Topic “Special Needs”

With its 1001 ways to improve the life of any human being, the use of the iPad has also been a hot topic in the disability community. It is the combination of superb touch screen devices with the scientific knowledge and experience from a speech therapist that is making the difference for thousands of children and adults with special needs around the world. Barbara Fernandes, a speech pathologist and CEO of Smarty Ears has been developing applications for Apple devices for over one year to help children and adults with a variety of speech and language disorders to improve their communication skills and consequently their quality of life. Smarty Ears will be showcasing their most recent releases at the Macworld Expo 2011 in San Francisco. Macworld 2011 is “a four day celebration that entertains and educates. Macworld offers access to hundreds of Apple related products and services.” Source: MacworldExpo.com This year parents of children with a communication disorder such as stuttering, difficulty pronouncing words, or children that cannot communicate due to Autism or Ap...

Read more »

Kay Luna, Quad-City Times The Quad-City Times | Posted: Tuesday, January 4, 2011 2:00 am With slow, deliberate movements of her paintbrush, Becca Keim adds strokes of red, blue and yellow to her canvas. In a room full of other young people, talking, laughing and carrying on around her, the 18-year-old Moline High School student stays quiet as she works. And she smiles to herself as the painting evolves into a picture of a flower. "I like to paint," she tells a visitor. "I like drawing shapes." She likes to draw animals, too, adds Mark Smith, co-founder of the Hand-in-Hand organization in Bettendorf. That's where Keim and many other teens and young adults with special needs get together once a month to create artwork through a new program called Inspiration Studio. During classes led by Qua...

Read more »

This is an awesome opportunity to enter to win something SUPER COOL and also help out a family who is looking for suggestions. Be sure to scroll down and click the link to offer your suggestions and enter to win at prayfornathan.org   "I (Nathan Dorje's Mom) promised an awesome giveaway so here it is. And when I mean awesome I mean AWESOME because the Kinect ROCKS. And why, oh why, might you think, am I giving away a kinect? There are 2 reasons: 1. Because it is SO MUCH FUN for the whole family! This is a giveaway that even the mommies can enjoy. Most of us don’t ever have time to go to the gym or exercise. With the kinect you can work out, lose weight, stay healthy…all from the comfort of home. It is so much more fun than the WII! Typical kids will love it and the SN kiddos that are mobile can exercise and therapize while having fun. 2. Because I need some help. We have been working with Nathan’s Dynavox for about 6 months now, and have made progress but...

Read more »

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - 3 December 2010 The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons (1981). The Day aims to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities. The goal of full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society and development was established by the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.   Through the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons (1982) and the Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with D...

Read more »

See video  WLWT.com ALEXANDRIA, Ky. -- Ryan Lloyd has become an unlikely inspiration for students at Bishop Brossart High School. He joined the high school's football team this summer, despite his lifelong battle with spina bifida. But it's not just football that Lloyd tackles. This senior is up for any physical activity... Full Text   <!--stopindex-->...

Read more »

Check out this super cute kid rapper's video and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MattyBRaps MattyB is 7 years old and since he was 5 years old he has wanted to be a dancer, rapper and actor. MattyB wants to have his own TV show one day in addition to continue being a musician. MarsRaps is MattyB's big cousin and is a big influence on MattyB.     MattyB also loves to draw, dance, play baseball and likes swimming and hanging out with his friends. He has 3 brothers and 1 sister and all the children are very talented and may appear in some of MattyB's videos.     These are clean family fun videos! Enjoy....

Read more »

   ...

Read more »

By Geraldine Gittens Wednesday September 22 2010 <!-- // authors --> A NEW Irish-made cartoon series has become the first television series in the world to have a main character with Down Syndrome -- and it is set to take the world by storm. The new RTE series Punky, which will be aimed at pre-school children, features a six-year-old girl who lives with her family, and encounters daily adventures like any other child. Gerard O'Rourke, from production company Monster Animation, says Punky is a playful little girl who overcomes many daily challenges, but she is slightly differently to other children. Already international TV companies from the United States, UK, and Australia are showing keen interest. Punky will be broadcast by RTE's Young People's Programming in the New Year, and it will feature 20 seven-minute-long episodes. "It's the first [series] where the main character has Down Syndrome, from all of our research to date," said Mr O'Rourke. "It was unique and scary to deal with the subject matter on a mainstream cartoon. Down Syndrome Ireland provided a great be...

Read more »

posted by: Sara Gandy, Ben McKee BROOMFIELD - Legacy High School seems like the perfect fit for Molly Perriman, seeing as she has already written her own legacy. It is not a selfish thing; instead Molly's legacy is all about changing the lives of others through meaningful relationships. Oddly enough, it all started while she was organizing something that, in retrospect, seems a bit superficial: homecoming court. "I was sitting at a table working on nominations, and a kid with special needs walked by. I called him and said, 'Hey, do you want to nominate someone?'" said Molly, one of the 2010 9Kids Who Care. "They were so excited to get a chance to nominate someone for homecoming royalty, I wanted to do more." Molly created BRIDGES (Building Relationships in Different Groups), which integrates mainstreamed students with special needs students at Legacy High School. "I love them so much. It cheers me up and puts me in a good mood every Tuesday morning. Everyone leaves in a good mood on Tuesdays," Molly said. Molly also created the Legacy Royalty Guard, which highlights spe...

Read more »

Amazing video, we should all watch, reminding us to be the voices for our children....

Read more »