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Due to high interest in summer camps I have compiled 19 more great summer camps for individuals with special needs.  Many of these are hometown favorites suggested by readers of this blog, and some are specialized for individuals who would not otherwise be able to participate in summer camp. Whatever your special needs are, there is a summer camp for you!

“Who needs caffeine when I can have adrenaline-fueled adventures all day and all night?” That’s what I used to say when my son was little.  By 1 or 2 pm on most days, my hands started trembling from the constant stream of adrenaline. My mind was always on alert because my hyperactive son was an escape artist with a knack for getting himself into dangerous situations.  I had to think quickly on the run.

we dug around YouTube and found nine videos that document success in the workplace for individuals with disabilities.

There’s a fine line between a naturally active child and a child who is affected by hyperactivity disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tends to become noticeable early on in childhood, at around 2 or three years old, but because most kids are naturally prone to daydreaming, fidgety behavior and a short attention span, ADHD is often not recognized until much later on in life.

Being a special educator can be a very challenging task.  Teaching, paperwork, IEP meetings and overseeing paraprofessionals leaves special education teacher drained at the end of the day.  Its no wonder that 50% of special education teachers leave their jobs within 5 years. Parents can help their child with special needs succeed by helping their special teachers breath!

This is the first in a three part series by Colleen M. Feldman, who contracted polio in 1941, just prior to her 13th birthday. In this post, she describes her childhood & teen years living with polio and her rehabilitation. The next two posts in the series will address her experiences later in life as a wife and mother with a disability raising three children, and eventually entering the workforce. Mrs. Feldman brings a unique perspective to Disability.Blog, having lived with a disability more than 50 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law.

This past Wednesday, March 21 was World Down Syndrome Day. Down syndrome organizations throughout the world organized and participated in events to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.

Who are students with learning disabilities? It depends on what state or school district you live in. The combination of a surge in the use of response to intervention and a lack of consensus about how much of a role cognitive assessment should play in an evaluation prompted the National Center for Learning Disabilities this month to issue a new set of guidelines on its view of how students with specific learning disabilities should be identified. As the use of RTI has grown, there have also been concerns that it has been used inappropriately, delaying or preventing the identification of some students as having learning disabilities, or other disabilities.

It’s summer time and that means new routines and less structure for your child with special needs. Summer can be a season of growth and learning for you child if you structure their day in the right way. Outdoor activities, trips and family time can provide some great experiences that your child would never receive in a classroom. To help you come up with activities we scoured the web and came up with several blog posts that provide summer activities to children with special needs.

I have to admit, I have been giddy ever since I began researching college opportunities for children with special needs.  How exciting!  We have always told our 13-yr old daughter with Down syndrome she would be going to college some day, but it was one of those hopeful comments where I wasn’t really sure it would ever be a reality. No more! Vanderbilt, Ohio State University, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University and on and on and on. I sorted through 200 programs throughout the United States. 200!  Only a few years ago, when this subject was first brought to my attention, there were a mere handful of these programs in the US. I was very surprised to see the great strides our educational community is making to make college a reality for young people with intellectual disabilities.

Every person on the face of the Earth has to work to get where they want to go in life. The same goes for people with autism; the only difference is that autistics have to work harder, a lot harder. Hello, my name is Alexis Wineman and this is just my story.

Last week Dennise Goldberg a special education advocate and mother of a child with special needs shared the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Comments Heard at an IEP Meeting. Apparently many parents can relate as the post has been shared over 1,000 times and over 50 parents shared their own IEP experiences. We took 30 of these comments and are re-posting them here for you to read, share and comment on.

Every week we feature some of the best blog posts that provide resources to families of children with special needs. This week we have great posts about winter break activities, adaptive bikes, making therapy sessions better, resources for women with disabilities and much more. Check them out and share some of your own resources in the comment section.

Here are seven great devices that can help track your child and stop them from getting lost!

As a parent to a child with special needs one of the best things you can do for yourself and your child is to join a support group.  Support groups can be rich in information that can be helpful for you while raising a child with special needs.  You can learn from the experiences of parents who have been there before.  There are opportunities for emotional and social support for you and your child.

A beautiful video tribute to moms of paralympic athletes was just released and it already has received over 400,000 views. The video highlights the hard work.selflessness and devotion of the mothers to ensure their children participated in athletic events. Check it out

My name is Wilbur Hawke and I am a father of a son with a disability that is now grown, living independently, and a father himself. I have spent the last twenty years teaching other parents how to access the education system. I have also functioned in the capacity of parent liaison for our school district the last fourteen years. This gives me somewhat of a unique perspective from both sides of the table. Although those who know me would certainly agree that I am opinionated, this is my first attempt at blogging. I hope to share with you things that are useful and practically applicable based on my own personal experience. I believe that parents and professionals working together provide the best outcomes for children and informed parents make the best choices for their families.   You are not the first or the last. The best thing to do is to learn from those who have gone before you, duplicating the successes and avoiding the mistakes.  My hope by writing this blog is that you would avoid the mistakes I made and perhaps gain a resource or two that will help you achieve success. Thank you for taking the time to read, Wilbur Hawke

Children with disabilities require and need recreation the same as other children.  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“A.D.A.”), your child is entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, with modifications, and with a few exceptions. It is highly critical that you discuss any needed modifications way before the first day of camp, so the entity has time to make the necessary preparations.  Enter into discussions taking a team approach, as you will be entrusting your child to this program all summer.  Be reasonable in your requests, and remember, just because your friend’s child is doing it, the program may not be a good fit for your child, even with modifications. This article will illustrate for you who is protected by the A.D.A, the modifications required under the law, and how to prevent discrimination.  

During IEP season the stakes are high.  Parents and teachers alike go into those meetings full of emotions and ideas.  Sometimes I am surprised that what is unsaid seems just as loud as what is actually said. In the past In the past, I’ve made the mistake of going into an IEP angry.  I did not get the best results for my son at that meeting.  So I’ve been trying different tactics over the years, and I’ve made a conscious effort to learn the art of diplomacy in my words and actions.

there are a lot of amazing organizations out there who can help fund an adaptive bike. Here is a list of some great places to start your search for funding for an adaptive bike. Know of any more? Let us know in the comments