinic was awful. I felt that my new doctor didn't care about me as a person and that I was just another patient to her…I'm naturally a shy person and after that first disaster of an appointment, I just retreated into myself. After a few more appointments, we have slowly started to get to know each other and I've relaxed a bit more, but its still not the same. I still have the feeling that I'm such an inconvenience to her. . . and it really kills me every doctor's appointment. My peds docs were like family. . . and I was hoping that my adult doctor would be the same, especially since I'm always up there and always having to...

Transition from peds to adult care can be tough; patient advocacy and understanding different medical models are key.

Advice on Transition from Pediatrics to Adult

 After beginning our   Transition article series  , we received a question from a reader telling us about her experience going from a pediatric clinic to an adult clinic. This patient explains to us her common concern that so many others experience. Lisa Greene responds with some very helpful advice.   Question:  “I was 19 when I transitioned and it was a huge shock. My peds doctors were amazing, my mom was usually with me but even then my peds doc spoke directly to me and helped prepare me for what was coming. She took so much interest in my life outside of cystic fibrosis (CF) as well (she knew that what was going on at home affected my CF). Transitioning to the adult clinic was awful. I felt that my new doctor didn't care about me as a person and that I was just another patient to her…I'm naturally a shy person and after that first disaster of an appointment, I just retreated into myself. After a few more appointments, we have slowly started to get to know each other and I've relaxed a bit more, but its still not the same. I still have the feeling that I'm such an inconvenience to her. . . and it really kills me every doctor's appointment. My peds docs were like family. . . and I was hoping that my adult doctor would be the same, especially since I'm always up there and always having to...

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Special Needs
Articles

Disaster Preparedness Tips for Special Needs

How to Get a USDA Section 504 Grant or Loan to Make Your Home Accessible

How to Talk with Kids About Tragic Events in the News

The Impact of OCD on Kids in a School Setting

Advice on Transition from Pediatrics to Adult

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

Disaster Preparedness Tips for Special Needs

How to Get a USDA Section 504 Grant or Loan to Make Your Home Accessible

How to Talk with Kids About Tragic Events in the News

The Impact of OCD on Kids in a School Setting

Advice on Transition from Pediatrics to Adult

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles