The festive season can be overwhelming for kids with special needs. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are 10 simple but fun activities your entire family will enjoy.

There’s no escaping the haunting enchantment of Halloween when unassuming neighborhoods take on an other worldliness. So captivating is this holiday that adults and children alike find themselves spellbound by the uniqueness of the day. And this is something that children with special needs should also get to experience.

AngelSense allows parents to monitor every part of their child’s day and see exactly where they are, when they arrived and left, their real-time travel routes and even the speed they are travelling at. The recently launched Late Departure Warning feature was designed to add another layer of safety, sending you an instant alert if your child has not left school, or any other regularly visited place on time.

In the autism community, one of the most fiercely debated topics is how to refer to people on the spectrum. While some prefer the term ‘people with autism’, others lean towards ‘autistic person’. Then there are those who remain indifferent, and prefer to take a tomato [tomayto]; tomato [tomahto] view of things. When a post in our Facebook group sparked fervent discussion, we realized this isn’t a simple matter of semantics. We felt it was important to get to the bottom of this because there’s no denying the power of words. More than simply conveying meaning, words convey sentiment and ultimately shape how people are perceived.

We recently polled a group of AngelSense GPS Tracker customers asking them how they benefit from it throughout the school year. The answers revolved around three main areas: school bus safety, wandering prevention and knowing exactly when your child is due to arrive home.

Water safety is one of the most important skills you can teach your special child. This becomes especially essential during summer when water is irresistible. Not only do most children with autism have a fascination with water, but they also lack any sense of danger.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved Kevin and Avonte’s Law (H.R. 4919) which aims to protect children with special needs from the dangers of wandering. While this marks a significant milestone for the special needs community, the bill still has a ways to go before becoming law.

A family getaway can be a great way to expose children with special needs to new experiences without overwhelming them. It will also give you an opportunity to bond with your special child away from the stresses of everyday life.

By Lisa Byrom Brown, Customer Care Specialist at AngelSense
School is out, and even summer school is ending soon. In our case that will mean three weeks’ worth of time to fill. Now don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my eight-year-old twins, but what are we going to do for THREE WHOLE WEEKS??

What started off as a typical Saturday almost ended in tragedy for this Los Angeles special needs family. Last week, Cris and Paul Houghtaling were 20 minutes into their exercise routine at a local gym when they were informed by an employee that Julian, their non-verbal child with autism, was nowhere to be found.