Ten Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me About Parenting A Child With Special Needs

By Natalie Umphery.

As a mother of ten kids, including three sets of twins, you would think I would have had parenting covered. At the age of three, within my oldest set of multiples, my son was diagnosed with mild/moderate autism with the ability to speak and communicate, along with ADHD. With all that being said, I wish that someone would have told me the following ten things about parenting a child with special needs.

1. A lot of people just didn’t understand why my child was different and would blame it on my parenting skills or lack thereof.
2. I would have quite a few mommy melt-downs. I’m not ashamed to admit that difficult outings to places like the library can be devastating experiences.
3. I would constantly be making sure that my son got the proper education and fair treatment that he needed, and constantly fighting to keep him in a regular classroom. If your child needs special attention, then he should get it. My son is very bright and doesn’t need to be in special education classes.

Meet our Twins of the Day: Austin and Reid

Happy Holidays from Twiniversity and Safari Ltd.

Meet Austin and Reid

Nominated by: Jennifer Gilsan

Age: 8

Home State: Pennsylvania

What makes your twins rock?!

They have been a blessing in our lives since their first cry. They had a tough start with a month in the NICU but came out strong and healthy. As the years went by, we had our next obstacle with PDDNOS (Autism Spectrum) diagnoses for both. After picking myself up and dusting myself off, then came the hard work of pulling them out of their shells and fighting for what they deserved. I can’t begin to tell of the numerous therapies, doctor visits, supplements, special diets and on and on that has brought my fighters to the strong, smart, loving boys they are today. They are in 3rd grade and have been without support since 1st Grade. They have many friends and are at the top of their classes. There is no sign of Autism at this time and most people would never know the struggles they have gone through and what they have achieved. I was told at age 2 that they would not attend a public school and may never speak. We proved them wrong!!!

What is a recent accomplishment?

Honor Roll, Martial Arts, Tee Ball and Archery

What are a few of their favorite things?

They both have similar interests in riding quads, taking care of animals on the farm, playing x-box, hunting and archery, legos, drawing and reading

What do they like most about being twins?

They are together 24/7 and are completely lost without each other. Quite ironic since from babies on through till about 3 they didn’t even know each other existed with their Autism. They will be life long best friends 🙂

How have they changed you?

My experience raising Reid and Austin has changed me in so many ways and all for the best. I was very materialistic and took for granted having a healthy “normal” child was just expected. I realized just what it takes to be a good mother and put your child first always giving up everything in your life to make theirs’ the best it can be. The love of a mother for their children is like no other and I would give my life for their success and happiness in life.

What is your #1 tip for twin parents?

Don’t sweat the small stuff…..get some sleep when you can and it is true that it does get easier 🙂

Austin and Reid, we hope you enjoy these pretty amazing prizes we hand selected JUST for you! Happy Holidays, we hope you enjoy them.

Ice Dragon

Dwelling in frozen wastelands and at the peaks of snow-covered mountains, our Ice Dragon waits for the most adventurous challengers. Safari Ltd® Dragons include the most colorful, creative, and varied dragon toys available. Some of our most intricate professional sculpting and eye-catching hand painted designs can be found in this collection. They are perfect for inspiring a young imagination or adding to an impressive collection. Safari Ltd® has been creating quality, value-priced replicas for three generations, and these dragons continue that tradition.Recommended Ages: 4+

Midnight Moon Dragon

It’s probably best not to call this Midnight Moon Dragon “four-eyes.” Those talons look ready for action. Safari Ltd® Dragons include the most colorful, creative, and varied dragon toys available. Some of our most intricate professional sculpting and eye-catching hand painted designs can be found in this collection. They are perfect for inspiring a young imagination or adding to an impressive collection. Safari Ltd® has been creating quality, value-priced replicas for three generations, and these dragons continue that tradition. Recommended Ages: 4+

Happy Holidays from our Family to Yours!!!

Tips for feeding special needs children

Written by Katiana Harrison – Mother to six-year old, twin daughters, who have Autism. Her love for and dedication to her daughters have helped her to grow into an Autism advocate.

“Many special needs children suffer from feeding issues and complications. My twins have
difficulties with certain foods and textures and have been struggling with this for awhile. Thankfully, because of feeding therapy, we are slowly but surely making progress in this area. The following are some helpful tips and techniques that might help get you started from Speech Pathologist and Feeding Therapist, Heather Boerner.

KH: Please introduce yourself and let us know about your background and credentials.HB: I’m Heather Lynn Boerner, M.A., CCC-SLP – a Speech Language Pathologist. I have been in practice for ten years primarily servicing the pediatric population and own Chatty Child Speech Therapy out of New York. I specialize in treating feeding disorders, as well as speech, language and pragmatic language delays. I expanded my knowledge working in pediatric hospitals, schools and clinical settings.

KH: What are some factors that can cause feeding problems in a special needs child?

HB: There are numerous factors that can put a child at risk for a feeding delay or disorder. Parents should be aware that “pediatric dysphagia,” the term used to describe difficulty swallowing can occur anywhere from the mouth to the stomach.The following is a list of common factors cited from the “Pediatric Dysphagia Resource Guide” by Kelly Dailey Hall.

Gastrointestinal or Gastroesophageal tract disorders: Children with normal swallowing function may have gastrointestinal issues (“GI”) that will affect feeding. A child may not be able to tolerate oral feedings because of negative consequences, such as pain associated with food moving from the esophagus to the intestines. Some GI abnormalities include: Vascular Ring, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (“GERD”). GERD is one of most common reasons for feeding avoidance and occurs when the stomach contents moves upwards into the esophagus and possibly the pharynx. Generally, both medicines and behavioral management are combined to treat the GERD.

Our March 2012 Super M.O.M, Heather Clark!

Meet our Super M.O.M for March 2012:

Heather Clark

For our March Super M.O.M, Twiniversity would like to take a moment and honor Heather Clark. She is the outstanding mama of Max and Ty. This Super M.O.M is raising her autistic twin boys and deserves our round of applause for this month.

We found Heather thanks to her friend Elizabeth Paddock who nominated her,  here is what she had to say:

“I met Heather in an online M.O.M group and we have become the best of friends over the last two years.  I can’t even begin to tell you what an amazingly strong woman and mother she is.  From a very early age, Heather had very serious concerns about both of her sons. While family, friends, and even multiple doctors tried to tell her to take the “wait and see” approach with her twins’ development, Heather knew something was not right and that she didn’t want to wait until it was too late to get help for her boys.