Some kids are easy to shop for. They have their wish lists all made out and ready by Thanksgiving and there are stars next to the items that they would particularly like. They are consistent and forthcoming about their likes and dislikes, and when Christmas or their birthday comes around, you know exactly what will…
Shortly after the diagnosis of my son with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, I feel into a deep depression and state of spiritual despair. I was angry with God and unable to pray most days, and while I thought I should consider professional counseling, I couldn’t imagine fitting one more appointment into days already packed with homeschooling,…
Being a special needs parent can be overwhelming and frustrating. It’s not that we don’t love our kids, but it’s hard to be a caregiver, parent, and for many of us, the primary educator and therapist day in and day out. Sometimes we get angry, and yell, or cry and it’s easy to feel guilty;…
It was a quiet evening. The baby was in her johnny-jump-up hanging in the doorway. The almost 3 year old was playing peacefully for the first time all day. The two year old and I were in the living room having a quiet snuggle. And then everything changed. Our eldest came charging through the apartment,…
Cheryl Swope, an educator who has created an entire curriculum designed for children with special needs (available through Memoria Press), used to receive one to two emails a week from families curious to know if providing a classical education for their special needs child was possible. Now, following the upheaval of COVID-19, she’s receiving at…
For Catholic parents with a newly diagnosed child, there are many places they can turn for answers to their medical questions; doctors, specialists, and therapists. But when it comes to their spiritual questions, many find their local parishes unprepared or unable to help. Some parents even meet with resistance or refusal when they inquire about…
Most dads look forward to Father’s Day with thoughts of a nice dinner out, or maybe a cookout, and perhaps some handmade artwork they can display at the office. But for a special needs dad, Father’s Day is often just another reminder of how fatherhood, and his child, has turned out like nothing he ever…
On the night before my first IEP meeting, I realized that while I had read a million articles, consulted a handful of people, printed worksheets and records, and even picked out my wardrobe, I had failed to pray about it. It had never even occurred to me until that moment, likely because the whole process…
Most prayer books directed at Catholic families suggest praying together as a family. Many families struggle with how to work a family rosary, or other prayer, into their daily routine. Despite the importance of prayer, between school, work, outside activities, chores, errands and everything else, it’s not uncommon for family prayers to fall by the…
The phone call came in close to midnight, the voice on the other end, an emergency room doctor informed me that my youngest son was going to be airlifted to a Seattle hospital due to a collapsed lung. I was on the other side of the country, 3,000 miles separated me from my child. I…
