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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
4 Steps for Transitioning Out of Early Intervention
November 14, 2018
Early Intervention (EI) is a program through which children who qualify can receive services until their third birthday. Once your child turns three, the local school system will become your child’s service provider if they still qualify. The process of moving from EI to the school system is often called transition. The earlier you…
Read more5 Tips for Family Members: How to Avoid Unnecessary Stress at Family Gatherings
November 7, 2018
Holidays are a time for family and gratitude. For family members who we see only a few times a year, it can be hard for them to understand our unique experiences as parents of children with disabilities – and it can be easy for them to make judgment on us, our relationships with our children,…
Read moreHow to Take Care of Yourself
October 29, 2018
Caring for a child with a disability can be a fulfilling experience. It can also be challenging and stressful. Caregivers and parents sometimes forget to take care of themselves as much as they care for their children. Here are four tips to keep in mind: 1. Take a break when you need it.Why is this…
Read moreTop 10 Ways My Son’s Diagnosis Has Affected Our Lives.
October 23, 2018
*This post appeared in The Mighty, May 2019 Learning about and understanding my son’s diagnosis has changed who we are as individuals, as parents, and as a family. I’m sure it has for you, too. Above all, it has allowed us to strengthen our relationships with each other and with the world in ways that…
Read more3 Ways You Can Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month
October 2, 2018
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The goal of NDEAM is to raise awareness about disability employment issues and share the value that people with disabilities add to our workplaces and communities. Whether you are a parent, job-seeker, employer, or friend, here are three ideas to help you get involved this month.…
Read moreBut First, Sleep.
September 28, 2018
When you are exhausted, just getting through the day can be challenging. When you are a parent of a child with a disability and you are exhausted AND your child is exhausted, ‘challenging’ is an understatement. Many of our children have struggled or continue to struggle with sleep. It’s one of the first shared experiences…
Read moreAsk the Attorney: “Where Can My Adult Child Live?”
September 17, 2018
Planning for your adult child with disabilities involves thinking about how she or he can live their best full life in the community. If your child needs both a place to live and daily support, they have options. We can’t tell you what is best for your child or exactly what options are available,…
Read moreTo Medicate or Not to Medicate My Child? A Conversation I’ve Had with Myself
September 10, 2018
Searching online for ’Should I medicate my child?’ yields about 1,880,000 results. If you are like me, you skim the headlines and maybe click on a few, trying to discern what is ‘real’. We want to hear from someone we can relate to, who has similar values. Maybe someone who understands our individual children and…
Read moreWhat is Supported Decision-Making?
September 5, 2018
What is supported decision-making?Supported decision-making is an alternative to guardianship. It allows a person with a disability to make their own decisions with support from a team of people they trust instead of having someone else make decisions for them. How does it work?1. A person with a disability decides in what areas they…
Read more“I’m Fine.”
August 30, 2018
How many times have you said those words only to wonder how ‘fine’ you really are? Sometimes “I’m fine” because that is what I want to be, sometimes it’s because I think that’s what others want me to be, and sometimes it’s just the easiest response. Most times, it’s true: I am fine. Of course…
Read moreMeet Your Child’s IEP Team
August 21, 2018
Who will be sitting around the table at your child’s IEP team meeting? We've created this list to help you know who to expect to see as you head into your first IEP meetings of the year.Under federal law, the IEP team must consist of: A general education teacher who works with the studentA…
Read moreWho Can I Bring to an IEP Meeting?
July 25, 2018
Showing up for an IEP meeting at your child’s school can feel intimidating, especially if you are the only person at the table who isn’t part of the school staff. Keep in mind that as the parent, you are an important part of the IEP team and you are also an expert in your…
Read more“Is this normal?” …and other things I Google at 1AM
July 20, 2018
One of my favorite things to share about Exceptional Lives is that people access our resources the most between the hours of 10PM and 2AM. When I learned this fact, I nodded in agreement and immediately recalled many nights pulling out the computer or squinting at the bright phone in the dark to search for…
Read moreWhat is Transition?
July 11, 2018
What is Transition?Life is full of transitions. Moving, changing jobs, and preparing for a next step are examples we experience all the time. In the disability world, “transition” or “transition to adulthood” refers to the time during which a young adult “transitions” out of school and into the community, whether that means a college…
Read moreWhat If My Child Missed Developmental Milestones?
July 6, 2018
That’s what happened in my family. Our son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was late to crawl and we noticed he had a clear preference for one side of his body. My husband asked me one night, “Does he always have his right hand fisted while he’s crawling?” I quickly said, “No” and…
Read moreWhat is Occupational Therapy?
June 27, 2018
You’ve likely heard lots of new terms at your child’s IEP, 504, or Transition meetings. It is hard to keep them all straight! While many of us think of Occupational Therapists as providing help with handwriting or using scissors, OTs do so much more.Occupational therapy (OT) is a form of therapy that helps people…
Read moreExceptional Lives’ Top 10 IEP Blogs: Everything You Need to Know
June 23, 2018
Whether your child is just finishing up the school year or beginning to anticipate the start of a new grade, the IEP has likely crossed your mind. As one of our Exceptional Lives’ users shared with us, entering an IEP meeting can be very intimidating to say the least. Whether are just learning about what…
Read moreWhat is a Transition Plan? Follow These 4 Steps to Get Started
June 13, 2018
A Transition Plan is a document you will create with your child and the rest of the IEP Team by the time your child turns 16. The word “transition” in this case refers to the transition from high school to adult life. This occurs when your child receives a diploma or turns 22 and…
Read more“Wait, are we eligible for that?” Here’s How to Find Out
June 12, 2018
Last year, I sat next to an older man on a plane. We kept to ourselves for most of the flight, but as we started to make our descent, we picked up easy conversation. It was my first time to Louisiana and I was curious and excited to see a different part of the country.
Read moreExpanded Access to Independent Evaluations in Massachusetts
May 30, 2018
New regulations increase the amount you can be reimbursed for independent educational evaluations (IEEs).An IEE is a tool parents can use when they disagree with an evaluation the school district has conducted. They can request that a psychologist, therapist, or other provider outside – or independent from – the school district conduct their own…
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