Just recently I had one of the bathrooms in our home remodeled to be accessible for my daughter, Ashley. Ashley is 13 years old, deafblind and has had two brain tumors removed in the past, and currently has three more that her doctors are closely watching. All of that sounds rather daunting, but she lets…
Category Archives: Advocacy
TOPSoccer – A Whole New World
Last Sunday, my son had his first experience with organized sports. This opportunity came through a local soccer association, which is in its fourth year of participating in the TOPSoccer program designed by US Youth Soccer. TOPSoccer is “a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association…
This Just In: A New Team Member
Anissa, from hope4peyton, will be joining our 5MFSN in this time spot. Yeah. How lucky are we? Smart. Funny. And an advocate that isn’t afraid to go all MOTHER OF THE BEAST when necessary. But, you know. In a good way. Anissa blogs at Peyton’s Hope Page where she encourages us to Live, Laugh, Live,…
A Family Built By Birth and Adoption
The Internet makes the world seem small sometimes. As I visited blogs of 5MFSN commenters, I discovered a blog titled “Cornish Adoption Journey.” While exploring the blog, I discovered that the Cornish family lives in the same city as my former in-laws. I also spent a year living with my in-laws, and attended the same…
The Evaluation Tightrope
Let me preface this post by saying that I am truly thankful for the behavioral health services we have access to in our state, and that I generally try to focus on the positive. With that being said, here are my top seven recommendations when going into a psychological re-evaluation: Do not speak glowingly about…
Next On The Pre-Natal Extermination List: Autism?
In an article written for the New York Daily News, Valerie Karr, a Ph.D candidate , and a disability advocate, dishes up some interesting food for thought. *92% of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are now aborted in the United States. *A survey of mothers in the Journal of Pediatrics found that physicians were…
Expecting Too Much?
Unfortunately the conversation related below actually took place. And even though it was five years ago, it probably won’t surprise some parents that not much has changed. I am so very tired of all the school battles, yet this school year is starting off that way yet again. Maybe that is the school district’s strategy…
Building Bridges
We’ve seen the looks. We’ve heard the comments. We’ve witnessed the pity as you have compared our child to yours. And released a sigh of gratitude. At times it seems as though there is not a line drawn, but a wall built, between us. Between those of us whose children are labeled as disabled, and…
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day 09/09
Simply because you believe your life is not directly affected by FASD, please do not think this post is meaningless to you. Your life is affected. You exist in this world with people who are living with FASD (most are not diagnosed), and we each have a responsibility… Each September 9 since 1999 has been…
This Just In: Short, Sweet and Upbeat
Have you heard the news over at 5 Minutes For Moms about their new series on how “Blogs Can Change Lives?” An Innovative Path For Reaching Kids With Special Needs Dance, And The Whole World Just May Dance With You To View In HD Click HERE. Don’t forget to take the time to find joy…