This post was written by Mike, an adoptive dad who bursts with pride for his children every day.
Like many of you, we watched Kodi Lee’s performance on America’s Got Talent last week through tears and celebration. But his performance meant something beyond deep and meaningful for every child with a special need, and their parents.
From frustrating IEP meetings, to disagreeable doctors, inappropriate church goers, and nosey neighbors. The world is full of people who think we’re making our child’s disorder up, or just misunderstand our reality altogether. The question is, will they ever understand?
This post was written by Kristin Berry, (adoptive mom), with insight from S. Berry (adoptee.) As parents, we spend a lot of time advocating for our children, and ensuring their needs are understood, and met. That’s a big part of our job. But we also must begin to teach our children to speak for themselves. How do we successfully do that? Hello, my name is ~. I have an FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Some things are harder for me like focusing, sitting still and remembering things. I’m very good at some things like drawing, problem solving and building things.
Through all of the trauma education, and attachment strategies we can learn (and certainly benefit from), our connection with our children still comes down to one factor: relationship!
On today’s episode of The Honestly Adoption Podcast, we’re taking you back, back, waaaay back to an episode Mike and Kristin hosted a few years ago with their good friend Nicole Goerges, entitled How To Love A Child Who Won’t Love You Back. It’s an all-too-common tale on the foster and adoptive parenting journey- you love the child you’ve welcomed into your home deeply. You have given everything to them. You have committed to being their forever mommy or daddy. The connection you have to them is deeper than deep. But they don’t (at least it appears so) feel the
On this week’s episode of The Honestly Adoption Podcast, we’re kicking off a brand new season entitled “I Have A Question.” We asked you to send us your biggest questions and we received a ton of great feedback. Today Mike and Kristin begin with “How Do I Help My Child Who Doesn’t Have Services?” Communicate, communicate, communicate! That’s really what it comes down to when you’re talking about a child you’re caring for who doesn’t need, or have, special services like an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), therapy, special medical services, a behavior plan, or more. Listen Now:
Your job as a parent is to make sure your children receive the best possible services. Whether this is within your school system, your pediatricians office, or your family therapist’s office. You do this because you care. But what do you do when you feel like you can’t adequately communicate the needs of your child?
Maybe your child(ren) don’t have a noticeable special need or an official diagnosis and you’ve been wondering if you are just crazy, or if anyone else understands. When it looks “normal” to everyone outside of the home, the day to day frustrations of dealing with invisible special needs can make foster and adoptive parents feel isolated and judged by those who just don’t get it. This month, Mike is interviewing Jamie Worley, adoption blogger at seejamieblog.com, which was one of Healthline.com’s 2018 Best Adoption Blogs. Jamie is passionate about encouraging other adoptive families and helping to educate those considering foster care
We’ve made it to the end of another school year which means IEP reviews, final meetings with teachers and administrators, and directional decisions for the upcoming school year for foster/adoptive families. For some, it also means deciding whether or not to hold their child back a grade to give them more time, or help navigate their special needs. How do you help your child cope with this reality?
How do we help our children regulate when they are melting down, out-of-sorts, or feeling anxious? It’s a question we receive often from readers. Here are some practical tips…
