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 March, here is the latest!

Awareness:
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Disability Awareness Month

Hemophilia Awareness Month
Trisomy Awareness Month
March 5: Spread the Word to End the Word Day
March 16-22: Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week
March 21: World Down Syndrome Day
March 25: Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day
March 26: Purple Day for Epilepsy
Family Voices:
Check out our Family Voices Staff Spotlights! This month’s page featured specialist Ofelia Jimenez’s daughter, Nataly Garcia, and specialist Cyndi Johnson’s daughter, Rebecca.
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!
"It's hardest when your child is very young and you're still struggling to accept that he has special needs. So much about the future is unknown, although you've heard every single grim risk of his condition or disease. You wish doctors would just tell you what your child will be like, but they can't say for sure. You want to have hope, and you do, but sometimes worry and despair overpower it and you fear the worst."Read about ways to always have hope here: http://www.lovethatmax.com/2011/08/9-ways-to-always-have-hope-for-your.html.
"While your list will most certainly be different, creating a list of priorities and guidelines for your child’s hospitalization will make a huge difference in the care you receive. You and your child will be more comfortable, and it will be much easier to get the entire team on the same page." Read the article here: http://articles.complexchild.com/march2014/00537.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/training. This month, we shared the following on Facebook:
"Everybody's fighting some kind of stereotype, and people with disabilities are no exception. The difference is that barriers people with disabilities face begin with people's attitudes — attitudes often rooted in misinformation and misunderstandings about what it's like to live with a disability."Read the Myths and Facts about People with Disabilities: http://www.easterseals.com/explore-resources/facts-about-disability/myths-facts.html.
For families of children with special needs planning for emergencies, like tornadoes, becomes even more difficult. Using this preparation and planning guide can help you be better prepared, no matter what the emergency or disaster: http://www.chkd.org/documents/CareConnections/EmergencyPreparednessforFamilies.pdf.
"Parents realizing the importance of early intervention and the research behind ABA, often have questions about choosing specific ABA programs and providers." This article helps you understand what to look for: http://bit.ly/1ix0aLh.

Newsworthy:
Families who prefer information in Spanish and/or would like to connect with other Latino families are invited to check out our Spanish Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VocesDeFamiliaDeIndiana.
We also host Pinterest boards http://pinterest.com/fvindiana/; a YouTube Channel, http://bit.ly/1a28nTM; text messaging, text "FVIndiana" to 313131 for English or "FVIndianaEs" to 313131 for Spanish; a blog www.fvindiana.blogspot.com; and Twitter,  https://twitter.com/FVIndiana. Each outlet serves a slightly different purpose. We encourage you to try them all and use the one(s) that serve you best!
We have two major national conferences coming to Indiana this summer: The Autism Society of America and National Down Syndrome Congress. Conferences and trainings offer families a way to learn and recharge, as well as connect with other families. Paying for the conferences, however, may simply bring added stress. Our newest fact sheet covers ways to seek help with the costs associated with
conferences for families with children and youth with special healthcare needs:
http://fvindiana.org/FactSheets/FS_Funding_Training_Conferences.pdf.


Collaboration:
Family Voices encourages you to use your voice to influence care, public and private policy, and educate others. In that vein, we strive to share with you opportunities to collaborate with others to improve the systems we engage. Here are some upcoming opportunities:
We're hoping we can learn from each other with our Tuesday Tips. We know you have a lot of ideas for adapting items, saving time and money, organizing and more. We'll start the conversation with some ideas, and we hope you'll add to the list. Let's try to make things easier for all of us! Join the discussion or simply browse the tips on our Facebook page.        




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