October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Down syndrome is defined as a genetic disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. I have included articles that I have posted over the years to help educate others. Please feel free to share on other social media sites.

20 facts you should know about Down Syndrome

30 Resources for World Down Syndrome Day

Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome History Timeline

Down Syndrome Organizations

Facts about Down syndrome (Infographic)

Mosaic Down Syndrome Resources

Signs of Autism and Down Syndrome

Top books on Down syndrome for parents and professionals

 

Special Needs Article Resources

The following are helpful articles on a variety of topics from children with disabilities to adults with physical disabilities.


Submitted by: Jennifer McGregor

Explaining special needs to your child: 15 great children’s books– This article provides information on books to help promote understanding and tolerance of children with disabilities. Books include topics on ADHD, autism, visual and physical disabilities and invisible disabilities such as anxieties.

How to Remodel for Accessibility– Includes steps to remodeling your home for wheelchair accessibility

Developing Your Blind Child’s Sleep Schedule– Although this article focuses on the sleep pattern of children who are visually impaired, it is also helpful for children with autism who display an irregular sleeping pattern.

How to Exercise if You Have Limited Mobility– An article that focuses on fitness tips for people with physical disabilities including the three different types of exercises.

25 Must-Read Resources for Siblings of Children and Adults With Disabilities

This is an article that I have wanted to write for a long time as it is personal to me. I watch my youngest nephew growing up with the responsibility of caring for his older brother with a disability. From helping him get dressed in the morning to looking out for him while in school. As my nephew without disabilities grew, he would ask me why his brother was treated so special by others around him which is a difficult question to answer. Now an adult with a family of his own, he still is protective of his brother and continues to love him and look out for him.

Children who have siblings with disabilities often carry an added weight. They are protective of their siblings and from this added experience, it has taught them to be compassionate towards others. the following resources are useful for siblings, parents and providers looking for information to help families with disabilities.  Please email me at specialneedsresourceblog@gmail.com if you have additional information that you would like to share.

Sibling Organizations and Support Groups

Sibling LeadershipThe mission of the Sibling Leadership Network is to provide siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them

Siblings of Autism-Siblings of Autism is dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum through educational scholarships, respite funds and outreach programs.

The Sibling Support Project– National program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of brother and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns

Sibling Resources– A growing network of adult siblings of people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities. Provides up-to-date information, resources and training opportunities.

Sibling  Support Resources

I Am A Sibling- The ARC

Sibling Support- Family Drug Help

There with Care

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Group

Sibling of Children with Disabilities

Instagram

Special_Needs_Siblings

Siblings of Autistic Kids

Sibling of Special Needs

Twitter

Sibs

Special Needs Siblings

Article Links

5 ways to support siblings in special needs families (Child Mind Institute)

8 things siblings of children with special needs struggle with (Washington Post)

10 great books if you have a sibling with special needs (Friendship Circle)

12 ways to support siblings (Brooks Publishing Company)

Caring for siblings of children with special needs (Kids Health)

Dear sibling to a child with special needs (The Mighty)

Emotional problems facing siblings of children with disabilities (Psychiatry Advisor)

Having an autistic sibling (National Autistic Society)

Helping siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (Raising Children)

Siblings and Cerebral Palsy (Cerebral Palsy Guidance)

Sibling Issues (Center for Parent Information and Resources)

Sibling of children with disabilities (Psychology Today)

Supporting siblings of children with disabilities in the school setting (ERIC.ed)

Ways a child care providers can support siblings of children with special needs (Extension)

Dyslexia Resources

 

Statistics

Dyslexia Center of Utah
Dyslexia Facts and Statistics- Austin Learning Solutions
Dyslexia Statistics- Learning Inside-Out
Dyslexia Statistics and Myth Busting

Medical Sites

Kids Health
Mayo Clinic
Medicine Net
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
WebMD
Wikipedia

 

Organizations

American Dyslexia Association
Davis Dyslexia Association International
International Dyslexia Association
Learning Disabilities Association of America
National Center for Learning Disabilities
The Dyslexia Foundation

Books

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain
Dyslexia: Tine for Talent
Secret Life of a Dyslexic Child
The Gift of a Dyslexic Child
Dyslexia at College