Thanks, that was very sweet. I really can't picture my life without my son in it. Some days I just want to run away, but all it takes is a great note coming home from school, his bloodwork coming back normal, his amazing hugs and smiles and I know it is all worthwhile.

It's that sweet smile from outta nowhere or the I love you that gets me.

Hello everyone! How is everyone doing? I've been sick and I'm finally getting over my cold. I'm just curious does anyone know how to find good chat rooms for Parents of CP and Epileptic Kids that's not a Dating site? I'm mean some outside of Mingle. This one is great but there's not always activity in here.

BUILDING AN ANGEL TEAM

As a parent of a, or more, special needs children it helps a lot to build and Angel Team. The Concept is simple. You are one person often doing the job of what would keep a multitude of people busy. Much like a CEO (Corporate Executive Officer) of a multi-million dollar corporation (and special needs kids do consume huge sums of money) and energy and it pays to recruite a team of experts and delegate as many tasks as possible.

I know what you are thinking "I am lucky to get someone to do anything how would I manage a team." Or you don't undertand little Johnny is a handful and he has sooooh many special needs." What you don't realize is there are a lot of things that you can recruite help for and move yourself into the position of being Coach by devoteing a little time to team building and following thru with a team attitude and then redirect the free time to where it is really needed.

Surprizeingly it really isn't as hard as you might think to find people to help. Once you start it will grow by word of mouth and some people or groups will help year after year.

To begin you need to formulate a list of your most time consumeing needs and some of your biggest expenses. What does insurance not cover? What do you really not have the expertise to do? What do you find a drain emotionally or physically? What is a chronic problem? For most of us it is basic needs like food, shelter, transportation, medical expenses, day care, education, a great fexible job, and time to rejuvinate. Often what is a simple task for others is herculian with the special needs child.

Surprizingly people are really more often willing to help than you think. Yea it takes a little accountabilitiy and responsibly useing the assistance you get but more often than not people are more realistic than you think and Thank Yous go a long way. Especially when they feel included in the "team" effort and have a sense of pride in being and "angel" to a special needs child family.


The most practical way to start and "Angel Team" is to realize you probably already have one even if you haven't officially recognized it. You have a favorite medical professional , certain members of your family helps here and there, belong to a couple of groups past or present, and you get a few entitlements. If you write these people a heartfelt Thank You for their assistance and tell them that you would like them to be the core of your team and start keeping them updated with your needs often they will come to you with help. Your mail box will become your friend. If you are reading this you already have a computer and that is really the easiest way to communicate with busy people. You can have conference chats with your assistant coaches and organize a calendar that will enhance the process. If you have a special screen name for your team and post photo's all the better. People will develope a feeling of teamsmanship very quickly. Some team members can do tasks that really only take time, others labor, and yes even financial help. If you are readding this thread you already have a few people that can give you peer support and probably a lot of information. Pick several that seem compatiable and ask them to consider being a Peer Angel. Exchange notes of emotonal support, experiences, jokes, ups, and downs. Sometimes just a smiley in email box helps balanance the frownies.

Then pick some of your solveable problems.

Learning more about your child's disability is and easy one. Anyone with a library or computer can start researching info for you. This is a great project for a H.S. Writing class or even a community college term paper. They have access to data files you won't. Every disability even the Rare ones have national, regional, and often local affiliations that publish or have access to books, pamplets, toll free numbers, newsletters, and magazines. Most have indigent participation funds if you can not get it all free. Getting some of the monthly magizines pay for them self in the useful information and coupons. Annual memberships are much more valuable than some cheap toy or gift you don't need. All major metropolitan areas have Independent Living Centers, Major's Council on Disability, Special Student Services director's, and access to the National library system. Book mobile will come to your house or at least your neighborhood. Get a book bag and set it in the car where when you are waiting you can read up. Once you get on the lists it will be a lot easier. You can even have one of your Angel Team outline the more extensive materials so you can speed read through. Bookmarking and making go to files on the computer is great.

Yard care is another one. Contact a local garden club, 4-H group, or Eagle Scout and ask them if they could commit to helping out with seasonal clean up?

You need a fence or a ramp contact Carpenter's for Christ, Careing Neighbor, a local Union or trade school. Ask your local lumber yard for permission for the H.S. Fellowship of Christian Athletes to hold a load for tips weekend or accept donations of materials. Ask the Fire Fighter's Auxillary to comeover and do the heavy yard preparation. Mostly what you have to do is tell them what you need and when they can do it far enough in advance that they can plan for it.

Are you having a hard time buying groceries paying for medication? Ask your alma mater to do a canned food drive. A church women's circle to buy a freezer. Or a Senior Club to grow garden produce for you. Or pick up commodity foods for you. Or clip coupons. Ask a Future Farmer's group to raise a beef, milk a goat, or provide eggs. Ask a hunting club to donate dressed game. Children with digestion problems do very well on deer meat.

Is your car on it's last leg? Contact a car club and see if they can find a shop to sponsor repairs paid for by a Road Ralley. Or a medium size company that will add routine maintence to their fleet service contract. Does it need rubber or a special lift? Contact a motercycle club. If you ask around chances are a friend of a friend or a person in your church knows someone in any of these groups. Would you just die to see your Mom or brother or cousin come out to help babysit around a medical need? Chances are a friend of a friend has some frequent flyer miles they could donate.

Brainstorm and be open to letting people be a hero and you will be stunned by the number of people who will give you not a hand out but a hand up.

It helps to have basic information about your child. And if you are comfortable a financial statement. A annual photo and a mini bio are essential. It doesn't have to sound like a pity plea just be factual and include some of his/her special strenths or current interests in and Successes in an upbeat fashion. Make your kid connect with the people who would want to help.

Make people feel like they can make a difference.

ALWAYS follow up with updates when needs are met

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS say THANK YOU.

Promote your team. Buttons with your kids Photo and "Johnny's ANGEL TEAM" are great. they don't have to be fancy. Buying thank you angels at Christmas and after Christmas is much cheaper. If you have someone that can cross stitch or do hand lettered certificates of appreciation those are valuable. Or Print your own Thank You Cards with a beaming photo on the front. People dispaly these and the word spreads.

Having each year a potluck BBQ for the team and it will be the highlight of your summer and help keep your spirits high.

Always invited media (includeing schools or even radio stations) to come take pictures or video feed. Have a fact sheet to make writing copy easy. Then it can be used for a slow news day.

Last but not least don't be afraid to ask busy people. Often times they are the best organized and most dependable. Don't discount diasabled adults or elderly as they are devoted volunteers. Don't be afraid to ask MEN. Lot of time they are real softee's when they know you are organized and not just whineing.

GOOD LUCK ANGELS

Thanks Pacific Star your advice always helps

Thanks Bzmom. I will be checking some reference lists I have to make sure they are current. If any of you parents have specific areas of interest post them and I will try to find them.

Thanks!!! Hey I found this group for CP Moms on yahoo. It's pretty good for moms

Cafemom.com is also a great site. There are lots of different forums and topics on there.

Thanks

Good Morning everyone !!! Hope this finds everyone doing well.

I was just telling a friend how much I love my spec.ed. classroom and the students and my assistants. Makes going to work a pleasure !!! I love going in on Mondays and hearing my students tell me they missed me this wknd. I tell them HOW MUCH I MISSED THEM TOO!!!! They are my life!!!! Now that my 4 children are pretty much on their own I find I'm putting sooooo much more time into my classroom than before. I have to force myself to leave my classroom at 5:30 or 6:00p.m.

Well....better get ready for school....so everybody have a TERRIFIC TUESDAY!!!!

Toreybelle Hope you have a GREAT Day too

It's refreshing to hear a special ed teacher talk the way you do about your students. My son's teacher should take some lessons from you. She is nice most of the time, but sometimes I think she forgets that special needs kids aren't the same as "normal" kids.

GOod eve. to you and to BZMOM too. Thanks for the compliment. I am only sharing my true intermost feelings. I knew from a very young age that I was meant to work with children/people with special needs. I started volunteering all my free periods to help the spec.ed. classes when I was 13 yrs. old. Learned sign lang. one summer specifically so I could help one teacher with sev. of her stud.'s who ONLY talked via sign. From then on I WAS HOOKED!!!!

Long day...cuz I take a class on Tues. p.m.'s so I'm going to bed soon. Everyone take care and I'll be thinking (and praying) for all of you.

Njmom to define normal is hard because to these special kids. They are normal aren't they? They all feel, smell, see, hear and taste. Just may not be like everyone else, so to me they are normal. We love them all the same too.

I got news back today from my daughters eye Dr.. She is legally blind. I'm on the brink of tears but at the same time I had a feeling she was blind.

All I can offer is I'm sorry and I hope all works out.

Well Honey I know that is not the news a Momma hopes for but with it official there are a lot of resources and funding that are now available to her. I will try to include that in my lists.
Contact Gail Lincoln @ the Lexington, Ky Red Cross Center. She is a peer parent who knows it all. Nice nice lady.

You go ahead and cry if you feel like it. Tears are OK and we have all felt the things you are so know you are loved! ((((((((HUGS)))))))

I am sorry to hear of your news. Tears are normal, believe me, I've shed them more than once. I don't know where you live, but most states have a commission for the blind who will offer so much support and guidance to help you.

I didn't mean to say anything negative, but I sometimes think that when people want to teach special needs kids its going to be the easiest job out there. There are varied degrees of needs that our kids have that makes it an even harder job than a typical school teacher. I give a HUGE thumbs up to people willing to teach special needs kids. I can't imagine having a classroom full of multi disabilities kids, I have trouble with just one sometimes.

I am so sorry to hear the diagnosis of your daughter. Please keep in mind that when one of the senses is gone, the abilities are greater in other areas. She will grow stronger in other areas and her abilities will be many. I pray she will be strong and hope you will be just as strong and be brave for her. God Bless you. My daughter has a mental disabitity but to me she is just as smart as any kid. She may be on a lower level than kids her age, but she is just as special and loving as they are. Keep your faith.