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
Visual Impairment
Making Swim Lessons Accessible for Blind Children
Find tips on how to make a swimming lesson accessible for kids who are blind or have other disabilities. Great ideas for parents or swim instructors!
Special Needs, Support
If you had a magic wand that could “cure” your child’s disability, would you use it?
I recently asked this question to a group of special needs moms: "If you had a magic wand that could 'cure' your child's disability, would you use it? Why or...
Light Play, Visual Impairment
Suncatcher Activities for Kids with Visual Impairments
Suncatcher art projects make great hands-on activities for children with visual impairments considering their tactile traits including different textures and raised-line graphics.
Adoption and Foster Care, Visual Impairment
Adopting a Visually Impaired Child from China: Our Story
MaryAnne Roberto shares her story of adopting two boys who are blind through Bethel China. Shane and Vincent have different stories, but they are all part of one big family!
Sleep, Special Needs
Creative Care Safe Spaces: Beds and Sensory Spaces for Special Needs Kids
This company based in the UK makes solidly constructed spaces and beds to keep special needs children safe in their rooms.
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
Be My Eyes App: Lend Your Eyes to the Blind
This iPhone app allows visually impaired users to connect with sighted users in real time in order to receive assistance with simple tasks.
Advocacy, Visual Impairment
Awareness T-Shirts for Kids who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Check out these childhood blindness Awareness T-Shirts from Eye Power Kid's Wear! Express yourself and raise awareness for your cause!
Assistive Technology, Special Needs
Dollars & Sense: Navigating the AT funding stream
This search engine helps identify funding sources for a range of assistive technology. Although geared toward residents of Georgia, much of the information is applicable everywhere.
Assistive Technology
ModularHose allows you to turn almost anything into a handsfree device
This cool system uses flexible hose and a multitude of components to customize a way to attach items hands-free to your wheelchair or other place you might need it.
Health & Nutrition, Visual Impairment
Top Medical Breakthroughs in Vision in 2014
There have been a lot of medical advances in curing blindness in the past 12 months. Read about the most exciting breakthroughs in gene therapy, stem cells, artificial retinas and...
Toys, Visual Impairment
Top 10 Accessible Toys for Blind Kids
We recently ran a contest asking families to share their favorite toys for their kids who are blind or have other special needs. Here are the top 10 as voted...
Assistive Technology, Eye Conditions and Syndromes
New Gadget Addresses Tunnel Vision
There's a company that's working on a visor to help those with tunnel vision to see the full picture of what they could see without tunnel vision. It's still in...
iPad Apps and Accessibility, Visual Impairment
Breakthrough App Reads Print for the Blind
This cool new app lets you use your smartphone to translate printed material into spoken words, letting the user "read" virtually anything. The app is available on iTunes and was...
Assistive Technology, Visual Impairment
Seeing Through Sound
This technology takes sound to create "images" in the brain, by using a camera, special software, and headphones.
Visual Impairment
Lenz Frenz
These very cute stuffed animals have a hiding spot in their backs where children can safely store their glasses.
Health & Nutrition, Visual Impairment
3D Printing Cells is a New Step in Finding a Cure for Blindness
Researchers are using 3D printers to create artificial retinal nerve cells. They hope this will lead to using this to replace damaged retinal cells and ultimately cure retinal blindness.
Assistive Technology, Visual Impairment
Cool New Glasses to Help The Blind See
University of Oxford and RNIB have teamed up to create glasses that can help those with even a small amount of vision to identify objects and images. They're planning a...
Parenting, Special Needs
I may not sit, roll, walk or speak but I AM SO LOVED
Janyia is a little girl with several medical conditions: Arthrogryposis, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic lung disease and Hydrocephalus. This is her story.
Math and Science, Visual Impairment
7 Science & Nature Activities for Young Children who are Blind
Touching leaves, twigs, rocks and trees is a great way to introduce the world to your blind child. Here are 7 simple ideas to get you thinking about science and...
Math and Science, Visual Impairment
Reach for the Stars: Free iBook for Visually Impaired Students
This free iBook, available on iTunes, is compatible with braille refreshable displays and VoiceOver on iPads, and is accessible to anyone with a visual or print impairment.
Play, Visual Impairment
Make Your Own Play Space for Your Blind Baby!
Blind babies may need help learning how to interact with and be actively involved in their environment. You can build your own active learning play space so your baby can...
Education, Special Needs
My Special Journal: Home to School Communication Notebook
My Special Journal is a pre-printed communication notebook that lets teachers quickly summarize a special needs child's day at school.
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Community Trips for Little Explorers: Teaching your child who is blind about the community
Children with visual impairment learn by having direct, hands-on experiences with objects and events, including those in their community. These experiences can build important concepts that will prepare your child...
Assistive Technology
EasySwitch Helps Kids Access Computer Games
EasySwitch gives young children and those with learning disabilities easier ability to play computer games with switch access. You can even get these switches in a wireless version!