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The approach that parents take with their children who have developmental disabilities is directly tied to how cooperative and independent they become, new research suggests. In an analysis of existing studies looking at the influence of parenting on children with special needs, researchers found that when moms and dads employed so-called positive parenting, their kids exhibited greater independence, better language skills, stronger emotional expression and social interaction as well as improved temperament.

When the "2013 Miss America Competition" airs on ABC this Saturday, Miss Montana Alexis Wineman will be the first autistic competitor in the pageant's history.Wineman was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder and borderline Asperger's syndrome at age 11. She told Time in an interview that her foray into the world of beauty pageants started as a "last-minute way to pay for college." "Around high school graduation, I realized I was the fourth child in my family to go to college, and there was no money left for me," she said. "I asked my mom about different ways to get scholarships, and she mentioned the Miss Montana competition, thinking I’d never go for it. But I did, and I won."

“When I was a kid, I didn't realize that you were different.”

Bonnie Brown came to StoryCorps with her teenage daughter, Myra. Bonnie is intellectually disabled with a low IQ. For the past 18 years she’s worked at the same Wendy’s. Here, her daughter asks her about being a mom.

Myra is enrolled in gifted and talented classes at her high school. She hopes to attend Cambridge University when she graduates. Recorded in Lansdowne, PA.

Cristin Lind couldn’t find the words, so she drew a picture. The artistic inspiration hit about a year ago, after she’d been asked to speak to a meeting of primary care physicians, telling them what it took to manage the complex care of her special needs son. Her page was still empty, despite hours trying to collect her thoughts, so she found some colored markers and began drawing circles.

When Medicaid twice denied a SleepSafe Bed for Mikayla Wisher, her family, friends, community and many strangers stepped up. Mikayla Wisher is a 21-year-old Kalispell woman who can neither speak nor walk and who suffers multiple seizures and uncontrolled movement, Sabrina Wisher, Mikayla’s mom, said she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love . “Strangers [have been] coming up to me and giving me hundreds of dollars,” she said. “The community and my family and friends have been huge.”

Three-year-old Kasan Allison idolizes his older brothers, Keenan and Kylan, likes to play games with his dad, Dave, and is always on the go, a toy tractor or his best bud, Mickey Mouse, in hand. When he’s unsure about something, he reaches for his mom, Amie, and he loves macaroni and cheese.Almost from the day Kasan was born, his parents recognized differences in his development. He did not lift his head, roll over, start crawling when his older brothers had.The Allisons didn’t know it at the time, but Kasan has XXXXY, commonly called 49 Chromosome Syndrome, and the chromosomal abnormality affects not only his life, but his family’s too.

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

When I first learned that my child had some challenges, I felt like a pinball stuck in a machine, bouncing around frenetically from one expert to another, searching for someone, anyone who could lead me to a solution. Eventually we received a diagnosis, which served only to intensify my anxiety and confusion.   If only I could have known then what has taken me years to understand! But it's not too late for others who are just starting out along this difficult and wonderful road to benefit from the lessons I learned the hard way. So, in case it might help someone else, here are some things I would say to my younger-mom self:

A mom shares her frustration:  “I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, and wiped out. My friends try to help but they just don’t understand. When I talk about my child’s illness, it makes them uncomfortable. Then I feel bad for burdening them. I feel so alone.”

Created by moms, StorySnoops offers children's book reviews from a parent's perspective. Want to find fiction that interests your 9-18 year old? Curious about its content? Find it on our site and we'll give you the scoop!

My name is Carly Fleischmann and as long as I can remember I’ve been diagnosed with autism. I am not able to talk out of my mouth, however I have found another way to communicate by spelling on my computer. (and yes that is me typing on the computer by myself) I used to think I was the only kid with autism who communicates by spelling but last year I met a group of kids that communicate the same way. In fact some are even faster at typing then I am. Last year a story about my life was shown on ABC news, CNN and CTV here in Canada. After my story was played I kept on getting lots of emails from moms, dads, kids and people from different countries asking me all sorts of questions about autism. I think people get a lot of their information from so-called experts but I think what happens is that experts can’t give an explanation to certain questions. How can you explain something you have not lived or if you don’t know what it’s like to have it? If a horse is sick, you don’t ask a fish what’s wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse’s mouth.

Teachers at one of Denver's poorest schools have discovered a key to improving student achievement that's as easy as stepping out the door. High-performing schools in affluent neighborhoods are usually buzzing with parents — moms and dads volunteering, chauffeuring or helping out in classrooms. But at schools in high-poverty neighborhoods, the opposite tends to occur — many of them have little to no parental engagement. Indeed, teachers rarely see a parent in the building unless a kid is in trouble. That's why Fairview Elementary teachers are going to the families. Every year, educators try to visit the homes of every child in the school — getting to know the families and discovering more about their students.

Hi, I am "Mom" to Lauren, who is a 24 year-old young woman with severe, multiple disabilities. Lauren requires care in every aspect of her life. This blog will be a journal of the struggles and joys of providing care for Lauren. Since she self-directs the services she receives and requires my help in order to make that possible, this blog will also point out the issues, promise, and problems inherent in self-direction from the perspective of a primary caregiver. I will provide information and advice to others who care for or about someone with developmental disabilities as well as offer insights into participating in self-direction. Hopefully my efforts will be helpful, enlightening, and thought provoking. And, I hope that you will share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with me. Someone wise once said, "Life is a journey not a destination." I invite you to share part of my journey with me

Inexpensive and Easily Available Toys That Work for Children with Special NeedsWhen a birthday or holiday rolls around, I can usually get a nice assortment of age-appropriate toys for my typically-developing children for less than $100.  But just one adapted toy for my child with cerebral palsy can be anywhere from $50 to $200.   In an attempt to find some alternatives, I asked a group of moms what off-the-shelf toys worked well for their children, who have a wide range of disabilities, including physical, behavioral, developmental, and sensory disabilities.  I've included a variety of their favorites in this article.

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.

Shonda Schilling, the wife of retired Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, shares the painful and joyous story of her son Grant's struggle with Asperger's syndrome, and how it changed her life and her family. In this excerpt from her book, "The Best Kind of Different," she recounts her breaking point as a mother who didn't understand what was wrong with her son.