Christian Boer, a graphic designer from the Netherlands, put his artistic talent to work to solve his own struggles with dyslexia. He designed a new font that gives the brain extra help recognizing letters, words and punctuation. The changes to the letters are subtle but may make all the difference to a child or adult with the condition. The font was his Masters thesis and now Dyslexie is available...
I was literally brought to tears by yet another story of a special needs child who was mistreated by her alleged caregivers. So, as Thanksgiving approaches, I want to express my gratitude, appreciation and admiration. Thank you… To every caseworker, nurse and doctor who questions parents and caregivers diligently and actually follows up… To every teacher’s aide who forms a bond...
Maybe I am sensitized to the topic, but it seems like everywhere I turn these days people are talking about special needs kids. Sometimes it’s sad, like the Canadian boy who took his own life, and sometimes it’s joyful, like the radio DJ who asked, “What can we do better to help kids with special needs in our community?” The Combating Autism Reauthorization Act (CARA) was...
We all know the bad news about the economy. We also know that raising a child can be expensive, and raising a special needs child can be incredibly expensive. Public schools and agencies can’t keep up with demand, so only the most extreme cases qualify for services. Usually this involves an assessment or examination. Many times I struggle with myself – I want my child to do well on these tests,...
The Horse Boy is a documentary that follows a family as they travel to Mongolia to try shamanistic healing for their son. Although the child in the film has autism, parents Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff struggle with the same questions any special needs diagnosis would bring: - Did I do something to cause this? - Will my child ever be self-sufficient? - What will happen to my child when I am gone? The...
