Tag Archives: Early Diagnosis

Special Parents Confidential 59 Parent Stories 03

Parent Stories 03

We continue our new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs.

When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to parents of special needs kids, and stories of experience from other parents of special needs kids. I wanted to re-create some of the support group meetings I’ve attended where we would hear from an expert and the the parents would get to talk. Hearing parent stories can help because we all seem to do better when we know we’re not alone.

Of course, when the episodes started I mostly began finding lots of professionals willing to talk about their areas of expertise that could help all of us with our kids. And the parent stories idea has kind of taken a backseat to those episodes on advice.

Every Kind of Special Need

These episodes are going to return to the second goal. We’ll hear from parents who’s kids are either still in school, or recently graduated from school. Parents who have worked for and fought for their kids, parents who have struggled and may still be struggling, or parents who have somehow gotten through. They may not have always gotten exactly the help they wanted for their child, but they were able to get  the best they could and their kids are either on their way toward independence or already there.

The first two Parent Stories episodes dealt with parents of children with Autism, largely because I knew those two parents. But my goal is to have parents of kids with every kind of special need talk about their experiences. For that matter, I’d like to also include adults with special needs who want to talk about their lives and experiences. 

Welcome Jenny Moo

In this episode, we hear from another parent I know, Jenny Moo. Her daughter Calla was born with Cerebral Palsy, and was also diagnosed with epilepsy. Jenny talks about the treatments Calla received at birth, a cooling cap technique, that helped to minimize some of the affects of the CP, and the struggles that Calla still has to this day. She also talks about the difficulties with epilepsy, the special education supports that Calla gets, and some of the difficulties she’s had with health insurance. Jenny also talks about the new outlook on special needs and special education she experienced both as a parent, and in a class she took when she began working on renewing her teaching career.

Connect With Us On Facebook!

A great way for you to stay in touch with me and communicate your thoughts on these episodes is on the facebook page for Special Parents Confidential. Use the Facebook button on the right side of this website, or the button at the bottom of this text, or use this link. You can also search Special Parents Confidential on Facebook. It’s also a great way to share our podcast with everyone you know.

Helpful Links:

Cerebral Palsy Guide – U.S. based online support group and advocacy site.

Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research – from the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke – fully updated research information from the National Institute of Health.

Epilepsy Foundation – U.S. based online information and resource guide website.

Epilepsy Information Page – from the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke – fully updated research information from the National Institute of Health.

Head Cooling May Help Babies With Brain Damage – Article from WebMD.

Learn The Signs – Act Early – Revisiting SPC Episode 37

Learn The Signs – Act Early

Last spring we talked to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention about their Learn The Signs, Act Early, program to help parents better understand if their child has Autism. 

Autism is a growing concern for parents across the United States and around the world. It’s estimated that 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. The good news is there are now more effective treatments and therapies than ever before, and there is more credible research and information that can help parents, educators, and medical professionals work effectively with children and adults with Autism to lead healthy and productive lives.

Learn The Signs. Act Early. From The CDC.

To help parents understand what Autism is and how to better monitor their children’s developmental milestones, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, commonly known as the CDC, has launched a new program website: Learn The Signs. Act Early From the website: 

“From birth to 5 years, your child should reach milestones in how he plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves. Track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.”

In this episode of Special Parents Confidential, we talk to two guests from the CDC; Katie Green, who is project lead for Learn The Signs. Act Early, and Dr. Jennifer Zubler, who is a pediatric medical consultant for the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. You’ll learn about how the program began, some of the milestones that your child should achieve, the importance of early diagnosis, and how to talk to your doctor or pediatrician if you are concerned about your child’s developmental progress.

Important Links From The CDC:

Learn The Signs. Act Early.

Developmental Milestones.

Printable Milestones Checklist pdf.

Amazing Me – It’s Busy Being 3! Parents, this book for children ages 2-4 will show you what to look for as your child grows and develops. Whether you read this story to your child online or have a hard copy of the book, ask your child to find the koala bears. Each page with a koala bear also has a star and milestone at the bottom just for you. See if your 3-year-old is able to do some of the same things as Joey.

What To Do If You’re Concerned.

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. – Resource website from the CDC with great information on many issues for parents of special needs children.

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumblr, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you prefer. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIN, and Poddirectory as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those services. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
Thanks for your support!

Special Parents Confidential Episode 37 Act Early.

Learn The Signs. Act Early. 

Autism is a growing concern for parents across the United States and around the world. It’s estimated that 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. The good news is there are now more effective treatments and therapies than ever before, and there is more credible research and information that can help parents, educators, and medical professionals work effectively with children and adults with Autism to lead healthy and productive lives.

To help parents understand what Autism is and how to better monitor their children’s developmental milestones, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, commonly known as the CDC, has launched a new program website: Learn The Signs. Act Early From the website: 

“From birth to 5 years, your child should reach milestones in how he plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves. Track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.”

In this episode of Special Parents Confidential, we talk to two guests from the CDC; Katie Green, who is project lead for Learn The Signs. Act Early, and Dr. Jennifer Zubler, who is a pediatric medical consultant for the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental DisabilitiesYou’ll learn about how the program began, some of the milestones that your child should achieve, the importance of early diagnosis, and how to talk to your doctor or pediatrician if you are concerned about your child’s developmental progress.

Important Links From The CDC:

Learn The Signs. Act Early.

Developmental Milestones.

Printable Milestones Checklist pdf.

Amazing Me – It’s Busy Being 3! Parents, this book for children ages 2-4 will show you what to look for as your child grows and develops. Whether you read this story to your child online or have a hard copy of the book, ask your child to find the koala bears. Each page with a koala bear also has a star and milestone at the bottom just for you. See if your 3-year-old is able to do some of the same things as Joey.

What To Do If You’re Concerned.

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Resource website from the CDC with great information on many issues for parents of special needs children.

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumblr, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you prefer. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIN, and Poddirectory as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those services. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
Thanks for your support!