Kim Kelly attended a special needs overnight camp for the first time at age 6. Before then her mom wanted to keep her close because Kim has hearing loss and orthopedic limitations. “My daughter needed to learn to do things on her own,” says Ruth,…
Costumes, Halloween parties, trick-or-treating and spooky decorations are fun for most kids, but for a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Halloween celebrations can be overwhelming. A child with SPD processes input from the five senses differently. What is background music to others may be…
The beginning of the school year brings new transitions and the fears that can accompany them. A child’s cognitive or speech delay can add to the difficulty if he cannot adequately express his needs. Luckily, there are some simple steps that can be taken to…
“If a child who was never supposed to talk or read can rise to such improbable heights, imagine what children without such challenges might achieve, and how far they might soar if we encouraged them to unfurl their wings—past any horizon, past even our wildest…
Feeding issues can be difficult for parents of kids with special needs. Children can develop finicky eating habits for many different reasons, including sensory and taste aversions, poor muscle control and gut issues, among other things. It is an occupational therapist’s goal to try to…
All kids need a buddy. Two San Diego County organizations provide awesome peer friendship and mentorship opportunities for children of nearly every age and stage. Learn how to get your kids involved. Little League Challenger Division Nearly a dozen Little League programs throughout the San…
Strutting Their Stuff We all know that involving our kids in team sports helps keep them physically fit—but what about the mental health benefits? Team sports and dance classes are just as much about communication as they are about fitness. These families demonstrate how…
Five things to know about parents of children with special needs and how you can support them! My husband and I adopted our daughter when she was nine years old. She has a long list of mental health diagnoses. We quickly discovered that parenting a child…
