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Cerebral palsy limits Hans Smith’s control of his arms and legs, but thanks to a video game, Smith is living out his dream of playing baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year Smith wrote to the creators of “MLB: The Show,” a PlayStation game which allows players to simulate the path of a professional baseball player as they work through the minor leagues and into the majors. In the letter, he thanked the creators for giving him an opportunity to participate in the sport he loves.

Click here to download the full flyer (PDF) What: Autism Information Face Painting spectrUM Games for All Ages, including: Life-Size Candy Land Game AND an Art Auction for the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium Presented by the Neuro Networking Club - A social club for adults with Aspergers/Autism and friends. When: April 23, 20111:00 to 3:00pm Mountain Where: University Center Ballroom - University of MontanaMissoula, MT Contact: For more information, contact Treva Bittinger: treva.bittinger@umontana.edu or by phone at 406-543-0003 Facebook - Neuro Networking Club

JUSTIN, Texas - Video games and a young boy with Aspererger's Syndrome has led one North Texas district to learn barriers can be broken. Matthew Lowery, who has a mild form of autism, has become an inspiration for many in the Northwest Independent School District, and a lot of that is thanks to those at Gene Pike Middle School in Justin, Matthew's parents say.

Athletes with intellectual disabilities will be allowed to participate in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London following a vote of the International Paralympic Committee.

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.

after growing more comfortable with his new life, and his prosthetic leg, Kavanagh began feeling the cycling itch again. Before the avalanche, he had been a competitive cyclist, as well as an avid skier. He and his friends were backcountry skiing in southwestern Montana's Centennial Mountains when the avalanche struck on Jan. 1, 2005.With the support of friends and family, Kavanagh got back into cycling. In July 2006, he competed in his first U.S. Paralympic national championships. Then at a world competition in Switzerland, he said, "the fire really caught." His ultimate goal became clear: to represent his country at the Paralympic Games.

Imagine walking into a public library filled with PlayStations, Wii game consoles, and electric keyboards pumped up to maximum volume. Teenagers are munching on snacks, checking out laptops and slouching on sofas or beanbags. A carousel of computers sits in the middle, navigated to Facebook. That’s exactly how one enormous room on the ground floor of the Chicago Public Library’s main branch functions. And this noisy library model is expanding around the country.

Click here to download the flyer for more information!What:The Parent Group will offer resources, tools, strategies, and support, along with time for parents to share concerns and brainstorm ideas and a snack. Weekly topic examples: Bedtime struggles  /  building routines Helping your child organize Discipline strategies Melt downs Expectations for public settings Accepting who your child is Help your child ‘fit in’ academically, socially and emotionally Kids Fun Night will provide children with a place to interact socially with other kids, games and educational centers, a friendship circle to practice friendship skills, and a snack.When:Thursdays beginning January 19, 20126:00 pm - 7:30 pmWhere:Hamilton, MTSouth Valley Child and Family Center  515 W. MadisonContact:Doug Cochran-Roberts, Therapist [240-3510]                             Deb Ellingson, Former School Counselor [529-4893]               Kathy Cook, Retired Teacher [961-3951]                                  Carolyn Durgin, Para-educator [214-7031]Nicole Turner, Parent [381-8476]Kathy Molesh, Parent [531-3437]Louise Kingston, Parent [961-512]

Summer vacation will be here soon. When planning a vacation with a person who has special needs, accessibility is the name of the game: wheelchair accessibility, accessibility to medical needs, a positive sensory environment, accessibility to old interests and new experiences. Every destination on this list welcomes and accommodates visitors with special needs.  You’ve probably heard of some of these places before, but others may get you thinking about vacations in a whole new way.

Chosen to be a torchbearer at the 2012 Summer Games, blind ultra-runner Simon Wheatcroft will carry the Olympic Flame running solo -- with only the guidance of his iPhone. “If you had asked me three years ago if training alone was possible while being blind I would have said no," Wheatcroft told FoxNews.com. "Now I do it and ... I realize perhaps a lot of things are possible.” The RunKeeper app uses the GPS tracker in the iPhone to track your runs, including duration, distance, pace, calories burned, and path traveled on a map. The app reads your current stats over your headphones as you run, and the virtual coach warns if you are ahead or behind pace. “This allowed me to match distances with markers on my route. So I would pair a dip before a turn with a distance marker from RunKeeper," Wheatcroft explained.

I believe it is not ranting or venting to make others aware of challenges that parents and caregivers face when supporting children and adults with diverse abilities. It is crucial that these stories are told to those who can help to bring back the spirit of inclusion, respect, acceptance, friendship, and unity that we so clearly saw during the games.

For college sophomore Matthew Walzer, simply putting on his shoes was an impossible task. Lacking the dexterity to get his foot in and out of his shoes, the Florida teen, who was born with cerebral palsy, had to enlist the help of his mother and father or others. While he could dress himself, Walzer, 19, told The Huffington Post, “shoes were the one issue” he had learned to deal with and accept.

There’s been someone pretty special on the sidelines at Red Bank Middle School football games this season. It’s not a standout football player, though there are surely a few of those on the team. And no, it’s not the girl who twirls flaming batons at half time, though she certainly wows the fans. No, this year it’s a 12-year-old girl who is creating sideline chatter and warming plenty of hearts in the process. Though Anna Frierson has plenty of school spirit and has always dreamed of being a cheerleader, some might not have expected to see her on the squad. She has Down syndrome, a genetic chromosomal disorder that slows mental and physical development. And though Anna’s short stature and cute face clue most folks to her differences, fellow cheerleaders say Anna’s spirit is all they notice.

When: Saturday, September 18, 2010 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Where: MSDB Mustang Center 3911 Central Avenue Great Falls, MT 59405 What: Activities and Games Storytelling of MAD/MSDB History

Click here to download the full flyer with registration information (PDF) What: Fun activities, games and a supportive place to share where siblings can meet and talk with peers who have a brother or sister with special needs, for children ages 6-13. When: November 3, 2010 from 1-5 p.m. Where: St. Pius Church 717 18th St. W. in Billings Admission is $5.00 -- Snacks and drinks will be provided