Parents of children with special needs often experience a great deal of stress and anxiety — and wonder whether they may need therapy. If you have been asking yourself this question, the online quiz from Psychology Today can help you decide. There are 16 questions and it takes about 10 minutes to complete. Click the link to start the quiz.
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3040
Do You Need Therapy?
April 17, 2013 By
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms
April 9, 2013 By
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms: Simple Ways to Stress Less and Enjoy Your Family More
Looking for a meaningful gift for that special mom you know? This book is a perfect Mother’s Day gift! Kristine Carlson’s words of wisdom and encouragement are especially applicable to life as a mom of a child with special needs. She shows how moms can live with less stress and more happiness, and her advice is especially important for us moms to take to heart during times of stress or adversity. There is even a chapter in the book especially for mothers of children with special needs. (And, it’s on sale at Amazon
I also wanted to tell you about Kristine’s upcoming May telesummit for moms — it sounds fantastic! It will take place from May 1 to 10 and will feature Kristine and 45 other bestselling authors/speakers online, teaching moms how to discover the keys to stress less and enjoy your family more. It promises to be an informative, inspiring, perhaps even life-changing event! Reserve your spot today at http://www.entheos.com/conferences/Dont-Sweat-the-Small-Stuff-for-Moms/Kristine-Carlson .
Special Needs Quote 3-28-13: Making a Difference
March 29, 2013 By
Lately I keep finding quotes about the profound impact one person can have in a life, and in the world. Here’s one that I found recently while sorting through an old pile of papers. It was on a card sent to me by a dear friend.
A old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. “Why do you bother?” the old man scoffed. “You are not saving enough to make a difference.” The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back into the water. “Made a difference to that one,” he said.
– Adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley
Remember this next time someone talks to you in a discouraging way about your efforts for your child with special needs, or for the children you work with. Pass this along to family, friends, and colleagues!
Tax Tips for Families with Children with Special Needs
March 23, 2013 By
It’s that time of year again when the pressure starts to mount to get the taxes done on time. For many parents of children with special needs, this can be a daunting task! Special deductions and credits may require you to fill out more forms and keep track of more documentation — not to mention that with your extra roles and responsibilities, it’s practically impossible to find the time to do the taxes! Here are a few tips that may help:
1. Get help. The tax preparer’s fee may pay for itself if he or she finds some additional deductions or credits that you weren’t aware of. Also, it may simply be worth it to save yourself the headaches and sleep deprivation of doing your own taxes!
2. If you decide to do your own taxes, avoid costly errors by using reliable tax software. I recommend Turbo Tax – it’s efficient, accurate, and very user friendly! (Use the link below and save 41%!)
TurboTax (Federal and State 2012)
3. Make sure you don’t miss any medical or related expenses that you can claim on your taxes. Call your child’s providers (doctors, dentist, eye care, mental health, and wherever you get prescriptions filled), and ask them to send you a printout of your expenditures from 2012.
4. Investigate other options for deductions. Did you know you can deduct travel related to medical and dental care, insurance premiums, medical equipment, and even attendance at conferences related to your child’s disability?
Visit http://blog.specialneedsalliance.org/2013/02/tax-tips-for-families-with-special-needs/ for more tax tips.
5. If you haven’t started your taxes yet, start today!
Shock, Isolation, Gratitude, Awe
March 17, 2013 By
This month’s issue of Psychology Today contains an interesting article, “Asperger’s in the Family: What a Parent Can’t See.” Also, there’s an article on the effects of surviving a disaster, and the magazine’s editor, in her introductory remarks, noted that the same effects can occur when a parent receives shocking news of a child’s diagnosis. As parents of children with special needs, many of us can relate. Among the effects are “experiencing life-changing perspectives,” and a kind of “double jeopardy — shock and isolation — but sometimes also redoubled gratitude and awe.” Sound familiar? Visit http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201303/the-against-all-odds-club to read the full article.
