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Cerebral Palsy: A Brief Overview

What is Cerebral Palsy (CP)? “Cerebral” refers to the brain, and “palsy” means muscle paralysis. In combination, they refer to a group of conditions where an individual’s ability to move is affected. A person with cerebral palsy may have muscle rigidity or muscle weakness, either of which could cause difficulty with walking, speaking, and fine motor skills such as writing. Individuals with CP often require a walker or wheelchair to get around. Sometimes mental retardation accompanies Cerebral Palsy. Approximately 2 to 3 children out of 1,000 have this condition. It is important to note that CP is not progressive. Although … Continue reading →

Types of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an umbrella that encompasses many specialties. Here are a few of the most common areas of specialization for physical therapists. Pediatric physical therapy deals with congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, neuroskeletal, and other disorders in infants, children, and adolescents. A pediatric physical therapist can help detect, diagnose, treat, and manage a wide variety of conditions, including: Cerebral palsy Spina bifida Developmental delays Pediatric physical therapy focuses on balance and coordination, improving motor skills (both fine motor and gross motor), building strength and endurance, and sensory integration. At the other end of life, geriatric physical therapists deals with aging and … Continue reading →

Teach Your Child How to Dream

I’m a firm believer that children need to be taught how to dream. By “dream,” I mean having a driving hope for the future—a clear concept or idea of what they want to do or be. Every child needs to learn this, and children with special needs are no exception. Some children develop a dream for their lives from early childhood, but many children must be taught to dream. These are the kids that shrug their shoulders and say, “I dunno,” when asked about their future plans. Why Dream? A child with a dream has greater motivation to achieve. Children … Continue reading →

IVF Babies Are More Sickly

A new study published last week in London in the medical journal Human Reproduction, is warning parents that there are some risks to the baby associated with IVF. Many of the illnesses are common child hood problems and others are more serious. Among several hundred children studied, IVF babies tended to: *males born via IVF have a higher incidence of infertility *spend more time in the hospital *be more likely to suffer from heart defects *be at a higher risk for autism and cerebral palsy *be admitted to the hospital more often and spend more time there *be more prone … Continue reading →

5 Red Flags That May Signal a Motor Development Problem

Experts say that it helps to think of motor development problems in terms of two categories: qualitative and quantitative. A qualitative disorder is something that is not normal in and of itself. Extreme stiffness in the limbs for example, is abnormal at any age. A quantitative disorder on the other hand, is when the behavior is appropriate but the timing is all off. For example, if your child is crawling but maybe shows no signs of walking well after one year. With that said, here are 5 red flags that something is not right in terms of motor development. 1. … Continue reading →

And the Winner is… Keeping Up With Roo!

Approximately every two years, a very special award is presented to an author and illustrator of a children’s fiction book which portrays persons with disabilities in a positive, appropriate way. A little about the Dolly Gray Award… This award, called the Dolly Gray Award for Children’s Literature, is the combined effort of several important groups established for the benefit of children with disabilities: The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and Special Needs Project. The winner is selected based on the sensitive portrayal of a character with a developmental disability, and the quality of both … Continue reading →

Wheelchairs With Love, From America

The holidays are here, and if your kids are like mine, they haven’t a care in the world. They’ve written their letters to Santa–filled with requests for video games, clothes, toys, electronic gadgets and gizmos of all kinds. Their world is full of excess. They have never known real hunger, or real poverty. They have never known war on any personal level. They have never known what it feels like to be unable to move about freely. The Gift of a Wheelchair Today, as you read this blog, there are children on the streets of Iraq who are scooting themselves … Continue reading →

Hello From Another Special Needs Parent

Hello and welcome to my blog about special needs parenting. My hope is that this will be informative and helpful to you all, as I know it will be to me as I research and discuss each topic. I plan on going over many different subjects, from attachment to schooling. I am very excited to start this venture and I know it will be rewarding. A little about me My name is Nichole True; I am a full time mom and part time retail associate. In September of 2006 my husband and I brought our first child home from Guatemala. … Continue reading →

Ten Ways to Help Your Child with Tourette Syndrome Succeed in School

Children with Tourette syndrome (TS) often face a hostile, unkind world in the public school system. Teachers can be impatient with the tics and peers can be cruel and insulting. What happens in the classroom, and how the tics are handled, can seriously impact the life of this special child. Here are ten classroom accommodations which can help your child with Tourette Syndrome (or other tic disorders) succeed in school: 1. Select a good teacher. The teacher should be carefully chosen. He or she should be patient, understanding, and knowledgeable about TS. The teacher should have a private meeting with … Continue reading →

Swim, Laugh, and Thrive With Dolphins!

There is something powerful about humans interacting with dolphins. These tranquil, intelligent creatures have been shown to be gentle with children, almost sensing their vulnerability. The amazing impact that dolphins have on special needs children and adults has been documented and described frequently. Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) has become an accepted and recognized form of treatment for children with disabilities of all kinds. Parents have reported that after their children had the experience of swimming with dolphins their ability to communicate increased, and they “opened up.” Children with pervasive development disorder and particularly those on the autism spectrum have often … Continue reading →