Back in the 1950’s, scientists were certain that autism and schizophrenia were caused by mothers who were emotionally frigid. Scientists coined the phrase “refrigerator mothers” to describe how the lack of warmth by mothers affected their children. There were even movies made about this symptom: a PBS Point of View, the trailer which is… Read More »
Posts Tagged: Special Needs Child
A Very Special Place on Long Island Special Needs Radio
Tonight, November 29, 2011, Special Needs Radio is hosting Diane Buglioli, Deputy Executive Director of A Very Special Place. A Very Special Place, Inc. was established in 1974 as a not-for-profit corporation to provide services to people with developmental disabilities. A Very Special Place, Inc. provides a comprehensive network of programs and services for people with developmental… Read More »
"It's Not as Bad as it Looks"
Right, Judge. If it was possible to somehow put the frosting on the cake of this horrifying story about a judge caught on videotape beating his daughter, a life-long sufferer of cerebral palsy, that quote from the perpetrator did it. According to the article, Texas Family Court Judge William Adams was secretly taped by his… Read More »
Broadway Roars: Autism Friendly Performance at Lion King
Broadway is becoming autism friendly! The Theater Development Fund (TDF) has started a new program known as the Autism Theater Initiative to make theater more accessible to children and adults on the autism spectrum and their families. The Lion King has been chosen as the first ever Broadway autism-friendly play with a special performance… Read More »
The R Word: Tracy Morgan: Oops!…I Did it Again
In the latest incident of a celebrity using the “R” word, Tracy Morgan, fresh from his apologies over making anti-gay remarks, made “jokes” about “young retarded males” during a recent comedy appearance. It was reminiscent of Jenifer Aniston’s description of herself as “retarded” on the David Letterman show. The New York Times reported Morgan’s gaffe… Read More »
Play Ball! Special Needs Kids on Long Island
A brand new baseball little league has been form on Long Island, welcoming disabled children. The Little League of the Islips’ Challengers team is comprised of two teams, the Hurricanes and the Cyclones. As CBS News commented, “the Field of Dreams belongs to everyone.” The Challengers are the brainchild of Kelly Pipitone and Frank Fritz. … Read More »
Early Screening Tool Could Detect Autism by Age 1
A new approach to screening for some autism spectrum disorders may be able to detect autism by the age of 1, a great advance. Earlier detection and treatment can lead to better outcomes, as parents and teachers of children with autism know. The Journal of Pediatrics has prepared a checklist to be used at baby’s… Read More »
Special Education Success at School for Disabled
The Henry Visconti School, a New York State supported special education school that prides itself on treating its students with dignity and respect, was recently praised in the New York Times for allowing severely disabled students to succeed in school through the use of technology and on-site medical care. According to the school website, the… Read More »
Chalimony: When Divorce Meets Special Needs
As many parents of special needs kids know, raising a disabled child is much more expensive than raising typical children. I have previously discussed some of the extraordinary costs in my post on Divorce and Special Needs Children. Many states mandate that parents of a disabled child continue supporting these children, even after they are… Read More »
What's in a Name? Rosa's Law Passed
Federal statutes will no longer use the term “mental retardation” instead substituting the phrase “intellectual disability.” President Obama officially signed into law this October a bill that has spent months wending its way through Congress. Who is Rosa? Rosa is a now 9-year old Maryland girl with Down’s Syndrome. Her mother took issue with the… Read More »