Every child is unique and exceptional in their own way — and some need exceptional care and nurturing to thrive.
Ask questions and share support with parents raising children who have special needs, including autism, developmental delays, physical limitations and more.
I have a new job and am going to be working outside the home now which brings the struggle of finding daycare. My stepson is 5, autistic and not potty trained. I am having issues finding a childcare facility that can take him because he is in diapers at 5. What alternatives or solutions has anyone else found for this issue? We have tried potty training and it stresses him out because he doesn&#... More
My son likes to flush the toilet and that is it. He only sat on the toilet once. He didn’t pull his pants down. He just sat and went in the diaper. I was told I should put regular underwear on and he will get the idea. I should also give him a treat when he does use the bathroom. It’s been really hard more so because he is autistic. Any tips?
He’s not going to magically know how to pull his pants down and go. He’s gone in a diaper his whole life. I recommend a weekend at home (like literally not leaving) in underwear where you have him sit on the toilet every 30 min and when he goes lots of praise (or one m&m) and talking about how he peed on the pot
When I train I do nothing or just underwear, and I help them with running over to the potty and show them how to pull it down, and I usually spend 3-7 days at home all day so we can catch every opportunity and have lots of repetition.
My soon-to-be 5 yr old is allergic to colors on the icing cream. His Birthday is just round the corner. I would like him to choose his cake but I want to make sure I give him options that would suit his health. Looking for recommendations for alternate Birthday cakes. TIA.
My stepson is about to be 5 and is autistic. Usually he sleeps good but lately he has been getting up super early and is wide awake. He was up before daylight today and we got woken up by him running around the house. I've tried laying him back down but he doesn't ever go back to sleep. He already gets melatonin at night. What tricks have you guys found that help autistic kids sleep bet... More
Started my baby on foods (BLW) about a month ago at just over 6 months. Since we started, he’s had a rash on his stomach that comes and goes, can’t really find a pattern or specific food that is the cause. He doesn’t seem to itch or be bothered and the pediatrician said it was just sensitive skin. I put aquaphor on it daily. I’m worried this is just the beginning of some sort of allergy (like I... More
Hi all, my son is going to turn 1 in a week and for the past 2 months he has had a runny and itchy nose. We just moved, and i guess thats the only new thing in his life. We have a cat at home but we have her since he was born. Not a cold and not every day Any thoughts? Thanks
My daughter is 18 months old. When can I start giving her peanut and jelly sandwiches?
Can he play in the grass or water and live a normal life? Im worried since he already have had recurrent staph infections including mrsa. Anybody else with eczema kids and whag do you do in summer to prevemt flare ups? Thnk you in advance!
Hi all, I’m a SDC (special day class) teacher and i have a 2nd grader in my class who brought a baby bottle to school... when I was putting some paperwork in his backpack for his parents to sign I found the bottle. However, when I picked it up and looked at it you can instantly tell that it was formula milk. ** He is the only child in the family** Is this something I should discuss with pa... More
I think I'd be more concerned about the fact that it was in a bottle than whether or not it was formula. If it was toddler formula, theres not necessarily anything wrong with that since it does have good nutritional value (unless that's the only thing the child was getting...). But a 7 yo still using a bottle is not developmentally appropriate and can cause dental issues.
My daughter has drool rash and I might have gone a bit overboard with the Aquaphor. I’m thinking they are just clogged pores.
I do! My amazing 12 year old son, Gavin, was born with developmental delays (fine & gross motor)/speech delays. He has intellectual disabilities, ADHD, a mild form of autism and an anxiety disorder. His developmental age averages to the equivalent of a 6 yr old, although some skills like self care and self control are more like that of age 2 or 3. It is believed that his disabilities we... More
Yes! But she’s super small at the moment (9 wks 5 adjusted). Baby G has two rare conditions called Fibular Hemimelia and Congenital Short Femur. Basically her bones never developed properly so her thigh is 2 cm short and part of her shinbone is too short to connect to her ankle. We’re thinking if not corrected it’ll be an 8 inch different when she hits puberty. Right now she’s so small to wal... More
Looking for some helpful tips on how I can help my son sleep better. He is two years old and has always woke up every 45-60 minutes during the night. Most of the time he wakes up screaming, punching, crying, and kicking. I have tried black out curtains, sound machines, night lights, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, music, changing the temperature, heavy blankets, no blankets, no nap during the day, ... More
I know the feeling. This is 10 years of the same with my daughter and we’ve tried everything . Finally getting a sleep study done. GET ONE DONE. Rule out everything. Anxiety is big with kids on the spectrum as well. My child when she was younger had a lot of anxiety. Sounds too. I have a very quiet room.
So I have a 3 year old who is turning 4 next month. She's been in daycare since she was 2. Her dad has ADHD and I have ADD. I have noticed that when we sit down to do "homework", she still doesn't seem to know her letters struggles to remember the last letter she said. Should I get her checked.
Hi! My son was just diagnosed with a speech and developmental delay. He is 20 months and only says a few words. He also has a little bit of a developmental delay because he can’t feed himself with a spoon yet, drink from a straw, or drink from an open cup. Does anyone have any experience with this type of delay? How long does it take to catch up? Did they seem to be at the same level as the oth... More
Pediatricians should be giving screenings like the Denver or Ages and Stages Questionnaire. And that's where it seems as simple as, does he have 6 words. When you meet with the speech therapist, physical therapist and/or occupational therapist, they will give an exam and recommend treatment. They look for a lot more than 6 words. Tongue movement, sound formation, pointing, nonverbal communi... More
So 8 months ago my 10 year old high functioning Aspergers kid, female by birth, confessed to me that they hate being a girl, dread puberty and want medical intervention to prevent it, and identify as neither male nor female. I am having a hard time understanding them, respecting their non binary wish to be called they and child. They cut their hair boy short, dress like a boy and have expressed... More
I’d be asking where this came from. It’s a trajectory that’s hard to come back from. I have a friend that said he thought he could be gay when he was a kid because of the way another man treated him. He said that he thought maybe the guy saw something “gay” in him that made him doubt his sexuality. I believe the first step is to try and find out if this is the result of something specific. Al... More
So I’m worried after my preschooler’s parent teacher conference. They said she resists fine motor and greatly struggles with writing her name. They said she often needs redirection in class, has physical boundary issues with met classmates, putting a foot on a kid gently in circle time and tuning out completely when not interested. Then in roof play she follows along initially with play but whe... More
I have a 4 year old autistic son and we've tried potty training before and he just played in the toilet! So we had to shut it down and lock all bathrooms for a while! Now I'm trying to start again and he has zero interest in sitting on the potty or his training toilet. He just gets up and runs away. He is also non-verbal so it's even more difficult with him! Anyone with suggestions?... More
Thank you all for the great suggestions! I’m going to try them all. Especially like the one about turning them around and letting them draw or color! Great ideas, going to start today! These are much appreciated!
I have not introduced peanut butter to my 14 month old because he’s allergic to eggs and dairy and has really bad dry skin/eczema and I’ve been so worried about trying it. I on the other hand feel horrible because his pediatrician keeps telling me at every appointment to do it. Has anyone else introduced it late and no allergy or am I setting him up for a peanut allergy? Side note, he is breast... More
I have a baby who started food allergies at 5 months from formula in his rice cereal, I hear your concern. He is anaphylactic to tree nuts, eggs, dairy and has over 5 other sensitives too other food. You can try a spot test where you put the peanut butter on the baby’s skin and cover it and if he gets bumps or angry skin you your know he could have problems. My baby 23 months now if he touches ... More
Well, this is my first post to Winnie. Not sure what to expect but here it goes. I have a 12-yr old daughter who will be entering 7th grade next year. I am utterly terrified. She is bright, funny, sassy and well...she’s all kinds of wonderful but unfortunately she has lots of challenges too. She is severely ADHD and hyperactive beyond belief. This has impacted her grades for years and she rarel... More
Trust your gut. From what you posted, I agree that your daughter would benefit from medication and possibly counseling. I don't know about medications specifically and I am not a medical professional but she is old enough to communicate how the meds are affecting her so that should help in finding the correct dosage and type. Find a doctor that has expertise in this field and get her help a... More
I kinda giggled at this post because your not alone! My daughter is the same way in some aspects and my mother would say “look in the mirror”!! 😓😓 my daughter has grown up with adults most of her life and only kid time is at school. The kids don’t get her personality and her sense of humor. She is to smart for her own good and talks to others as she was an adult. It’s so frustrating sometimes b... More
I found a study that was done in the UK that linked a cows milk allergy to unexplained sleeplessness in babies. I am trying it with my 17 month old to see if it helps because she currently wakes up anywhere from 5-13 times a night. Has anyone had success with this? Any tips on other foods or drinks to use for substitute or to stay away from? Thank you!
Agree with the above. Doctors can test for food allergies. I wouldn’t eliminate milk w/o some additional testing or a consult with the pediatrician. That is a lot of wake ups for a child that age. Has she always had this issue or is it new? Has anything changed in her sleep environment (new room/new bed/ or has she experienced a significant life change (sibling/school/etc), that could be the ro... More
my daughter has a milk allergy! we give her ripple pea milk or oat milk. almond milk didn’t have enough nutrients/calories in my opinion for her. we noticed that she seemed sick (runny nose, cough, etc) and it had to do with her allergy. i would definitely get her tested just to be sure!
See if you can get him ABA, they help a lot and most of them have their own centers, where you bring you child as to day care- they work full time. They use medical insurance to cover the expenses. This is the best for autistic child
What's ABA?