Finding out your child has special needs is overwhelming. In many ways there is a grieving process for the typical child you imagined parenting while learning to care for a child with needs that you weren’t expecting. How do you cope with all of this? Try to take some time for yourself. Maybe a grandparent or friend can watch your child for a while even if it’s just long enough for you to take a quick walk for some fresh air. If you have a spouse or significant other perhaps you can take turns to give each other a break. If you are a two-parent household, communication is key. But…

Chances are, if your child was just given a new diagnosis, you’ve been sent to one or many specialists. Your head is probably spinning with all of the appointments, referrals, etc. and if you’re anything like I was when my son was born you have a pile of this stuff somewhere and find yourself shuffling through it every time a new person seeing your child asks you for something. Do yourself a favor and keep your paperwork in one place. I must give credit to my husband, who created a binder when our son was in the NICU to help us stay organized. This included business cards of specialists that…

Are you new to the special needs world? Perhaps you just found out your newborn is not healthy or your typically developing child has now received a shocking diagnosis? This can be so scary and overwhelming. I’ve been there myself and I’ll be truthful with you that it was really hard to climb out of that dark hole that makes you feel like your whole world has ended. But I can tell you that you WILL climb out of that hole, and when you do, you will finally get the motivation to move forward. I’m going to give you some tips to help you get started so life will feel…