Empowering the Special Needs Community
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.
For many special needs families, summer doesn’t have the same ring to it as it does for other families. With disrupted routines and new sensory experiences, summer vacation is particularly challenging for children with special needs. As a parent, you can do your best to help your special child adjust, but safety remains the top concern for many.
Summer vacation is an opportunity to reconnect and spend some quality time with your special family. With enough planning and some creativity, summer can be a rewarding and rejuvenating time for the entire family. And the best part is that you don’t have to go far to experience the wonders of summer. You’ll be amazed at how much fun your entire family can have in the comfort of your backyard or a nearby park.
Autism affects millions of children and young adults around the world. For many parents what’s most challenging about the condition is their child’s tendency to wander off. In fact, wandering or elopement is so common among children with autism spectrum disorders that it’s estimated that more than half of children with the condition tend to wander off from safe places.
From time to time it’s important to take a break from the stresses of everyday life and focus exclusively on your special family. Because at the end of the day, it’s family which makes life that much sweeter. Uninterrupted quality time is not only an opportunity to bond with your loved ones, but it’s the perfect time to work on fostering healthy habits and improving your family’s overall well being.
We reached out to the AngelSense community for their funny parenting moments, and they were gracious enough to share 11 stories. But it doesn’t have to end here. We’d love to hear your funny special needs parenting moments. All of us could do with a good, heartfelt laugh. After all as the saying goes: laughter is the best medicine!