• bridge_in_summer_lined_with_red_flower_planters_and_a_teen_standing_nearby_looking_at_water
    Health

    How to Handle FASD and Running

    November 4, 2025 - By 

    From the moment my youngest child started moving, they were a runner. The kid ran everywhere. in fact, we used to joke that this child ran before they walked, which was pretty accurate and slightly comical, until they started running away. For them, FASD, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and running went hand in hand. What is Elopement? Elopement is basically when kids with some neurological conditions leave or run away from wherever they currently are. That can be school, home, the mall, the park or any other spot. For some reason their fight or flight reaction is activated and flight…

  • Health

    Six of the Best ADHD Books for Parents

    June 10, 2020 - By 

    ADHD books for Parents can come in handy, especially at the start of your journey when trying to gather resources and facts. Parenting a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be extremely challenging. Impulsivity, distractibility, attention, focus and even explosivity are all symptoms that can be genuinely hard to manage and live with on a daily basis. As a parent of two girls who are opposites with these symptoms – one hyperactive and one inattentive, I often need to remind myself to find my calm side and approach parenting from that starting point. This ADHD Books for Parents…

  • teen_with_skateboard
    Parenting

    Courage and Parenting a Child with FASD

    July 22, 2019 - By 

    I wrote this in May when we had a not so great month here at school and home due to FASD and explosive behaviour. Sometimes I day dream about where I could go if I just left. Maybe for the day, maybe longer. Sometimes I contemplate never returning. Yesterday was one of those days. I love my kids, my family, my husband. But some days the scale tips. This past May was a month of this. When the Scale Tips – How it Feels Parenting a Child with FASD. Do you ever have those days where the scale tips? Where…

  • angelman_syndrome
    parenting

    Special Challenges With a Special Child – Angelman Syndrome

    June 11, 2018 - By 

    THIS IS A GUEST POST about Angelman Syndrome and part of what I hope will be a series here for parents of children with disabilities and special needs. Have an idea for a guest post that might help another parent? Please email inkscrblr7@gmail.com I used to think my family was among the less-than-lucky few gifted with big challenges. We have Anna, a 17-year-old toddler with Angelman Syndrome, who was “disruptive” long before the term became popular.   Special Challenges With a Special Child and How We Survive Them However, as I listen carefully to everyone around me I find that the…

  • transition_to_high_school
    family

    How To Move Teens on to High School when Change is a Huge Issue

    May 23, 2018 - By 

    Do you have teens with special needs or simply inflexible teens? Do they have trouble adjusting to change? Me too. This September my youngest starts high school. Why is that a big deal? Well, my younger daughter has a host of diagnoses. She has an IEP (individual education plan), technology for accessing the curriculum, FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder), sensory and learning challenges, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) all related to that. Combine all of that with a difficulty adjusting to change. Ainsley has difficulty adjusting to life changes. That is extremely typical for kids and adults with FASD…

  • tiny child wearing cut lion backpack while pulling red suitcase through an airport waiting area
    Travel

    Comfort Objects for Tiny Special Needs Travellers

    January 30, 2018 - By 

    Comfort objects are important to many kids. When you travel with a child who has a disability or is neurospicy, comfort objects can make all the difference to the transition process. We began travelling intentionally as a family when my youngest was about five. Why did it take us that long? Well, we were afraid to travel because my younger child has sensory processing disorder and FASD. We thought it would be challenging, and it totally is. BUT, it is also abundantly worth it, and then some. Watching my daughter make friends with children from all over the world, getting…

  • clearwater_marine_aquarium
    Travel

    Clearwater Marine Aquarium – The Little Aquarium and Animal Rescue Centre With Heart

    December 19, 2017 - By 

    Clearwater Marine Aquarium has been on my bucket list forever. When my kids were small we read a series of true stories about animals overcoming adversity. Knut was one we fell hard for and so was Winter’s Tale – How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again. Our kids are both adopted and they’ve had some unique challenges in life. Knut is a polar bear raised by a foster human. My kids get that. As a baby dolphin, Winter lost her tail after getting caught in a crab trap. Rescued by Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Winter had to learn to swim again.…

  • catholic_teachers
    Parenting

    How Have Catholic Teachers Made an Impact on Our Family?

    November 15, 2017 - By 

    This post is part of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers #catholicteachers sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.  A few weeks before my daughter was scheduled to start grade nine I started to worry. It’s pretty common to have concerns about a child’s education. But when your child has anxiety disorder and an IEP (individual education plan) with a learning disability, or any other type of unique needs, you worry even more. My Concerns as a Parent What if they weren’t able…

  • embracing_carers
    family - Health

    Embracing Caregivers #CareforaCarer

    November 13, 2017 - By 

    Are you a caregiver for someone with unique needs or health care challenges? I see you. I know you miss many social events, or family gatherings. Perhaps you stopped work entirely to care for someone you love. Or you switched to part time, freelance or contract. Chances are good you have missed your own doctor’s and dentist’s appointments. Maybe, you woke up so bone weary one morning you drove down the street without your glasses. Maybe you forgot to take your own medicine. How do I know any of this? Been there, done that. For years my life has been…

  • Halloween_pumpkins_coloring_book
    Printables

    Spooky Halloween Pumpkins Coloring Book – Practice Fine Motor Skills And Visual Spatial Skills Activity

    October 5, 2017 - By 

    Halloween word search and printable activities as well as recipes and crafts are in full swing here right now. We are all back into the fall school schedule looking forward to Thanksgiving. So we have been sharing some great printables and activities for readers this month. Here’s another one to pin and print out and enjoy with your kids – This Halloween Pumpkins Coloring Book is a cute activity for them to do as well. There are nine pages to this one, if you include the cover, so make sure to print them all out and have some fun. I am…