Special Needs

Articles

...faces of the musicians themselves, the audience could feel that energy and passion for music. To see their dance-like sways during romantic bits change to...their term. The mission of the symphony is to train young musicians for professional careers and to make music events...

A few weeks ago, as I was sitting in a professional development meeting with a team of educators at New York City Public School...school, I was struck by the team's tirelessness, depth of commitment, and passion for their work. One teacher beamed as she told a story about a student...

...mentions total communication. A Deaf adult you meet at a family event speaks passionately about American Sign Language. Each person is certain their approach...kind of support your child receives in early intervention and school, the professionals you'll work with, and often the community you'll become part of. That's...

...times when you wish it would 'all go away.' As professionals, we spend a great deal of time providing information...this in terms of the phases that you are likely passing through or have passed through. Insurmountable...Guilt It's not easy to seek the support of a professional, perhaps due to fear of being judged or criticized...

...carving creates roles that match what your child can do instead of forcing them into roles they can't. What a Job Coach Does. A job coach is a trained professional who works one-on-one with your young adult at their job site. They don't do the work for them. They teach how to do the work, how to interact with...

You've heard it from one professional: Braille is outdated. Screen readers do everything Braille used to do, and they're faster. Why spend years teaching your child a tactile code when...

...how the system operates. When to Seek a Speech-Language Evaluation. Developmental timelines aren't rigid, but certain patterns signal the need for professional assessment. By 18 months, most children use at least 10–20 words and combine two words together ("more juice", "my shoe"). By age two, they should...

...rights, and share what worked for their own child. They can't represent you in due process or provide legal advice. Educational advocate: A trained professional who specializes in special education law and IEP processes but isn't a lawyer. Educational advocates know IDEA inside and out. They can review your...

...physically avoiding disabled people, or mocking someone's disability are microassaults. These are the most obvious form and the least common in professional or public settings where social norms enforce baseline politeness. Microinsults are rude or insensitive comments that demean a person's disability...

...meetings at impossible times. You're ready to create something yourself, but you don't know where to start. Starting a support group isn't about having professional training or therapeutic credentials. It's about structure, consistency, and clear boundaries. The groups that survive their first year share specific...

...should get a second opinion, and if that makes you difficult, paranoid, or both. It doesn't. Seeking a second opinion isn't about doubting the first professional's competence. It's about confirming that a complex diagnosis has been examined from more than one angle. Here's when to pursue one, how to navigate...

...Psychiatric disabilities: mental health conditions documented by a licensed professional The definition of "severe physical disability" is broad. It includes...need proof of disability from one of these sources: A licensed medical professional: physician, nurse practitioner, or psychiatrist A licensed vocational...