InstantForum.NET v4.1.4AbilityPath Forumshttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/abilitypath@gatepath.comFri, 10 Feb 2012 10:22:58 GMT20http://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4462792-3974-1.aspx[b]I would like to state that I DO NOT own these "poems". I am just posting them to share them with other parents.[/b] THERE ARE (2) of them here.....I hope this helps someone like it helped me.... My children are a blessing to me and I wouldn't trade them for anything! WELCOME TO HOLLANDby Emily Perl Kingsley I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this....... When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I am supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around....and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things....about Holland.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Special Motherby Erma Bombeck Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity." "Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia." "Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint, Matthew." Finally He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and that's not going to be easy." "But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps - "selfishness? is that a virtue?" God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'". She will never consider a "step" ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!" "I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side". "And what about her Patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:51:50 GMTMisty Robinsonhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4466329-3974-1.aspxTHANK YOU to Lauren Potter and her mom for working to stamp out bullying for ALL kids everywhere! I have two daughters with special needs, both are fed with feeding tubes and one needs oxygen some of the time. My older daughter is just starting to develop the ability to speak up for herself when people say mean things to her, and I can't wait to share Lauren's posts with her when she gets home from school today. I wanted to stand up and scream "YEAH, GO LAUREN!" but that would have woken up the baby, heh. Lauren, it's a delight to know you're here and you're with us.Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:46:59 GMTKelly Pricehttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4464280-3974-1.aspxWhat experiences have you had finding qualified childcare or babysitters for your child with special needs? Share the good, bad and babysitter!Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:15:13 GMTHope at AbilityPathhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4453007-3974-1.aspx[url=http://www.amctheatres.com/SFF/]AMC Movie Theaters[/url] is one of the leaders in offering sensory friendly film experiences for families. But they aren't the only ones. Share with us your experience at local or independent theaters or connect with other parents to bring this experience to your community.Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:01:19 GMTHope at AbilityPathhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4452025-3974-1.aspxI, like all of you, heard about the intentional fraud in Wakefield's study which I find completely disgusting!Within the same hour though, I also heard that we are close to a cure for baldness, and I think I may have been equally as upset when I heard this news. I find it interesting that we don't know exactly what causes autism yet we are close to curing baldness. I mean, think about it this way, we have Viagra!Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:43:35 GMTSarah Verityhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4451507-3974-1.aspxTell me which mobile device you prefer. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:52:04 GMTeabjorkhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4264936-3974-1.aspx[img]http://www.abilitypath.org/images/articles/atriclepix/gingerbread.gif[/img]Share your favorite holiday recipes, survival tips and decorating ideas! Be sure to upload images of your ideas or favorite dishes.Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:17:29 GMTAbilitypathhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4446149-3974-1.aspxHillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of StateWashington, DC, December 2, 2010On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I join with friends and colleagues around the world to recognize December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Advancing opportunities and promoting the rights of disabled people has been a lifelong commitment, and I am honored to continue advocating on behalf of people with disabilities on the international stage.The United States is proud to be a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to support its full and effective implementation. We are also invested in including disability rights as a core focus of our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This global undertaking to eradicate extreme poverty and inequality offers hope to millions of people across the developing world, but much remains to be done for people with disabilities, particularly disabled women and girls. We cannot hope to achieve the Millennium Development Goals when those with disabilities are denied the opportunity to lead empowered and autonomous lives by violence or the fear of violence. Disabled people deserve equal access and opportunity within society.In honor of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the State Department is hosting events focused on the issues of HIV/AIDS and disability, and violence against women and girls with disabilities. These events will bring together experts with experience in disability rights, civil society, and government to help raise awareness and understanding of how to tackle these challenging issues. Our Special Advisor for International Disability Rights Judith Heumann is leading efforts at the United States Department of State to ensure disability inclusion and non-discrimination are central to all of our policies and practices, in Washington and around the globe. Together, we can help 650 million people living with disabilities today enjoy their full human rights, and achieve the vision of equality and inclusion set forth in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.The original statement is available online at: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/12/152296.htmFri, 03 Dec 2010 19:41:13 GMTGabrielle Joneshttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4321989-3974-1.aspxWhat is your experience in getting insurance coverage for therapy services?Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:13:49 GMTSheryl Younghttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4315731-3974-1.aspxDoes anyone know of any support groups in the bay area for young siblings. I have a 9 year old ASD child as well as an NT 7 year old and 5 year old.Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:53:25 GMTBarbara Streetthttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4335934-3974-1.aspxAnyone ever use this for respite from GGRC? If so, any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. I am trying to gather information.Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:00:51 GMTBarbara Streetthttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4355166-3974-1.aspxDid anyone watch tonight's episode on Parenthood? I really like the show and its characters. How did parents feel about Julia's concern for her daughter's developmental stages? Although I don't have kids, several of my friends have gone through similar situations. It is great that AbilityPath has resources for parents, but what else would you recommend they do? How do you face those types of emotions? As a friend, I want to be there to support them.Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:30:02 GMTeabjorkhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4335179-3974-1.aspxHello Providers and Families!In preparation for April’s Autism Awareness Month, I am interested in providing free introductory, workshop style events to help educate individuals and families, and begin the empowerment process. The workshop topic is Helping Autism through Reiki. If you are interested in scheduling an event, or you have facilities available that I can utilize I would love to hear from you.Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:13:41 GMTKristina Czapkay M.Edhttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4315736-3974-1.aspxI wanted to share with everyone here that special need expenses can be written off. I save all my reciepts and what I didn't put thru on my flex spending, I deduct at the end of the year. If you have a child with a diagnosis, you should check with your tax guy to see what you can deduct. In the past, I have been able to deduct the following:- preschool tuition- co-pays on medical and therapeutic services- educational materials I purchased- kinkos costs for faxs and copies of IEPs and other reports- child care not covered by GGRC regional center respiteSat, 06 Feb 2010 23:01:09 GMTBarbara Streetthttp://community.abilitypath.org/forums/Topic4254011-3974-1.aspxWhat are other parent's thoughts on getting their child vaccinated for H1N1? Children with special needs are one of the high risk categories, so I am curious on what other parents are doing...Thanks!Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:17:44 GMTGabrielle Jones