Because Knowledge is a Powerful Thing

After connecting with a couple other families dealing with developmental delay, I realized another thing we have in common is the feeling that we aren't doing enough to help our kids.  It really is comforting to know that there are people you can relate to.   

So, what can we do to help our children with developmental delays?  We can gain knowledge.

I decided a long time ago that I had to become a better googler if I ever intended to achieve anything in life.  If at first you don't get a hit from your google search, try again.  And then try again and again and again.  Try every possible combination of search words you can think of.  Eventually, you are bound to find something useful.

Then, when you find something useful, subscribe to it by email.  Email is my first choice for staying in contact with a good web resource.  Why?  Because if it's worth sharing, it's worth getting delivered into my inbox with no work from my end.  This does create an over flowing email account, but it also insures that you won't miss anything new and helpful from that good resource you stumbled upon months or years ago.  Take this blog for example.  If you subscribe by email, you will get a tidy little email message from me telling you everything new I have to share.  It's not a foolproof system, we are at the mercy of web services, but for the most part, this works well for me. 
Here are a couple resources I like:  The ARC Vanderbilt Kennedy Center If you've found other helpful web resources, please leave a comment.

And then create a folder of "favorites" in your web browser for those really wonderful things that you come across.  I have also been known to email myself with a link to a good website.  If it's in my email, I can access my account from any computer.  If it's saved to my favorites folder on my computer, I can only access it from my computer at home.  I'm also fond of Pinterest.  I have a Pinterest board where I like to pin things I come across.  But, I have found searching for things on Pinterest to be harder than most things in life.  And way too often Pinterest is just a picture of the thing you're looking for with no way to find where it originated.  That simply drives me crazy.  Plus, I just have this annoying feeling that Pinterest won't be around for the long haul. 

And then learn where your closest teacher's supply store is located.  And don't panic when you walk in and want to hyperventilate because it's isle after isle of over whelming teaching stuff that you have no idea how to use.  Just take a deep breath and think of those places as really specific office supply stores.  Get creative and you can find a lot of really great items to help making learning fun, and turn your house into a mock school room.  I found an ABC poster (at the dollar tree) the first year Patty was a preschooler and I hung it right on the back door.  We read those ABCs most mornings as we headed out to school.  Oh, and you have to get a pointy finger on a stick.  Every household needs one of those because they just make everything more fun.  Back to school time is a great time to check the Dollar Tree and Target's dollar spot, too.

And then find a bunch of blogs written by teachers about all the wonderful things they are teaching their students.  Having DD in the family makes me wish I had wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.  But, I never wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.  So, reading about and finding teaching resources is a must.  I was totally surprised by the language of learning in kindergarten.  I mean, what typical parent knows what cvc stands for or cardinal numbers are?  Plus, teachers are always creating learning tools and giving them away for free.  Free is good.  If you're not into teaching blogs, browse websites like Teachers Pay Teachers or Teachers Notebook where teachers sell their products.  Both websites also offer freebies, and things are categorized a thousand ways to make shopping simple for us non-teachers.

And then, even if your child isn't old enough for school just yet, you have to learn about special education law.  This is the part that makes me wish I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up.  It would be really nice if parent's never had to worry about their child's education.  But, there's a reason why parent's were included in the Admissions and Release Committee when IDEA laws were made.  As the parent, you're the person with the biggest responsibility to see that your child receives all the wonderful things that can help them throughout their school career.  Building a good foundation for learning starts at the beginning, not the middle and certainly not the end.  Think in terms of where you want your child to be when s/he graduates from high school.  Always bring that mental picture of your child in a cap and gown with you to your meetings.  Oh, and get familiar with all of the abbreviations, IEP is just the beginning.

And then find a bunch of blogs about similar situations.  The funnier the blog, the better.  Here are a few suggestions.  Finding Ninee     I Can Say Mama     Mominvore's Dilemma     Dysfunctional Dose
Leave a comment if you've got a blog to recommend.

And then create a blog and hope that by some leap of faith something you have to say or share will be useful to someone else.  Back in the beginning of our journey I had never heard the word inclusion or considered occupational therapy for my young child.  Now, I only wish I'd heard of those things years ago and gotten a better head start.  I will agree there's a learning curve for most things in life, and having a child with special circumstances is no different than anything else life hands you.