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 November, here is the latest!
November Awareness:
Nov 11: Veteran’s Day. If you are a member of a veteran or military family, you are in good company. We have specialists with military ties to help you navigate the military and veteran health care and school systems.
Nov 14: World Diabetes Day. Creating a plan for how diabetes will be managed at school should be a team effort that includes school staff, families, and health care providers. It is vitally important that the work of this team is documented in written plans. You can find info here: http://bit.ly/1cYiSss.
Nov 17: World Prematurity Day. Read Juniper's story in honor of World Prematurity Day: http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2012/reports/juniper/.
Adoption Month: You can learn more about children waiting for a forever home in Indiana here: www.in.gov/dcs/2737.htm. For national resources, you can look here: https://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/.
Diabetes Awareness Month: For more information about living with diabetes, visit: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/parents-and-kids/.
Family Caregivers Month: We hope you took some time to recharge your batteries.
Prematurity Awareness Month: Each year, preterm birth affects nearly 500,000 babies—that's 1 of every 8 infants born in the United States. Preterm birth is the birth of an infant prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Learn more here: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/PrematureBirth/.
Family Voices:
Check out our Family Voices Staff Spotlights! This month’s page featured specialists Marlene Lugo. Visit our website to meet our new specialists.
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!
"Helping our children feel comfortable with people who have disabilities begins with helping our children feel good about their own uniqueness. When we show them that we love them for all of who they are, regardless of what they can and cannot do, they’re more likely to grow up to be adults who accept others just as they are." Find guidance from Mr Rogers here: http://www.fci.org/FRC/par-disability.html.
"Disability is part of my family's daily life and it has been since my oldest daughter was born with a chromosomal abnormality over seven years ago. Usually we go along with our routine, but sometimes I am struck by how little others know about disability and what life is like for us. I have been reminded of this recently and wanted to share five things I wish everyone knew about disability." Read her list here: http://huff.to/1cjynGx.
What happened when one middle school football team went behind their coaches back to call a play? Maybe the best football play of all time. Take a moment to watch the Olivet Middle School football team's incredible story of empathy, respect, and kindness: http://bit.ly/17raiAl.
"I know you see the behaviors, I know you hear the labored words, I know you notice the differences, and I know you are grateful this is not your child. I don’t blame you. I understand. Sometimes it is hard. There was a time I stood where you stand now, from the outside looking in. But I wish you could see what I see. Because my kids are so much more than what your eyes perceive. Our lives are rich and full." Read the article here: www.ellenstumbo.com/special-needs-what-i-see/.
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/training. This month, we shared the following on Facebook.
Many of us have children with sensory needs. If you've ever looked at specialized equipment catalogs, you know how expensive many of the items that could help meet those needs are. But, we parents are resourceful! This blog article lists several items for creating a sensory environment in your home without breaking the bank. http://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/meeting-sensory-needs-on-a-budget/.
Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy. One in 10 adults will have a seizure sometime during their life. Learn more, including what to do if someone near you is having a seizure, here: https://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/.
Looking for a tool for increasing your advocacy skills? Check out the Advocacy Atlas. Every day individuals advocate on behalf of themselves or others to communicate needs, share experiences, and take steps to get what they want and need. The online Advocacy ATLAS is a toolkit created by Genetic Alliance, Parent to Parent USA, and Family Voices, Inc. (National) that provides individuals with special healthcare needs and their families with tools and strategies to advocate for whatever they may need. Resources are grouped by category on the Advocacy ATLAS landing page. Simply click one of the ten topic areas to get started browsing accessible tools! http://www.geneticalliance.org/advocacy-atlas
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