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

photo of baby girl sleeping

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.

Ivan sleeping in his new bed

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...

woman in a sauna

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 -...

four Valentine's activities

Holiday Crafts and Ideas, Visual Impairment

Top 10 Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids Who Are Blind

Celebrate love and friendship all month long with these multi-sensory Valentine' sDay activities for kids with visual impairments!

Ivan reading braille

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

Our Favorite Tactile Books for Blind Kids

The best tactile books for blind kids. Find books that provide some nice feedback for kids reading with their fingers!

Holly and her daughters

Visual Impairment

Blind Motherhood

Holly Bonner writes about being a mother to two beautiful little girls. What makes her blog different than most mommy blogs is that Holly is blind. She blogs about life...

The best resources for parents of visually impaired kids

Support, Visual Impairment

Most Popular Shared Resources for Parents of Blind Children

Each year, we see lots of really interesting and exciting resources for parents of blind children shared on WonderBaby.org. Here are the 20 most popular resources shared in 2015!

making snow slime

Holiday Crafts and Ideas, Visual Impairment

7 Holiday Sensory Play Ideas for Kids Who are Blind

Holiday multisensory play ideas for kids who are blind or visually impaired, from cold dough to a five-senses touch book and a tactile find and search game.

Ivan asleep in his travel bed

Sleep, Special Needs

The Perfect Special Needs Travel Bed

Traveling with a special needs child can be difficult for many reasons, but the biggest issue for us has been finding a safe way for our child to sleep while...

cover art

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment

A Blind Legend Game App

New gaming app has users relying completely on sound- not vision!

My child will live an enviable life

Advocacy

The Day I Realized That My Special Needs Child Deserves to Live an Enviable Life

All children with special needs deserve to live an enviable life! Do you agree? And do you know what this really means?

Ballyland screenshots

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment

Ballyland: Computer Game for Blind Kids

Ballyland is a Mac or Windows video game designed specifically for children who are blind, visually impaired or low vision.

white and green 6dot braille label maker

Assistive Technology, Braille and Literacy, Product Reviews

6dot Braille Label Maker Product Review

Looking for an easy way to braille books and objects around the home? We look at the 6dot braille label maker and review its features and functions.

a collage of children's book covers

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

25+ Children’s Books Featuring Visually Impaired Characters

We've collected 25+ picture books, chapter books and young adult novels with visually impaired characters. Each title is followed by a quick description and links to find the book in...

The Caregiver's Notebook book cover

Parenting, Support

The Caregiver’s Notebook: An Organizational Tool and Support to Help You Care for Others

The Caregiver's Notebook gives those who care for someone with multiple needs a handy place to organize information.

Insightful head logo

Visual Impairment

Insightful Publications

Insightful Publications is a website designed to make state handbooks and the information they contain accessible via screen readers.

faded photo of woman holding coffee and mobile phone with computer on desk

Support, Visual Impairment

10 Users You Should Be Following On Twitter if You’re the Parent of a Child with Visual Impairments

Are you the parent of a blind child? Are you on Twitter? You should be! We'll help you get started by showing you who you should follow.

iPad settings screenshot with text

Assistive Technology, iPad Apps and Accessibility

Learn How to Use the Accessibility Features on Your iPad

Learn how special accessibility features designed specifically for people with varying abilities, including those with visual impairments, are having a a major impact on how our children can access the...

Nick, Mia and Jo

Visual Impairment

Raising a Blind Baby: A Father’s Perspective

Nick writes about learning that his baby daughter, Mia, is blind with LCA. Most blog posts are written by mothers, but here Nick writes from the father's point of view.

Nicole and her three daughters

Parenting, Special Needs

Why it’s OK to Ask Me About My Special Needs Child

When you see my daughter, please ask questions! I believe it is my role to educate others about being deafblind and how this shapes (but doesn't define) my child.

how to help a special needs mom feel less lonely

Support

To My Loved Ones Who Want to Help Me Feel a Little Less Lonely

As the parents of special needs children we need support and love. But do you know what we need more than anything? Someone to help ease the loneliness and isolation.

a tree illustration

Support

Strengthening Your Parenting Partnership During Pediatric Illness

Raising a child with significant special or medical needs is challenging. Have you stopped to think about how that challenge is effecting your relationship with your spouse or partner?

Are you on Twitter? If you're the parent of a blind child, you should be!

Support, Visual Impairment

How to Use Twitter for Parents of Kids with Visual Impairments

Twitter may seem confusing, but it's actually very useful for learning more about blindness and visual impairment. Here is why parents of blind kids should be on Twitter!

Ivan and dad at the cafe

Support

Am I Failing My Child? Managing Guilt as a Special Needs Parent

All parents feel guilt, but for parents of special needs kids, those feelings of guilt can be multiplied by a thousand.