Resources for you
Each month, Family Voices Indiana provides the families
we serve with a summary of the month’s hottest items. If you missed us on Facebook in September,
here is the latest!
September Awareness:
Child Obesity Awareness
Month. You can find information about healthy eating in this fact sheet from Bright Futures.
Craniofacial Acceptance
Month. In Wonder, R.J. Palacio tells
the story of Auggie, a tough, sweet, 10-year-old boy with craniofacial
differences. Read more about Wonder in this interview with the author
from NPR: http://www.npr.org/2013/09/12/221005752/how-one-unkind-moment-gave-way-to-wonder.
Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Moms and moms-to-be text BABY (or BEBE) to 511411 for
free health and safety tips by text.
National #Preparedness Month. Preparing for all kinds of emergencies, both
natural and human-made, makes sense for everyone, including people with
disabilities and special needs and those who care for them. Here are some tips to help people with
disabilities and caregivers prepare for emergencies: http://www.ready.gov/document/preparing-makes-sense-people-disabilities-and-special-needs.
Newborn Screening Awareness
Month. Learn more here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/pediatricgenetics/newborn_screening.html.
National Direct Support
Professional Recognition Week, September 8 – 14.
Mitochondrial Disease
Awareness Week, September 15-21. You
can learn more here: http://www.umdf.org/ and
here: http://www.mitoaction.org/.
September 9, Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. Fetal
alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in
a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. You can learn more here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/index.html.
September 11, National Day
of Services and Remembrance.
Family Voices:
Check out our Family Voices Staff Spotlights! This
month’s page featured specialist Ofelia Jimenez
Facebook fans liked our many inspirational quotes.
Be sure to check out our page for a pick-me-up. Also, we
encourage you to share our page with friends using the share or invite
features!
"I ache for people to see
the ability in my son's disability and treat him like other kids, rather than
staring, pitying him or both. Yet in order for him to be more like other
kids—and enjoy the same pleasures in life—he may need extra help
at times. Accommodations do not make him separate; they make him more equal.
They enable him to have the fun other kids do. And at Disney, they make his
dreams come true."
Read the entire article here: http://www.lovethatmax.com/2013/09/lets-talk-about-kids-with-special-needs.html.
"This is called real-life
parenting, the only kind I know. I am not supermom, super-human, super-saintly,
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. In many ways, I am a mother like any other
mother. In many ways, Max is a child like any other child. I'd so like people
to see us both that way."
Read the article here: www.lovethatmax.com/2013/09/im-not-great-parent-just-because-i-have.html.
Training and Learning Opportunities:
Family Voices works to fulfill our mission of
empowering families by providing you with educational opportunities and
resources. Check our website frequently for learning
resources by visiting: http://www.fvindiana.org/trainingThis month, we shared the
following on Facebook.
"Hidden disabilities can
include depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and a
host of other mental health diagnoses. These disabilities are often lumped
under the label of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). The
term 'EBD' covers a range of behaviors from depression and anxiety to
aggression and impulsivity. There are about two million kids in the U.S. with
these emotional and behavioral disabilities." To learn more about hidden
disabilities, read: http://www.lovethatmax.com/2013/09/10-things-everyone-should-know-about.html.
"Though caring adults wish
they could shield children from trauma and from it’s bigger, meaner cousin,
post-truamatic stress disorder (PTSD), the truth is that we can’t. But we can
become educated about childhood trauma and PTSD to become better
advocates on behalf of kids touched by these mental illnesses." Read the
entire article here: www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2013/04/24/ptsd-in-kids-what-risk-factors-exist/.
Puberty is a time of change for
children, and often a time of challenge for parents looking for the
"right" way to talk about the upcoming changes. It can be even more
of a challenge for parents of children with developmental or physical disabilities.
The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Disabilities has created two
toolkits, one for boys, and one for girls, that provide factual information
about puberty. Topics include encouraging good hygiene, appropriate behavior,
and how to deal with the body changes. The toolkits also suggest ways to
approach these important conversations, especially with children with disabilities.
You can download them here: kc.vanderbilt.edu/healthybodies/.
This article outlines 10 things
you can do to support a person with challenging behaviors. It is not a list of
“quick fix” strategies for stopping unwanted behavior. It is a list of ideas
for uncovering the real things that a person might need
so that you can be more supportive. It might be a helpful article to share with
people who interact with your child. Read more at: http://www.thinkinclusive.us/support-people-with-difficult-or-challenging-behavior/.
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