Special Needs

It's that time of year again. The leaves are trying to change (or rather fall off here in south Louisiana), pumpkin spice flavored everything is stocking the store shelves, moms everywhere are pulling out their kids' winter clothes from last year (praying they fit for just a few more wears), and everyone around is sniffling, coughing and sneezing. Before I was inducted into the "special needs moms club" I LOVED this time of year. However, I now dread it. Okay, I don't dread it, I HATE it. You see, my kiddo is part of the approximate 20% of children in the USA who are considered to have complex medical needs. My Connor was born with multiple "specialties" that cause him...

If it hasn’t happened yet, it will. There will be one day when your child is introduced to a child in a wheelchair, a child with leg braces, or a child that is nonverbal. They will definitely be curious. Guess what - that is ok; great actually. Here is your chance to teach your child the wonderful and necessary lesson of acceptance and empathy. At first you might be embarrassed, especially if your child screams “What’s wrong with that kid?” Take that opportunity to teach there is nothing WRONG with any child. Trust me, parents of children with special needs have heard it all. An innocent child asking that question is not the first or last time they will hear that,...

Kids With Special Needs are NOT Given to Special People I have had the pleasure of being a momma to a child with special needs for seven and a half years, my dear Connor. In these amazing seven and a half years, I have done everything possible to give my child who has multiple complex medical needs the best life imaginable. I have fought doctors on what I knew was best for him, marched the front steps at the State Capital rallying for his rights, and even traveled around the world seeking treatment to give him a better quality of life. To say I'm a "momma bear" is an complete understatement. In all these years I have heard from family, friends,...