Babble

Anyone else have a child with special needs? Thought it might be helpful to start a forum to discuss the unique issues that arise, as well as offer each other support.

Hi, I have a child that has minor special needs. I know that they are not as big as alot of other parents face but still dfficult. My oldest son was born twoand a half months premature. At first he seemed like he was overcoming that. But now he is four and is having emotional problems because he just is not mature enough for his age to understand what is expected of him. I am trying to figure out different disciplines for him that will help him not have problems with discipline.

My son is 3.5 and has Down syndrome, which for him have manifested as various delays (mainly physical -- he just started walking not long ago -- and with speech).  It's been an interesting ride.  I'd love to hear more from other parents about navigating "the system" in terms of finding support that doesn't pigeonhole.

 

Karen 

(from Strollerderby)

My daughter has special needs.  She is severely mentally retarded and suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome.  She is also fed by g-tube and is cortically blind.

Hi Karen,

I don't have a special needs child, but I just finished a book that you and other moms might like. It's called The Elephant in the Playroom. It's all essays by parents of special needs kids. (I'm a sucker for a good essay collection.) You may want to check it out.

 Holly

I too have a child with minor special needs.  He was born 4.5 weeks early with seizures and apnea.  An MRI found a walnut size of his brain to have died.  His early prognosis was persistant vegetative state.  Well he proved them all wrong and is a vibrant 5 year old who is speech delayed and has the slightest hemiplegia on his right side.  I have currently enrolled him in Martial Arts to learn about his body and stress management.  He takes piano lessons for all the goodness that comes out of learning music.  He used to take gymnastics until he no longer was getting anything out of it.  If your child is having emotional problems why not try some of these activities they may help work out some of his emotionality and channel it positively and help ease your worries.  If anyone out there has anything they can add so I can learn more I would love the feedback.

Hi Holly, yes that's an awesome book!

I guess the point here is that there is such a vast spectrum when you say "special needs", that no one thing fits every child.  It therefore becomes the task of the parent to become the child's advocate because, frankly, often there's just not enough support or understanding out there. 

 

Karen