Parenting and Family
Parents of children with disabilities daily face a daunting array of decisions in support of their children. Family caregiving involves medical, education, emotional, and psychological support, both for the children with disabilities and for other family members (e.g., siblings). The following section presents information and resources to help parents of children with disabilities find the answers, support, and strategies they need to be successful advocates for their kids while keeping their family strong.
Find out what to expect on the campus of a school for the deaf and blind, and which states combine the two disabilities in their state school.
People with autism, particularly children, find assistive technology makes daily life simpler and less stressful. From low level technology to high, discover the range of products and materials available, often at low cost.
Assistive Technology for Autism: Available at All Costs and for All Levels
Kevin Pettit was a happily married man, proud father of a 2-year-old son, and a rising professor in the renowned physics department at Carleton College in Minnesota when a tragic accident changed the course of his life.
Special education needs can often be augmented with software and/or hardware for your home computer. Take a look at some of the best options on the market.
Special Education Needs: Top Nine Assistive Technology Products for Special Needs Kids
Articles
After 30 years of supporting children and adults with developmental and learning disabilities and their families, the Training, Education & Research Institute (TERI, Inc.) has launched a new initiative to ensure persons with autism and other developmental disabilities can lead a happy and fulfilling life
The Joy that is Caroline DeLuca, Born with Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy
It’s been a long, bittersweet journey for the DeLuca family. Caroline DeLuca, their fourth child was born with conditions that were misdiagnosed time after time by hospitals and doctors. Born as what appeared to be a healthy baby girl, weighing eight pounds, eight ounces, Caroline’s initial tests were good until eight hours later when she turned blue.
In Search of America’s Strictest Parents: The BBC asked Disaboom to Find You!
TwentyTwenty Television, producers of the hit show, The World’s Strictest Parents is coming to the U.S in April to find a family for their upcoming season. Disaboom has been asked to help in the search to find a family that fits specific criteria. Several families will be interviewed by the producers of the show and one lucky family will be selected.
Welcome Children with Autism on Your Playground using these Simple Planning Tips
When designing a playground to include children with autism, you must understand that there is a spectrum of severity and every child is different. Some children have a more moderate type of autism, while others will have more severe symptoms.
Building a Healthy, Supportive Environment for Differently-Abled Children
Families living with a disability face some unique challenges, but in today’s world there are many opportunities for disabled children to live full, active and exciting lives.
New Series: Those Who Inspire Us
Who is your hero? Ask men and women on the street - Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder would most likely be the first remembered for overcoming their disabilities and propelling their way to stardom. Written by Disagirl, Disaboom Staff
Those Who Inspire Us: New Series
An inspirational story submitted by Tim Enfield, founder of The Think Alive Foundation and friend to the disaboom.com community. What is your disability? How will you make it work for you?
Selecting the correct mobility equipment can be a chore for any individual with a disability. However, individuals with ALS or other progressive diseases have even more to take into consideration. Three elements play a vital role in selecting the appropriate equipment 1) your funding source, 2) the equipment provider you select and 3) your environment. Funding sources include private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, associations such as MDA and money you use out of your own pocket. Some funding sources require co-pay for your equipment. The co-pay is a predetermined amount and is usually specified in your policy. Many funding sources allow you to have one wheelchair including Medicare. If this is the case, make sure you plan for the progression of ALS and select the appropriate wheelchair. Other funding sources allow you to have a power wheelchair and a manual backup. This is the ideal situation due to the fact that power chairs do require repairs that could leave you without any mobility. Also, manual wheelchairs are much easier to transport in the trunk of a car. If you have private insurance, try to negotiate for a manual backup to a power chair. If your funding source will not pay for a manual backup, try to negotiate a price with your equipment provider. Finally, initiate getting your equipment early; it can take several weeks or months for an equipment provider to secure funding for equipment. Equipment must be medically justified, signed by a physician and reviewed by the funding sources. For example, Missouri Medicaid takes approximately 6-8 weeks to review a claim for prior authorization. Do not wait until you can no longer ambulate. Finding the correct equipment provider can make the difference in how long you are able to maintain your independent mobility. Be sure you find a provider that is a “rehab provider.” Here is a very familiar situation. An individual with ALS walks into an equipment provider’s store that provides mainly...