Big Kid
It Might Be ADHD. Now What??
What to do when you suspect that your child has ADHD. We share our favorite resources and BTDT techniques that have worked with our families.
Education
A Commonsense, Non-Scary Guide to Your First IEP Meeting
My young child’s eligibility/IEP determination meeting is coming up soon and I’m nervous they’re going to tell me she’s caught up enough and I’m still concerned. How do I pushback, but nicely?
Big Kid
Preparing Without Scaring: Before ADHD Testing
A reader wants to know what (and how much) to say before her daughter is evaluated and tested for ADHD. As you might suspect, I have some opinions on this topic.
Education
Pushing Back on a Pushy Therapist
Mom is in a sticky situation with a speech therapist who is insisting that her preschooler needs weekly therapy. But finances are very tight. Is there workaround to propose?
Education
Special Needs Services: Public, Private or Both?
A mom is getting increasingly more special needs diagnoses for her toddler and has been DIYing her therapies so far. She asks about the pros and cons of going through the Early Intervention process.
Big Kid
Life’s Not Fair, Whether I Help My Teens or Not
The knife-edge between encouraging my teens to self-advocate and stepping in while I still can is a precarious one, especially in a world that’s unfair.
Big Kid
To Label Or Not To Label, That Is The Question
A reader wants to know the value of putting a label on a struggling older child, or does it even matter? I have strong opinions on this one.
Big Kid
Dear Teacher: My Disabled Child Is Not Lazy
Having an invisible disability is hard; having an invisible disability as a high school student and being scoffed at by a teacher is worse. Don’t be that teacher.
Big Kid
Transitioning To Middle School With ADHD
Transitioning to middle school is a scary time for any kid, but when it’s an ADHD child, how should you best proceed? I’ve been there. Don’t panic!
Big Kid
The Dance Of Disclosure
To disclose or not to disclose: that’s the question when you’re dealing with special needs and increasing independence. My teens are figuring it out.
Big Kid
Your School Meeting Baking Guide
I know very little about wine pairings, but I do know what you should bake for your next meeting at school.
Education
Navigating the World of Special Education Preschool
Helping parents who are looking into special education preschool options for their speech-delayed child.
Education
Getting Help For Your ADD/ADHD Kid
I think my second grader has inattentive ADD/ADHD. What should I do to get him the help he needs at school?
Education
Dealing With a New Diagnosis
My son has just been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I haven’t the faintest idea what I’m supposed to do next.
Big Kid
Navigating IEPs and 504s With Older Kids
The dance of special education gets a lot more complicated as kids hit the teen years; the challenge is to balance support with increased responsibility.
Young Child
When the School Can’t (or Won’t) Help Your Child
I’m worried something isn’t quite “right” with my daughter, but her school keeps finding excuses for not evaluating our concerns. Where do I turn for help?
Young Child
Talking to Your Child About Their Special Needs
At what point — when special education and speech therapy and other services are the norm in your child’s life — do you explain to them that they’re different? And how?
Toddler
Special Needs, The Second Time Around
How to prepare yourself for another ride on the Early Intervention roller coaster.
Big Kid
Inclusive Special Education Benefits Everyone
An interview with my son who was involved in a program in which general education students are brought into a special education setting to work as role models, and advocates for the students with disabilities.