Special Needs

Find support for parents of children with special needs. Learn how to advocate for your child, raise funds for needed equipment and find helpful organizations.

Filter by: Advocacy, Assistive Technology, Autism, Schools for the Blind, Support, Visual Impairment

Side profile of a woman wearing Lumen smart glasses with a black visor and white frame, alongside the text “LUMEN – Empowering the Blind.”

Assistive Technology, Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment

A New Mobility Technology for Blind Users: Lumen Smart Glasses

Learn about Lumen smart glasses, an innovative assistive technology designed to help blind and visually impaired users navigate safely and independently.

Whimsical illustration of a gentle bridge made of flowing lines, musical notes, and Braille dots, connecting two sides. The image suggests music and Braille coming together as a pathway for learning and inclusion.

Braille and Literacy, Music Play, Special Needs, Visual Impairment

Braille needs allies. Music can be one of them.

An inspiring look at how music can support Braille literacy, creativity, and inclusion for blind children.

Ivan and his mom sitting on a cement bench in a park.

Parenting, Special Needs

Love Languages for Kids With Disabilities: 5 You Might Miss

Learn 5 love languages you might miss in kids with disabilities and special needs, plus simple ways to recognize and respond to their unique signs of connection and affection.

A softly textured illustration of a child with closed eyes and a peaceful smile, as colorful swirling shapes represent imagination flowing around them. Floating in the swirls are simple images—a butterfly, star, tree, heart, music note, seashell, and flower—symbolizing creativity, emotion, and sensory experiences. The overall palette is warm and gentle, with pastels and soft gradients creating a dreamy, uplifting mood.

Tactile Arts and Crafts, Visual Impairment

What Does Art Feel Like? A Guide to Tactile Creativity for Blind Children

Discover how blind children explore art through touch. Learn practical ways to support tactile creativity, build early Braille literacy, and nurture imagination with hands-on projects, textures, and accessible art experiences.

Ivan sits peacefully in his wheelchair inside a softly lit cathedral, bathed in warm light from stained-glass windows.

Special Needs, Support

The One Thing I’d Tell Every Special Needs Parent

If you could give one piece of advice to parents of kids with disabilities, what would it be? This mom’s surprising answer might change your perspective.

Golden print letters and Braille dots flow together in a wave pattern across a green background, with musical notes accenting the design to represent the harmony between Braille and print literacy.

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

Should Blind Children Learn Print Letters?

Discover why teaching both print and braille can enrich literacy for children who are blind, helping them connect with the wider world.

An abstract, softly glowing stage under warm lights, with musical notes, stars, and colorful ribbons swirling in the air.

Education, Music Play, Special Needs

Creating Inclusive School Festivals: When Every Child Shines

Learn how to create inclusive school performances that celebrate every child’s abilities through music, movement, and imagination.

Whimsical digital illustration of three colorful birds flying among floating music notes and Braille dots on a blue-and-yellow sky background. Curved musical staff lines weave across the scene, blending sound and touch in a dreamlike way.

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

When Music Becomes Braille: Creative Paths in Education for Blind Kids

Discover how Prof. M.A. Christi is reimagining music education for blind children with Braille, stories, and tactile art in this inspiring interview.

Illustration of a mother and baby practicing tactile sign language outdoors.

Communication, Visual Impairment

Understanding Tactile Sign Language for Deaf-Blind Children

Tactile sign language allows deaf-blind children to communicate through touch. Multiple forms of tactile sign language can be adapted to meet individual needs.

Illustration of a blind child wearing a virtual reality headset and holding a white cane, standing in a grassy outdoor setting.

Assistive Technology, iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment

Apple Unveils New Accessibility Features: What It Could Mean for Blind and Disabled Children

Apple announced new accessibility features, including visual aid tools for the Vision Pro headset. Here's what these updates could mean for blind and disabled children, plus what parents and educators...

A medical assistant robot wearing a name tag that says ChatGPT.

Advocacy, Special Needs

How We Built an AI Medical Assistant with ChatGPT (and Why Every Complex Care Family Should Too)

Learn how one family turned medical records into a powerful AI medical assistant using ChatGPT. A practical guide for parents managing complex care.

An image of a chip being implanted in a brain and the text

Eye Conditions and Syndromes, Visual Impairment

Neuralink Announces Plans to Restore Sight to the Blind with Brain Chip

Elon Musk’s company Neuralink has announced plans to begin human trials of its new “Blindsight” brain chip by the end of 2025.

Mother cleaning a bottle.

Special Needs

5 Spring Cleaning Tips for Families of Children with Disabilities

Spring cleaning is an opportunity to create a more accessible, organized, and supportive space for your child with disabilities. Declutter, deep clean, and refresh!

Skylar and Peter playing piano together.

Visual Impairment

The Gift of Understanding: How a Young Child Helps His Blind Father Navigate Life

When a parent is blind, it’s natural for people to wonder how their sighted child will adapt. Will they struggle to understand their parent’s needs? Will they feel burdened by...

Three pictures of children being helped by volunteers at May We Help.

Assistive Technology, Support

May We Help: Engineering Independence for People with Disabilities

May We Help is dedicated to designing and building custom solutions that help individuals of all ages achieve mobility, access, and independence, all at no cost.