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
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
EDA PLAY TOBY: Visual Training iPad App for Visually Impaired Kids
EDA PLAY TOBY is a free iPad app that can help visually impaired kids learn to use the vision they have. It's a great app for kids with CVI!
Play, Visual Impairment
Everything You Need to Know About Goalball for Visually Impaired Athletes
Goalball is a fast-paced and active physical sport that does not require vision to play. It's a fun recreation for children who are blind.
Feeding and Eating, Visual Impairment
The Blind Cook is Cooking with Her Four Senses
This video series features blind chef Christine Ha as she demonstrates cooking without sight. The show also offers nutritional tips and other cool food-related information.
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Hand Use While Walking: Helping Your Child Who is Blind Understand His Home
Certified Orientation and Mobility instructor Susan Shier Lowry gives tips on how to encourage young blind children to reach out and touch while walking through familiar environments. Trailing techniques are...
Visual Impairment
Reach Out and Teach: Helping Your Child Who is Visually Impaired Learn and Grow
The empowering guide that teaches parents how to promote the development of young children with visual and multiple impairments.
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
Sonokids Software and Apps for Kids who are Visually Impaired
Sonokids is an Australian software company that creates accessible computer and app games for kids who are visually impaired.
Assistive Technology, iPad Apps and Accessibility
Buy Assistive Technology from Apple
You can now purchase assistive technology products directly from Apple on the Global Apple Store. Products are currently available in a variety of categories including Vision, Physical & Motor Skills...
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Anticipators for Young Children with Visual Impairments: Push Toys, Pre-Canes and Long Canes
Early Orientation and Mobility skills for blind children can be taught with pre-canes or push toys. Learn how to choose the best tools and when to introduce them.
Support, Visual Impairment
Surviving the First 18 Months After Learning Your Child is Blind
Learning your baby is blind is hard... but you will move on! Janine says, "Life was continuing and I started to realize how strong we were becoming. The tears were...
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
5 Ways to Teach Your Blind Child How to Use an iPad
Tips to help you and your child who is visually impaired learn the basics of how the iPad works and how to use all the accessibility features it has to...
IEPs, Visual Impairment
IEP’s for Parents of Blind or Visually Impaired Children
Learn the basics of creating an IEP for a child with a visual impairment so you can walk in to your IEP meeting perfectly prepared.
Parenting, Support
When I Feel Alone as a Mom to a Child With Anophthalmia, I Remember This
Gwen writes about her baby daughter, Ivey, and the medical issues she faces. Gwen finds strength in her friends, family and even strangers who are drawn to her little girl.
Assistive Technology
Images Now Accessible on Facebook, Twitter
New accessibility features make images accessible to blind users on social networks Facebook and Twitter
Visual Impairment
Looking Good and Feeling Good When You’re Visually Impaired
Fashion blogger Emily Davison discusses teaching kids with visual impairment about appearance, self-esteem and social acceptance.
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
Ballyland Magic App: Introducing iPad Accessibility to Children Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Ballyland Magic app introduces visually impaired and blind kids to iPad accessibility features like VoiceOver through a fun game. The game is entertaining so they don't even realize they are...
Sensory Activities, Toys, Visual Impairment
The Best Sensory Play Toys for Visually Impaired Kids
We've collected the best sensory toys for blind kids! Find tactile toys, sound toys, scented toys, tasty toys, light toys and vestibular toys.
Parenting, Support
Disabled Parenting Project
The Disabled Parenting Project (DPP) is an online space for sharing experiences, advice, and conversations among disabled parents as well as those considering parenthood.
Parenting, Support
“What if I die?” Creating a care plan to combat the secret fear of every special needs parent
If you are the primary caregiver of a special needs child, you probably worry about what would happen if you were gone.
Visual Impairment
25 Things Only a Mother of a Child who is Visually Impaired Would Understand
Becoming a parent to any child is magical in its own right, but here is a list of observations about things only a mother of a child who is visually...
Advocacy, Visual Impairment
Sometimes I just don’t feel like “teaching” people about blindness
As members of the blindness community, we find ourselves with the opportunity to teach others about blindness all the time. But do you ever want to just skip the teachable...
Parenting, Special Needs
What I wish people understood about raising a medically complex child
Here's something I've learned in the last 10 years: Raising a special needs child is hard, but raising a special needs child who is medically complex is much harder.
Parenting, Special Needs
Parenting a Child with a Rare Disease
Navigating life's path as a parent of a child diagnosed with a rare disease can be hard at times. It's okay to look to others for help.
Sleep, Special Needs
Getting a Special Needs Bed Funded Through Insurance
Does your child need a special bed in order to be safe at night? Special needs beds can be prohibitively expensive, so most of us require our insurance to cover...
Support
They told me to take care of myself, I told them I’ll sleep when I’m dead
Nicole writes about how difficult it is to find the time and money to get away on a vacation when you're the parent of a child with complex needs -...