I received information on two different articles yesterday and they both have me hot under the collar. The theme in both of these stories are the same; People with little or no knowledge who think it’s OK to make fun of and shun people with special needs.

The first story came from my friend, Carol. I met Carol shortly before Christmas last year. We worked a seasonal job together and when we got to know each other, we discovered that we both have special needs kids. Carol’s kids are special needs in a way that is totally different from my kids. She... more

This is the final part of the series on disorders and disabilities.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Learning Disabilities – Learning Disabilities is a wide open category. If this is in your child’s profile, it probably means that the child has an IEP... more

I am two! Can you believe that it is already that time again? It is time to write our semi-annual Dear Birth Mom letter and update. The months seem to fly by unbelievably fast and it has already been six months since our last update. Our darling daughter has just turned two years old. It seems like just yesterday I was rushing to Texas to meet her for the first time. Now, she is the one rushing, in every direction at once most of the time. She has been transformed from an enchanting little baby to a beautiful little girl in two years.

Dear Birth Mom,

Now... more

Part 1

Part 2

Encephalopathy – The definition from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders says:

Encephalopathy is a term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure.

It is a very broad term for many... more

When reading a child’s profile or a child’s history prior to placement may have you reading terms you are unfamiliar with. This series will help you with some of the things you may read.

Part 1 – Disabilities and disorders

Cerebral Palsy – Cerebral Palsy, or CP, is a disease that affects body movement and the muscular system. CP is a brain disorder caused before or near the time of birth. The brain disorder or damage is what causes the muscular problems.... more

In my last post, I wrote about giving some thought to who you want to be in the delivery room with you when you are in labor. But another issue that will arise during your hospital stay is who you want or do not want to visit you in the hospital.

Typically most new mothers will have anywhere from one to three days in the hospital after giving birth. It depends on your health, hospital policy, what type of delivery you have, etc… Unless you take your baby home... more

One of the traps that we can fall into with our foster children is wanting to do everything for them that they have not had the ability to do before.

Tonight as I stood in line to register Hannah for dance class, I overheard other parents talking about the activities that their children were in. I heard one mother say that her daughter would be in dance class, leave there to go to soccer practice, and leave there to return to the dance studio for another dance class. This is all in one day. When will this child have a chance to be a kid?

It is... more

There are many disorders and disabilities listed in children’s profiles and some of the terminology can be very confusing. This series of blogs is intended to help take some of the mystery out of the terms that you read and help you evaluate if you want to pursue a placement.

Anemia – Anemia is a blood disorder that is not unusual nor dangerous. Simply, anemia is a shortage of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the organs. A shortage of oxygen leads to fatigue. Treatments can range from a simple iron supplement to hyperbaric... more

Talk is all over the Fetal Alcohol Support Groups at Yahoogroups about the positive effects of Choline on the brain. It is especially powerful on the developing brain. The researchers say that when taking during pregnancy it builds an excess memory capacity that seems to endure throughout life. As far as its effects on the older child and adult brain, they say it seems to have the most effect on those tagged as slow learners. This led researcher to question whether the slow learning was actually the result of a Choline deficiency, which the supplement corrected.... more

Sunday we headed to the Milwaukee Zoo for an adoption celebration. Adoption Resources of Wisconsin hosted a party at the zoo for any adoptive family that wanted to participate.

There was a luncheon, a chance for families to talk, and entertainment, which I think entertained some of the adults more than the kids but that’s another blog.

Events like these can be a great chance for adoptive families to get to know each other. In many cases it’s hard to spot another adoptive family. The families in our group... more