Different Kind of Special Blog

Sharing Empowerment, Positivity, and Joy

Is Facebook Friend or Foe for a Special Needs Parent?

empowerment support team Sep 15, 2018

True confession: I spend a lot of time on Facebook. My husband and kids have made comments about how much time I spend on my computer, and they’re not wrong. However, I don’t think I use Facebook in the same way most people do. Sure, I spend some time following what my friends are up to, and I watch a funny video or two once in a while. But, for me, Facebook is primarily a ‘research’ tool. I spend the majority of my time on Facebook learning more about how I can help...

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Happiness Formula #1: Hopes > Fears

having fun support team Sep 01, 2018

Are you a parent who loves taking your kids on adventures or do you prefer the convenience and comfort of home? Even if you’re an active, extroverted person who loves adventure, outings can be challenging when you’re a family that includes a child with special needs. And, to be completely honest, sometimes those extra challenges make me second guess whether or not the outing is worth the effort and the worry.

Earlier this summer, my daughters and I had the opportunity for a...

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Getting Out of the Hole

empowerment support team Aug 25, 2018

I recently wrote an article for Exceptional Parent magazine about making connections when your child has a rare disorder. Over the years, I’ve found that you can truly rely on other special needs parents for advice, friendship and support.

Recently, there was a meme circulating around the special needs community about what happens when a special needs parent falls in a hole. The theme of the meme is that when you have a child with special needs, the only person who you can truly count...

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Sometimes You Just Need Someone to Show Up

support team Jul 28, 2018
Over and over, I hear parents who have a child with disabilities talk about their feelings of isolation. Many say that friends and family seem to disappear, just when they’re needed the most. While we’ve had family and friends who have drifted away, unwilling or unable to be drawn into our unique circumstances, we’ve had many, many more who have stuck by us.

When Julia was a newborn and I was really struggling to find my footing, my dad realized that I needed some extra...

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Erica's Welcome

support team Jul 07, 2018

hi!

I am Erica and I am writing to give siblings an insight to what life is like to have a sibling with special needs. I, myself, have a sister named Julia with Aicardi Syndrome. Julia is sixteen, while I am twelve, and I have to say, I probably could not have asked for a better older sister. Besides Julia I have two other older siblings, both brothers, named Luke and Alex.

A little more about me:

  1. My favorite subjects are Math, ELA (English Language Arts), and STEM (Science, Technology,...
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Embrace Your Different Kind of Special

empowerment support team Jun 23, 2018

Navigating life when you have a child with special needs is all kinds of challenging. It tests you emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Do you wish you could find something or someone that could make parenting a child with special needs easier?

Over the last 16+ years, I’ve spent countless hours trying to solve the intricate puzzles that my daughter Julia has presented based on her profound developmental delays and complex medical issues. Here are just a few of the issues...

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