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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
Six things not to say to children with disabilities (and some things to say instead)
August 23, 2021
It’s easy to say the wrong thing, even when we mean well. Here is what not to say to a child with a disability - and some great things to say instead.
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Kitchen Conversations, Know your rights: navigating your young child’s transition into school
July 29, 2021
Do you know the laws that protect children with disabilities? Hear from Maria Blanco, AD @ LSU HSC on how to best advocate for your child.
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How Can I Prepare for My Child’s Transition into School-based Services at Age 3?
July 28, 2021
If your child has a delay or disability, learn the steps to get early childhood special needs services and transition into school-based services at age 3.
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One Quick Question: “Will my young child with special needs need to do therapy forever?”
July 22, 2021
If your child has a disability, it may feel like they will be in therapy forever. In this 2-minute video, Anne Hindrichs and Kim Haynes from the McMains Child Development center in Baton Rouge give us the straight story.
Read moreOne Quick Question: How do I choose the right school for my young child with a disability?
July 22, 2021
Finding the right school for a young child with a disability can be hard. In this 2-minute video, Joyce Ridgeway, formerly of Early Steps (Early Intervention) explains how Louisiana families can find the right fit.
Read moreTelehealth for children with disabilities: what you need to know
July 21, 2021
What does telehealth look like for children with special needs or disabilities? Your child may be able to work with a doctor, ABA provider, or mental health , or speech therapist online and make progress without having to leave home.
Read moreKitchen Conversations: Therapies and accommodations to support young children with disabilities in school
July 14, 2021
Are you aware of accommodations for students with disabilities? Learn about adaptations for special needs in the classroom plus more!
Read moreOne Quick Question: My child is turning 3 and is ready to transition out of Early Intervention… but no one is calling me back about school or services. What should I do?
July 13, 2021
Your child is turning 3 and is ready to make the transition from Early Intervention to pre-school or services, but no one is calling you back. Now what? In this 2-minute video, Joyce Ridgeway lays out what you can do next to advocate for your child.
Read moreKitchen Conversations: Preparing for your child’s transition into school
July 13, 2021
What are the most important things to do before your child with disabilities or special needs starts school? Joyce Ridgeway of EarlySteps breaks it down.
Read moreProviders and teachers: want to support children with disabilities? Support their parents.
June 30, 2021
Providers and teachers: you know that one of the best ways to support children with disabilities is to support their parents. Exceptional Lives makes it easy.
Read moreTropical Storms 2021: My child has a disability. How do I prepare for hurricane season?
June 9, 2021
In past years, we’ve shared some tips to help your family prepare for hurricane season. This year, we want to share our tips for emergencies like hurricanes or evacuating your house, but given the current pandemic, we also recommend you check out our 3-part Pandemic Emergency Planning Series.
Read moreWhat is Sensory Processing? And can it help explain my child’s behavior?
June 2, 2021
Sensory processing issues make it difficult for our brains to process and filter information that comes through our senses. So how do we support our children?
Read moreMedicaid Changes for the Pandemic and Beyond – How Can They Help People with Disabilities?
May 26, 2021
Medicaid covers important services for children and adults with disabilities. During the pandemic Medicaid has made changes to make it easier for you to get the service you need, including things like telehealth. Read on to learn about new policies to help your family get what they need from Medicaid.
Read moreShow Me Your Crazy! How to improve mental health
May 19, 2021
A common expression in Louisiana is “We don’t hide our crazy, we flaunt it down the street!” Boy, how I would laugh, seeing that phrase in the local Sunday morning cartoons. But I knew it wasn’t true. As much as we let loose and enjoyed our silliness during carnival, we kept our real struggles in…
Read moreThe Emerge Center SPARK for Autism Research
April 26, 2021
SPARK is an online research partnership with the mission of speeding up research and advancing understanding of autism. Individuals of all ages diagnosed with autism as well as their family members are invited to join SPARK!
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My child struggles with reading. How can I help?
April 13, 2021
Many children have trouble with reading and literacy. But there are ways to help support them! Here are some tips on how to help a child struggling with reading.
Read moreWhy are reading and literacy so important?
March 29, 2021
Reading is an important building block in preparing our children for life. Adults with high school level literacy skills get better jobs and are healthier than those with lower skills. It may surprise you to learn how well you need to read to take on the challenges of daily life. The importance of reading may…
Read moreThe Boys (and Girls) of Summer
March 29, 2021
When it gets sunny out, we all start to think about summertime. But camp plans are complicated, especially during COVID, and even more so for those of parenting children with disabilities. Here, two parents of children with disabilities share their plans for child care during summer.
Read moreStatement in support of AAPI community
March 19, 2021
The Exceptional Lives team stands in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. In the wake of the racially-motivated murders in Georgia that included 6 Asian women, we are horrified and hurting alongside you.
Read moreWhat Can I Do to Help if My Child is Struggling in School?
March 3, 2021
There are many reasons why a child may struggle in school. The good news is that there are ways to help!
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