Several years ago when Sarah Handy began teaching students with autism at Mortensen Elementary in Littleton, she found her students were rarely allowed to mix with other pupils in the Jefferson County school. That has changed. Now most of the 18 students with autism are integrated, and the work of the staff has caught the […]

When a child with cerebral palsy or Rhett’s syndrome outgrows a modified wheelchair or an adaptive tricycle, replacing that equipment costs $2,500 and up. That puts a strain even on families with generous health insurance plans. Since most pediatric medical equipment is sold online or through catalogues, families often must buy equipment without a trial […]

Dear Mama Drama: My 4-year-old son has an extensive vocabulary but like a lot of kids, has a difficult time saying his “R”s and “L”s. When should I start worrying about getting him in speech and what can I be doing with him now? ~ Concerned Mama (photo credit) Dear Concerned: While I’ve worked with […]

The lives of thousands of Colorado’s autistic children and their parents just got a little easier — and it’s about time. On July 1, Colorado became the 12th state in the nation to reform insurance coverage for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It is now state law that private group health insurance providers cover […]

Dear Mama Drama: I am really worried about my son. He is three years old and has a really hard time handling frustration. When he doesn’t get his way or becomes frustrated with something, he starts pulling out his hair. He has done this so much that he has large bald spots all over his […]

Hundreds of newborns in need of emergency surgery to save their lives are flown to Children’s Hospital each year or rushed across campus from University of Colorado Hospital just moments after birth. But by early next year, women carrying babies known to have heart defects or other severe abnormalities will be able to give birth […]

I was working as a publicist at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort in Utah when I became acquainted with wish-granting. A young Florida boy had cancer and his dying wish was to see snow. We hosted him at our resort and I played a very small part in making his wish come true. It was […]

Said by me in utter hubris, pre-2001. No child of mine will ever go up the down escalator or inconvenience others by playing with the elevator buttons. No child of mine will ever make too much noise on an airplane. No child of mine will ever run wild in a sit-down restaurant. No child of […]

Guest blogger Heather Simms-Schichtel is a parent advocate, freelance writer and full-time mom to Samantha a precious girl who has an undiagnosed genetic condition. She recently biked the 157-mile Courage Classic in Samantha’s honor. I wake up and look at the clock….8:00 Friday morning; t-minus 24 until I have to be at the start in […]

Mia Hysteria shares her inspirational, humorous and sometimes heart-wrenching journey of raising 3 young children, one with special needs, while managing a life of chaos, in her blog: General Hysteria. Mia has been blogging on General Hysteria since September 5, 2008 about her son, Ben (1), her daughter, Violet (2) and her oldest son, Alex […]