My Special Kids
"Children require guidance and
sympathy far more than instruction."
~Anne
Sullivan
I
have been there.
Right there, in your very shoes. It
literally took years
of fighting battles everyday before I
managed to learn enough to even ask questions. Since those stumbling
beginnings, I have been an advocate and peer support for parents
raising special kids who are challenged by emotional, behavioral, or
mood type disorders. This site is about my own experiences and what I
have learned helping other families with parenting advice about raising
their own special kids.
When you learn that your child has a disability or a chronic illness,
it starts a lifelong journey that can be a roller coaster ride of
emotions, filled with tough choices, dealing with a bunch of different
professionals and specialists, and a constant search for information
and services. The isolation and loneliness you feel is heightened by
your lack of knowledge. Your search for parenting advice, information,
assistance, understanding, and support begins here.
What This is All About I created this site with the hope that I can help even one person not have to go through the same things that we did. This is the site I wish I'd had when we first knew there was something very special about our daughter. I needed parenting advice badly then, so if you are raising special kids and you are in that spot now, then this is the place to start. No, there is no magic and there is no instant fix, but through knowledge, experience, dedication, a little parenting advice and a lot of love and support, you can do this.
I am raising four special kids - all girls. Cosette just turned 16 this summer and has both bipolar and autism. She also has asthma and numerous food allergies, sensory integration and digestive issues. Brianna is 11 and takes medication to keep her asthma under control, and is on medication for anxiety and depression. Anielei was hospitalized at four months old for failure to thrive. She could NOT eat anything, until we found the elemental formula Neocate. Through many doctors across several states until we made it to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Dr. Putnam told us she has Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis. She is 6 now. And little Aja Marie is 5 and also on Neocate for most of her nutritional needs. She just finished speech therapy and has orthopedic braces to help her feet so she can walk properly. She has sensory integration dysfunction, reflux, numerous allergies, and an as-yet-unconfirmed Eosinophilic Esophagitis or EE. She finished up with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy just a few months ago.
My
Princesses
They
are all princesses and fill my life more than I ever
imagined was even possible. The lessons that each one has taught me on
raising special kids are included here as parenting advice with the
hope that you will not have to fight and struggle each day just to try
to help your child. My own family covers physical, emotional, and
developmental disabilities, so we have had to deal with all of it. You
can read more about them throughout this website, or visit www.anielierose.org