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.
Hi so I have a set of twins turning 4 in January. My son is autistic but my daughter isn’t. This is the first year I want to throw them a party but I don’t want to be so concerned about not overwhelming my son that my daughter doesn’t have fun. Any suggestions?
My son is about to be a year old in a couple weeks and I’m freaking out about the transition from formula to cows milk. I’ve already tried introducing him to some dairy products like cheese,yogurt and other foods that might have dairy in it. He hasn’t had a problem until recently I gave him American cheese, he pooped 5 times in one day causing him a diaper rash. Is he possibly allergic to cows ... More
I have a 10 1/2 year old son with Down Syndrome and atypical autism. What is the proper dosage of CBD oil? I have given it to him before. It calmed him down and he slept calmly through the night. The morning dosage caused drowsiness. I have also tried NEUROPROTEK. It was expensive and made him more focused, but nothing more. I would like to speak with a parent who has a child as my own, who ha... More
I found out August 6th my 3rd son is due December 20th but my recent ultrasound that day I was told that there were abnormalities of the heart,cleft feet,and Spinal Bifida and I'm now 6 months pregnant. Therefore I had a procedure performed where a sample of my amniotic fluid was taken for testing.......I am waiting for the test results in the next 7 days so schedules can be made for Pas... More
The birth to 3 program that is prior to early intervention or school age support should be able to start right away. The hospital/ clinic social worker could help you get in touch. You also can do the self referral. Each state calls their programs something slightly different. The local public schools should also be able to give you their information. It’s free. Typically with birth to three th... More
My son has a congenital heart defect, we currently have therapists that come to the house, some insurances can provide nursing services as well, typically the children’s hospital or wherever your child is being treated will give you information about services that are available. My son is 6 months old and has had two open heart surgeries so far. I chose to stay at home with him but I feel like ... More
Has anyone put their child in occupational therapy for sensory disorder? What types of things do they teach there?
Often it’s things to help the child better understand the sensory information from their environment. Most therapist work with the family to help improve the child’s everyday function in the home/ community. The types of interventions will differ on what the child’s needs are. It is almost always play based and works on integration of the sensory system to increase performance of everyday tasks... More
I know my son has food aversions and doesn’t like certain textures in relation to food. We are pretty confident that he has some SPD issues but his pediatrician and early intervention doesn’t seem to be worried. He is 15 months and won’t eat much or consistent solids. He will eat anything purées style but won’t eat much more solid. We barely got to the point where he will sometimes eat a chip o... More
Check out Your Kids Table website https://yourkidstable.com. Fantastic information on from an OT on eating and sensory issues. Fantastic information! I used this website for meal ideas and snacks when we went through a rough patch with eating.
Trust your gut, mama. If your insurance requires it, ask for a referral to an OT, otherwise make the appointment yourself!!! Early intervention is sooo important!!!
My daughter is 28 months (2 years old) and can only say a handful of words and can’t put together sentences either. We recently had an appointment with her pediatrician and have mentioned or concerns of her being non verbal as well as her lack of interaction with other children. The next steps will be a hearing test, autism assessment as well as getting her in the head start program (if they fe... More
My son has autism and cant really speak; can only say Mama but only when upset and mostly babbles. I dont think yours have autism since she is able to say a few words.She is probably just a little delayed. Get her to copy you more, if she knows how to copy in movements or activities, she should be able to copy in speaking as well. Start with easy words and find something she is interested in an... More
I don't want to bore everyone with my daughter's life story but she has been very different from my two older kids since the day she was born. Even the pregnancy was much different/harder. I also have struggled with chronic pain and had horrible PPD for a couple years after her birth. And her father is a workaholic and this was his first child so It. Was. A. Struggle! Anyway, my daughte... More
My oldest son was the exact same way when he was 3 years old. Now he is 26. I thought at first he was just being a toddler going through the terrible 2's until he started breaking dishes cause his shoes were not in the right place. I took him to the doctor and insisted that tests be done to find the problem. I had a 2 year old daughter with downsyndrome and had to protect her as well. Evalu... More
Oh I know she's not trying to run the house but others who are outside looking in do lol. Their opinions and concerns are what get to me. I know my daughter is bright and amazing and has her own little ways of processing information and I try everything I can think of to try and figure that out with her. I just need to find a doctor who will get on the same page and stop telling me that the... More
Hi, I am looking for child care for a child with Spina Bifida but I have no idea where to begin my search
Hi I know this was posted a while back but thought I would still reach out if you are still in need of assistance with this. I’m not sure where you are located but here in VA you could receive some services to assist with this including having someone even watch your child in your own home. Have you looked into anything like that?
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.