This article from a mother with a special needs child is especially touching.  The worry, the fear, and the hope that home schooling might help spare the child ridicule and help him develop to his full potential is palpable.

Since he was very young, there has always been something about the way my Baby Bear lines up his cars, counts his blocks and just cannot step away from a task that has bothered me. I recognized the signs. I grew up with it. But I pushed it out of my mind because I did not want it to be there. It is something I am powerless before. And it affects my little boy.

….

When he began licking his hands, somehow my mental defenses were penetrated. This was too far outside the range of “normal” to pass off as a unique quirk. The licking became almost constant. First the right hand, then the left. Touch something. Lick. Touch something. Lick. Yes, this is what I grew up with. My brother, upon passing through a threshold would drop to the ground and lick the carpet. He licked the walls. He touched everything. First the right hand. Then the left.

….

That when my little boy looks forward to a doctor’s appointment because he is hoping the doctor can help him stop, I would move heaven and earth to make that happen. But I can’t.

I don’t really know what to say. This is just heart wrenching. When you discover that something may be wrong with your child; you hope it is just a quirk. Maybe they will grow out of it. But, what if it gets worse. How will it affect them as they grow up. Will they be made fun of? Will they be able to work?

If you see a problem, something that raises a red flag, talk to your family and talk your doctor.

via Principled Discovery » What I learned from my son.

Having a happy Halloween may be especially difficult if you have a special needs child. K. Sayford-Wilson writes about the problems her child has.

Our youngest child has sensory integration problems with developmental delays and also a speech disorder called developmental apraxia. These challenges limit her ability to process information, so the way in which she understands information is different from the way other children would understand information. Telling a typical child that a scary, angry-looking skeleton half-buried in the ground is only plastic might work. Telling a special needs child with sensory integration problems and a speech disorder that it is plastic and will not hurt her – may not make any sense to her. The child may not be able to handle the sensory overload and may just run away (ours did).

…

On Halloween, we avoided all houses with any scary decorations or music – and avoided all people in scary costumes. When our child started whining about “go home,” we honored her request.

If you are thinking of putting up a scary display, please remember that your scary Halloween display can be extra scary for young kids or children with special needs.  

I do not want to tell anyone not to have a fun Halloween, including having a scary Halloween.  There are ways to balance family friendly and scary.

Several of my neighbors handle this by having a “haunted” garage or back yard.  Younger children can trick-or-treat at the front door while older kids can opt-in for the scarier sights and sounds.  

Halloween “tricky” for Phila mom with special needs child.