Parenting children with disabilities means coming to terms with feelings of loss and grief and balancing these with hope and resilience. Drawing from personal experiences as a parent with two disabled children, the author refers to elements of Schlossberg's model of transition, Herman's writings about trauma and recovery, and elements of…

The long awaited blessings of having a child bring simultaneous bouts of confusion and uncertainty regarding the vast parenting responsibilities that come with raising that child. When the child has a disability, sometimes the tasks can seem especially daunting. In this article, the authors aim to guide parents of children who display challenging…

When it comes to making the right choices for children with disabilities, families are the experts. To prove this point, the Hatton Project sponsored a grant wherein researchers interviewed members of 12 families of children with disabilities on factors that caused them to identify themselves as "successful." The results yielded eight lessons…

Parents of disabled children who experience chronic pain can help children cope by: assuring the child that they are aware of the pain; talking about the pain with the child; avoiding overreactions to pain; planning or modifying activities according to intensity of pain; and ensuring that the child gets sufficient rest. (CB)

An organizer of a support program for fathers of children with disabilities discusses the father's role in the family, myths surrounding the father's role, coping with the extra stresses in families with disabled children, and emotional adjustment to the disability. (DB)

This article offers suggestions to help children with disabilities cope with terrorism. It stresses recognition of triggers and cues to anticipate rather than react to stress and offers tips for specific populations including autism; cognitive limitations; learning disabilities; visual, hearing or physical limitations; and severe emotional…

Special education professionals can play a critical role in enhancing the quality of life not only for a child with a disability but also for that child's entire family. To realize this beneficial impact on the child's family, professionals must operate with these assumptions: (1) Special education professionals must acknowledge that they have a…

This article aims to strengthen the ability of parents of special needs children to function as stronger, more resilient parents by developing coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms include allowing oneself to cry, dealing with anger, determining objectively the reasons for the anger, using anger constructively, finding support, becoming flexible,…

Designed for parents who wish to develop local respite care services for families with disabled children, this primer outlines strategies for: evaluating current available services and programs; pulling people together; conducting a needs assessment; raising money; and writing a proposal. (CB)

Written for parents, the paper describes experiences of 16 parents of handicapped children. Discussion includes excerpts of parents' initial feelings at their child's diagnosis, their reactions (largely negative) to medical and other professionals, their growing awareness that their own instincts were of most value in raising the child, difficulty…

Parents of children with disabilities must maintain a fine balance between protecting their child from thoughtless cruelty and discrimination and teaching their child to deal with such actions. Parents should quickly end any cruel actions toward the child, be open about the disability's nature, and talk to parents of the child's peers. (CB)

An interview with parents of a child with cerebral palsy recount their struggles to find a diagnosis and treatment for their daughter and express their anger over the lack of information and help they were given by professionals. They emphasize the need for honesty and straightforwardness in professionals dealing with parents. (CL)

The role of school-related stress in the life of the disabled child is examined, and parents and teachers are given suggestions to reduce stress and help the child cope. Stress is defined as the emotional and physical reaction to the pressures that society places upon the child to conform and live up to expectations. Among sources of stress are…

"The Achiever" is a monthly newsletter designed expressly for parents and community leaders. This November-December issue contains the following articles: (1) "Additional Support for Hurricane-Displaced Students"; (2) "Including All Children: New York School with Diverse Population Proves Every Student Can Succeed"…

A parent-support group (Family Center at Nova University, Florida) for parents of handicapped infants and toddlers allowed parents to share their feelings and concerns. Parents were interviewed regarding three aspects: how they felt upon initial diagnosis, sources of support, and types of experiences that have promoted and inhibited coping. Parent…