The Exceptional Parent back issues from May 2008:
Accessible vans & mobility.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... The accessible mobility dealership, Accessible Vans & Mobility (AVM), while not involved in a formal program of vehicle donation, is very open to the need for help when they are approached. AVM made a van donation to the family of First Class Petty Officer David Hall, of the United States ...
Family lives life fully in the face of a rare genetic disorder for all three children.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... EP was privileged to be able to talk with its contacts in the accessible mobility industry when a United States Navy family's developmental pediatrician, Dr. Gretchen Meyer, contacted EP's CEO Joseph Valenzano to see whether EP might be able to facilitate the donation of a van to the ...
EP interview with Dr. Cynthia Tifft.(Interview)
May 01, 2008 ... EP conducted a telephone interview with pediatrician and geneticist, Dr. Cynthia J. Tifft, Chief of the Division of Genetics and Metabolism at the Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at Children's National Medical Center, in Washington, D.C. Dr. Tifft is working with the Hall ...
Segs4Vets making mobility accessible.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You see Segways nearly everywhere you look today. Police ride them through the streets of their cities. Security guards ride them through the malls. Tour groups ride them around monuments. Veterans ride them almost anywhere. Segways are ...
Vans of Valor program: Ride Away assists service-connected veterans by providing modified vehicle loans through its Vans of Valor program.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It started by recognizing a need. Ride Away, a national supplier of handicap-modified vehicles, recognized that veterans requiring modified transportation needed reliable transportation between the time they are discharged from the military and the time ...
A soldier and his service dog.(Assistance Animals)
May 01, 2008; ... "The war took away the sight in one of my eyes, my arm, and the mobility in my legs, but when I got my service dog, Ruthie, I felt like a soldier again." These words, so eloquently spoken by 22-year-old retired Sergeant Christopher Strickland, describe the close bond between him ...
What is traumatic brain injury? How is it connected to post-traumatic stress disorder? Learning the facts and increasing understanding about traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and learning more about current research and available treatment can often be one of the first steps in seeking help for recovery.(TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY: PART ONE)(Report)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the coming months, EP will explore the subject of traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained by military personnel in the line of duty and will highlight the conditions that may result from TBI, such as depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress ...
Here be dragons.(mapmaking)
May 01, 2008; ... One of my earliest recollections of "being tested," outside of a grade school vocabulary or multiplication test, was when I become a Bobcat in the Cub Scouts. On a Saturday outing in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, we had to find our way to the carousel from the boathouse using a map. I remember ...
Fully-accessible fitness center for people living with disabilities launched.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania (CILCP) recently announced the launch and opening of the first, fully-accessible fitness center in Central PA for people living with disabilities. The Living Well Fitness Center has been made ...
The Exergen TemporalScanner[TM].(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Exergen TemporalScanner[TM] is a battery-operated infrared thermometer that is transforming the way caregivers take temperature--without resorting to rectal thermometers. The Exergen TemporalScanner gives a temperature reading with accuracy comparable ...
Resource on educational planning for students with autism.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article)(Book review)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Been There. Done That. Finally Getting it Right--A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Autism: Lessons from a Mother and Teacher is a new eBook written by a full-time teacher with 18 years of experience teaching students with autism in ...
Support for chronically ill children.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, established in 2001 by Robert & Kristen Malfara in honor of their son, Morgan, who has a very rare form of Leukodystrophy. All board members serve as volunteers, and 100 percent of the proceeds go toward meeting the ...
New product for parents and caregivers to cure spring and summer sniffles.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KidKupz, LLC has announced its debut product line: KidKupz[TM] Candy-Coated Medicine Dispensing Cups. This revolutionary new product, set to debut this spring, is a line of medicine dispensing cups with an all-natural, candy-coated rim, available in ...
Cherokee Uniforms call for Comfort Awards nominations.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... Six years have passed since Cherokee Uniforms, the leading designer and manufacturer of healthcare apparel, first began recognizing healthcare professionals through its Inspired Comfort Awards program. Although winners have had diverse backgrounds, all of them have one thing in common--a ...
Correction to April 2008 issue.(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Correction notice)
May 01, 2008 ... In EP's April 2008 issue, the EP LiveOnline-Future Horizons ad which appears on page 46 indicated the incorrect time zone for the July seminar. The schedule for the ...
FDA approves Nexium[R] for the treatment of short-term GERD in children 1 to 11 years old.(gastroesophageal reflux disease)(WHAT'S HAPPENING)(Drug overview)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008 ... AstraZeneca recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of NEXIUM[R] (esomeprazole magnesium) in children ages 1 to 11 years old for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for up to eight weeks, helping to address an ...
Product & services.(Directory)
May 01, 2008 ... ASSISTANCE ANIMALS (Dogs) ASSISTANCE DOGS OF AMERICA, INC. 8806 State Route 64 Swanton, OH 43558 P: 419-825-3622 F: 419-825-3710 E: info@adai.org www.adai.org CONFERENCES SE ...
Rubber Bands.(Children's Page)(Poem)
May 01, 2008; ... <Pre> Rubber Bands Rubber bands around a girl,She can't spin and she can't swirl.It's unfair she looks at the world,And sees what she can't do. Crawling about is done with a struggle,Sitting up, it causes trouble.Walking around, now the trouble is ...
Blended diet.(CATEGORY: OTHER DISABILITIES/IMPAIRMENTS)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... My 21-year-old daughter has severe disabilities, has had a g-button most of her life, and eats nothing by mouth. I have been feeding her a prescribed formula, but she is having increasing problems with gastric emptying ....
Looking for work agencies.(CATEGORY: DOWN SYNDROME)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... I have a 21-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. She has been living in her own apartment for the past six months. She has a staff of five who work eight-hour shifts (24/7). We are searching for a job for [my daughter]. She is currently "volunteering" at a local library and at St. Vincent ...
Question about changing chelation treatment.(CATEGORY: AUTISM)(Brief article)
May 01, 2008; ... I work in Parent to Parent of Miami, and I'm assisting a mom who has a seven-year-old son with autism. She has been treating her son with chelation under alternative medicine, DAN protocol (Defeat Autism Now), in order to lower the levels of mercury in his system. This treatment has been ...
Create-a-Game Chunky Game Spinner.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Create-a-Game Chunky Game Spinner, model 032159, is a game spinner with an extra-wide, elevated pointer. Velcro[R]-backed pictures can be placed around the spinner on the board's Velcro-receptive base. The board holds eight, ...
FRS ComLink ST.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 01, 2008 ... FRS ComLink ST is a computer-based direct selection communicator and environmental control unit (ECU). The system consists of a computer with a 30-gigabyte hard drive and Windows XP Pro operating system, with over 10,000 communication symbols, a large selection of pre-built display sets, ...
iScanMP3.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plugging a capability switch (required but not included) into the iScanMP3 adapter and connecting an Apple iPod[R], iPod Photo[R], or iPod Mini[R] enables the user to scan through iPod functions: play, pause, forward and back through a play list, and ...
Child's Konfidence Jacket.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 01, 2008 ... The Child's Konfidence Jacket is a float swimming aid designed for aquatic therapy or swimming lessons. This neoprene buoyancy vest features eight removable floats. The flexible buoyancy allows users to alter their position in the water based on their requirements. This jacket promotes ...
Traveling Blind.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... Traveling Blind Laura Fogg [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The first sentence of Traveling Blind--"Shaynna will never go on another adventure with me"--hooked me right from the start and made me want to keep reading. Who is Shaynna? What happened to her? Was it ...
A Race for Charley.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... A Race for Charley Elaine Stafford [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This 20-page, illustrated children's book tells the story of a red-haired boy named Charley, who has a physical disability and is in a wheelchair. Nothing seems out of the ordinary when he is born, ...
Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities.(Book review)
May 01, 2008; ... Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities By Arlyn Roffman [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The teen years are worrisome enough, even for parents of children without special challenges. It's a time of major transitions--from school to work, from passenger to driver, ...
Like father, like doctor: for years, Dr. Jack Kessler had been researching ways to repair damage to the nervous system. But it wasn't until his own daughter became paralyzed that he vowed to find a cure for spinal cord injury.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... Dr. Jack Kessler was in his office at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine when the phone rang on the evening of January 2, 2001. His 15-year-old daughter, Allison, had been in a skiing accident in Connecticut and injured her spinal cord, the surgical resident explained ....
"Will my child benefit from using braces?" Insights on a challenging issue.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... When a child first receives a diagnosis and a treatment plan that include recommendations for bracing, the prospect of intensive orthotic intervention can be daunting for the parent. Braces traditionally represent a prominent visual cue that the child has trouble walking. The ...
My experience. My perspective. Transportation to work presents problems: career enthusiasts with disabilities might have bigger issues getting to a job than finding a job.(Mobility)
May 01, 2008; ... It is often natural in life for people to become suspicious or question why they were born in the first place. This usually happens as a result of a failed relationship, the loss of a job, or a traumatic accident. However, all these occurrences have something in common in that eventually ...
Learning the language of dogs can be a breakthrough experience for children with autism.(Assistance Animals)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I've been a dog trainer professionally for 23 years, but if you ask my parents, they'll tell you that my fascination with dogs began at an early age. As a child, I'd spend hours hanging out with my dog as well as constantly seeking out the company of any ...
An interview with Melissa Winkle: about assistance dogs.(Assistance Animals)(Interview)
May 01, 2008; ... Melissa Winkle, OTR/L works with children and adults with a variety of abilities in community settings and in private practice in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM. She coauthored the article "Embarking on the Future: People with Developmental Abilities Gain Vocational and Leisure Skills in ...
Life breath: a little girl's courage, a mother's determination, and the healing power of oxygen.(Cover story)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Even now, it's still a surprise to Lily and me when we hear Grace moving around the house independently, walking up the stairs to her bedroom. We both pause and look at each other to make sure we're hearing what we think we're hearing," Shannon Kenitz ...
Your mouth: a window to your overall health.
May 01, 2008; ... If your son had an abscess, yellow pus, inflamed tissue, or live bacteria on his face, would you take him to the doctor right away? Of course you would! But often, when the same condition occurs inside a person's mouth, where it is not so easily seen, it goes untreated for years and years ....
The whole child: I recently received this email from a mother in the Midwest.(Families Reaching Professionals: ASK THE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST)
May 01, 2008; ... " ... My daughter has pdd [pervasive developmental disorder] and struggles with just about everything. She has been left behind by the school, and I am having trouble getting help. At first they refused to take her as pdd, then after they did they would not give her the right services. She ...
Helping your high-functioning child transition to adulthood.
May 01, 2008; ... Parents of children with disabilities are involved in their children's education more intensely than many other parents. Yet, once the child turns 18 (or the state's age of majority), the young adult may be flying solo in educational decision-making if the school district relies on the ...
Including religious voices on disability: which ones? In 2008 EP is featuring this 3-part series on Spiritual and Religious Supports, recognizing that faith, religion, and spirituality can be as important a consideration and as integral a facet in the lives of exceptional families as healthcare, education, and the myriad of other topics that touch and involve EP readers. This article presents installment two.(Spiritual and Religious Supports: Part 2)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let's imagine, for a moment, that you are a pediatrician and you have made a commitment to holistic treatment of your patients--families and their children with one form of disability or another. Does that include religious beliefs and practices? But your ...
A breath of fresh air.(ORGANIZATIONAL SPOTLIGHT)(Report)
May 01, 2008; ... How many times a day do you use a computer or are on the Internet? Whether it's for work or for pleasure, we are constantly surfing, downloading, emailing, scanning, printing, and saving without a thought to the ease or convenience of it all. But imagine if you had a sensory limitation, ...
Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program: Medicaid and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).(Developmental Medicine and Dentistry Reviews & Reports)
May 01, 2008; ... "Americans with disabilities such as MR/DD [mental retardation/developmental disabilities] are some of the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients." (1) In 2006, Congress passed legislation containing major changes to Medicaid, as well as trimming federal Medicaid spending by $4.7 ...
One family's journey: Medical Home and the network of supports it offers children and youth with special healthcare needs: the transition process continues.(PART EIGHT)(Short story)
May 01, 2008; ... In this 12 installment Medical Home series, EP presents a case study about the American Academy of Pediatrics' Medical Home Initiative. A "Medical Home" is not a building. It is an approach to providing healthcare services to children with special healthcare needs. This article ...
Improving social skills for children with high functioning autism.(Research Frontiers: Understanding Science, Unlocking Potential)
May 01, 2008; ... If you've ever vacationed in a foreign country or have friends who have recently come to the United States, then you have probably noticed the importance of understanding social rules. In some nations, certain gestures can have a completely different meaning than they do in the United ...
EP is seeking models of excellence in the teaching profession, and we want to hear from you!
May 01, 2008 ... In its September 2008 issue, EP will honor and applaud educators who work with students with disabilities and special needs and who, through their dedication, creativity, compassion, and professionalism, stand out as models of excellence. Please submit a 150-word, typed summary describing ...
How to know if your child has ADHD or learning differences: the importance of an accurate diagnosis.(Part 2)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this 10-part series, which runs every other month through 2008 and 2009, EP will explore Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents often are left wondering how to determine if their child's behaviors are "normal" or possibly ...
Dolphin therapy: the playful way to work toward the next step: in this 12-part series, EP explores the benefits of aquatics therapy and recreation for people with special needs.(AQUATICS THERAPY AND RECREATION--PART 4)
May 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than 400 children with a physical and/or mental challenge visit the Curacao Dolphin Therapy and Research Center (CDTC) for dolphin-assisted therapy every year. Dolphin therapy appears to be the right approach for many children. With the help of these ...
EP bookstore feature pages.
May 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The month of May marks the beginning of a new period of transitions: children transitioning from school to summer camps and activities; some graduates prepare for college while others look to find their place in the working community. Let these new titles ...
Home renovations to accommodate people with disabilities.(Special Care[SM])
May 01, 2008 ... How the Cost Can Be Less Taxing Many parents or caregivers of individuals with disabilities and other special needs may be aware that the cost of home renovations involving the construction of a railing, ramp, lift and elevator--even a pool or spa that's also used for ...
The disability of love and sex.(An Expressed Perspective)
May 01, 2008; ... Marvin Gaye says it best when his voice croons, "Sexual healing is something that's good for me ..." In my opinion, it's not only something that is good for him; it's something that is good for you, for me, for everybody. Love and sex are two key ingredients for an individual's happy life ....
Excusing IEP team members: why, when, who, and how.(Individualized Education Program)(Insight on Federal Policy)
May 01, 2008; ... This month's focus: IDEA and the IEP The Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is often regarded as the "cornerstone" of special education. It is the written document that describes a student's educational needs and details the special education and related services the ...