Spring and summer are the most popular time to go to the zoo due to the great weather and wonderful exhibits that are opened. The zoo can be a fantastic place for families of children with special needs due to the wide-open nature of the sites and the variety availably, not to mention that it’s a more observational opportunity instead of hands-on or overly active. In the interest of helping your family have the most fun and best time possible, we’ve put together a few tips to help you when taking your child with special needs to the zoo.
First, to be clear, every...
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Believe it or not, there are plenty of people out there who hate summer. With significant heat in most of the country, and some areas absolutely sweltering with high temperatures and humidity, it can be a very uncomfortable season. Children with special needs, including Cerebral Palsy, can be especially vulnerable to extreme heats. If your child is immobile or struggles to get around, heat can be an extremely troublesome issue.
Symptoms of Heat Exposure
Nobody intentionally leaves their child in an uncomfortable temperature, let alone those environments...
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Nothing is better than cooling off in a pool or lake on a hot summer day. Children with special needs should be able to enjoy this summer tradition too. Some children may not be able to stay above water or stay in an upward position. Luckily, there are many aids that can help children with special needs stay afloat and swim. We found 8 swimming aids that may be able to help your child enjoy cooling off on a hot day.
Note: We have not tested, nor have we been compensated in any way for posting about, any of these products. We encourage...
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Beyond being highly entertaining movies, Finding Nemo and Finding Dory are two important movies in terms of expanding awareness on differences for children. We don’t want to ruin any plot points in these stories as these are truly classic family movies. Instead we want to highlight a few characters that reflect different challenges. Rather than being convenient character development points, these special needs highlighted in Nemo and Dory casually demonstrate those...
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Getting dressed hassle-free is something many of us may take for granted, but those with special needs can face unique challenges with clothing and shoes. Fortunately, these challenges can be mitigated thanks to recent measures taken by clothing and shoe companies. With all the variety in fashion nowadays, special needs clothing is able to evolve right alongside of it and offer both children and adults more functional and user-friendly options while staying current with the latest trends. Perhaps most significantly, special needs clothing can offer a form of...
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Almost every parent of a school-aged child sees the summer as a challenge. Whether keeping a kid busy or just combating the drop-off that occurs between the structure of school and being home, there is definitely space to fill. With that in mind, we wanted to put a few ideas out on our blog to inspire additional thoughts regarding ways to help your child beat the summer (and keep your child from beating you!)
First and foremost, learning does not have to end just because school is not in session. There are a variety of different programs available on-line or...
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With a headline like that, it’s hard to create an introduction that doesn’t simply get to the facts! In the spirit of warmer weather, we have sand on our mind! Given the fact that families across the country will be flocking to the beach, here are a few suggestions surrounding sand to help your child with Cerebral Palsy.
First, sand art. Something your child may have already come across while in school or in therapy, sand art is a simple yet effective way to get your child in touch with their creative side. There are two major forms we would recommend: sand art...
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After a child’s Cerebral Palsy diagnosis, early medical and therapy intervention is often the critical next step. The name for the critical therapies aimed at helping your child overcome certain Cerebral Palsy-related challenges, early intervention can come in a wide range of forms. Ultimately, though, the goal of any therapy effort is to help with your child’s future. For that reason, we recommend keeping an open mind on ways you can introduce themes of your child’s therapies into his or her everyday life.
If your child is involved in Occupational Therapy, you’...
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We are extremely excited about the direction in which research has progressed in the last few years. In terms of robotics and electronics, advances are being made that are not only encouraging but also life-changing. While the verdict is still out on some scientific advances like stem cell therapy or Botox, we want to bring attention to several Cerebral Palsy research advances that you should know about:
- First, robotics. While most people relate advances in robotics to a future filled with robot butlers or self-driving cars, the truth is that there are...
Every parent knows the amount of pride a child feels when they accomplish a goal. Crafts, especially art projects, are a common source of joy in the family home. Our latest craft suggestion carries with it two options: allowing for your child to create the frame that can also feature future creations! We hope this is a fun project for your family that builds more confidence in your child with special needs while serving as a unique gift, decoration, project and more!
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