Children with speech and communication problems are benefiting from apps designed for the iPad. “Before she got an iPad at age two, Caleigh Gray couldn’t respond to yes-or-no questions. Now Caleigh, who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, uses a $190 software application that speaks the words associated with pictures she touches on the “tablet”… Read More »
Posts Tagged: Special Needs Child
Should We Celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) celebrates Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) during the first week in October. In 1990, the U.S. Congress established MIAW in recognition of NAMI’s efforts to raise mental illness awareness. MIAW has become a NAMI tradition. According to NAMI, the week “presents an opportunity to all NAMI state organizations… Read More »
Jennifer Aniston, Politically Incorrect?
In the latest controversy this year over the use of the word retard or retarded, Jennifer Aniston used the word “retard” self-deprecatingly on Regis and Kelly Live while describing how she plays dress-up for a living. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a retard as a mentally disabled person. From Wikipedia: Mental retardation (MR) is a… Read More »
Temple Grandin–A Beautiful Mind
Temple Grandin, the child without a voice, has become the voice of reason for autism.
Federal Help for Mentally Ill NY Youth in Custody
“Until now, the state did not have a single full-time psychiatrist on staff to treat youthful offenders.” This is the most startling sentence in this NYTimes article detailing the settlement which allows the federal government to oversee four of New York’s juvenile prisons. New York’s juvenile prisons are the place where troubled kids are locked… Read More »
Divorce and Special Needs Children
Raising a child with special needs is hard on marriage. Today, the divorce rate among all couples is over 50%. Although statistics differ, there is no question that divorce rates are even higher among parents of children with special needs. When a couple divorces, it is even more important to consider the financial needs of… Read More »
Are Schools Prepared for an Increase in Autism-Related Special Needs?
The reported rate of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has significantly increased and is now expected to affect 1% of children ages 3 to 17, or approximately 1 in every 100 children, according to two recent major studies. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a study published in the journal Pediatrics indicate… Read More »
Reaching out to the Disability Community-An Important Government Resource
Recently, the federal government moved to the technological forefront with its launch of Disability.gov. This relaunched website fulfills its stated purpose of Connecting the Disability Community to Information and Opportunities. Disability.gov successfully uses social media tools to reach out to visitors and encourage interaction. There are online discussions and a user-friendly way to get answers… Read More »
Choosing a Trustee for Your Special Needs Trust: Part Three
In Part One and Part Two of Choosing a Trustee for Your Special Needs Trust, I described the numerous duties of a Special Needs trustee and the different factors that must be considered in choosing the trustee. In this final post, I offer some suggestions as to how to make that choice in order to… Read More »
Choosing a Trustee for Your Special Needs Trust: Part One
Choosing a trustee to manage your child’s Special or Supplemental Needs Trust is one of the most difficult decisions you will have to make. That decision alone often stops parents from taking the next step of setting up an appointment with an attorney who has expertise with drafting Special Needs Trusts. After all, how can… Read More »