AngelSense Blog

With summer vacation drawing to a close, it’s the ideal opportunity to start preparing your special child for the new school year. For most special needs families, back-to-school time brings with it a host of anxieties and unique challenges.

The 4th of July can hold many wonderful childhood memories – parades, fireworks, crowds of people in the hot sun enjoying American Independence Day and the summer holiday. But for children with autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), this day can be overwhelming and upsetting. Here are some tips to help make their day (and the family’s) a more positive experience!

I am the mother to two wonderful little boys, one who has autism and one who is “normal” (whatever that is!). There are many things we didn’t know before we became parents, and even less when you hear a word like “autism.” There are some things I wish I had known before my son was born, and I wish I could share them with every parent out there.

The temperature has dropped and the task of bundling up for some outside fun or journeying to therapy feels daunting (or impossible!) for parents of children with special needs. There’s also the issue of a break in routine, which can take our kids with special needs out of their comfort zone.

To our sweet Wally and Olivia: At times you may feel the world only revolves around your brother. You may feel unknown and invisible, but to me you are your brother’s guardian angels on earth, even at a very young age. You have learned about responsibility…

Animal Assistance and Pet Therapy are either present in your lives as parents of children with special needs – or as article or blog post that you quickly click by! Maybe allergies are a factor, maybe cost, maybe you don’t know where to start amongst the myriad of choices – maybe you don’t even want to imagine another living thing to keep track of in your busy daily life!

All my life I knew what I wanted…at least I thought I did. I was an Air Force Brat – that’s what they called us back then, kids that grew up in the military. Our parents were “lifers” – they’d retire from the military. Growing up on military bases around all those planes, dad was a mechanic and it allowed us to get up close and personal.

Lopsided and gloopily glued craft projects are a hallmark of childhood. Sharing time with your children to do these fun activities can present issues for kids with sensory issues, for example. Setting up a Valentine’s Day project that is attuned to their strengths and modified for comfort will make for a fun afternoon!

Yes it’s February and currently theme of the month is – we must be in love. Well the truth is regardless of whether you have a romantic relationship or not we all feel extra pressure to make an effort when at every turn we are being bombarded with images of cupids and love hearts. When parenting a special needs child finding the space…