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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
What 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.
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Expanded 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…
Read moreThe Beautiful Moments
May 24, 2018
*This post appeared in The Mighty, May 2018 Sometimes we all need a little more. It looks different for all of us: more attention or more alone time, more cuddles or more space, more structure or more flexibility. Maybe it’s a developmental stage, maybe it’s circumstance, mood or personality. Whatever it is, we notice and…
Read moreRead Beyond the Headline
May 4, 2018
In today’s digital world, it is easy to take headlines at face value. We have so much information coming at us all of the time that we might see a headline or skim an article without reading the full piece. Sharing an article as fact without digging deeper to check sources or compare findings…
Read moreTake Me Outside!
April 28, 2018
This week, I was called to the school twice to pick up my son. Scrreeeech. Back down the rabbit hole I go; There have been a lot of transitions lately. He’s going through a growth spurt. Is everyone getting enough sleep? I think there’s too much sugar in our diets. We should probably cut back…
Read more3 Tips for Tracking Your Child’s Progress at School
April 20, 2018
Tracking your child’s improvement against his goals involves comparing old and new documents, as well as understanding the reports you receive from the teacher and school. Here are some tips to keep organized and prepared. 1. Organize your child’s progress reportsIn many states, the school district must send parents or guardians written progress reports…
Read moreMassachusetts Resource Directory Now Available in Spanish
April 5, 2018
Families with Children who have Disabilities Now have Access to an Online Resource Directory in SpanishExceptional Lives is excited to announce that its comprehensive Resource Directory designed to provide information on services available to children with disabilities has been translated into Spanish. This free, on-line directory provides a wealth of information on local services…
Read moreDon’t Look the Other Way
March 29, 2018
People freeze in unknown situations. It’s normal. And it’s why I became interested in this field in the first place. I was reminded of this earlier today.I ran out to grab lunch and while I was waiting for my bagel - headphones in my ears because I was on the phone, face-down looking at…
Read moreAsk the Attorney: What are my rights regarding school placement?
March 21, 2018
"Can the school district force my child into a new placement because we requested a certain accommodation such as a one-to-one aide?"As with all of our Ask the Attorney posts, we acknowledge that every situation is unique based on the student and school district, though there is some general advice we can share on…
Read moreELI Receives Innovative Practice Award at United Nations
March 7, 2018
We were recently honored to be named one of Zero Project’s 2018 Innovative Practice Award recipients. The Zero Project, based in Vienna, Austria, works to improve the lives of people with disabilities and create a world without barriers. The Zero Project Conference 2018 brought together 650 participants from 70 countries to discuss issues related…
Read moreSports and Inclusion: Raising Athletes of all Abilities
March 1, 2018
I dare you to watch this trailer for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games and not feel motivated, encouraged or proud. And maybe a little taken over by emotion recognizing all of the strength, determination and heart of those athletes. (I’m not crying, you’re crying…) It’s easy for sports to fall to the bottom of our…
Read more#CelebrateTheWins
February 21, 2018
Sometimes the world feels too heavy. In our individual lives we feel this in different ways. We all have our unique challenges and stresses, and we have varying levels of support to deal with them. At Exceptional Lives, we often talk about our experiences as parents of children with special needs, or exceptionalities. We recognize…
Read more5 Tips to Prepare For Your IEP Meeting
February 9, 2018
Have you recently started the special education process? Do you have a meeting with the school coming up? We’ve compiled tips on how to stay organized, with some added Parent Pointers from ELI’s Julie McIsaac. (You can find the pointers in italics after each section!) Create an IEP binderWherever you are in the process,…
Read moreWhat happens when I’m gone? Planning for Adult Children with Special Needs
February 8, 2018
Your calendar is coordinated to keep track of appointments for your adult child with special needs. Your to-do list includes researching programs that you’ve heard of or meeting with an advisor to plan financial details. You know that no matter how invested in work, friends, or anything else, you are available if your adult child…
Read moreChecking the Boxes: Diagnosis and Belonging
January 24, 2018
During a past focus group for Exceptional Lives, we received the following feedback: “If I see a particular diagnosis mentioned, or I don’t see my child’s diagnosis, I assume it’s not for me.” This makes perfect sense. As parents and caregivers, we have a lot of information to sift through; we need to know what…
Read moreHow to Win When You Play to Lose
January 17, 2018
Everybody loves to win. Children naturally infuse winning into their day; “First one to the slide gets (fill in the blank)”, “My (fill in the blank) is (better, bigger, stronger) than yours!” I’ll admit, as a mom, I do it too! I almost always regret it, but when the three boys take on sloth-like qualities…
Read more18 Ways to Help a Special Needs Family in 2018
January 11, 2018
Why special needs families need help:Before I became a parent, I thought a little extra hard work would be enough to make it through the valleys of parenthood. When I became a special needs parent, goodness, I realized how wrong I was. M. Lin says it well in this post: Parenting is already an…
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