Capable Kids
iPad Apps for Kids with Special Needs, Part II
Three years have passed since Apple first revealed the iPad in April 2010. In that short time, four major product updates have been released, the smaller iPad Mini was introduced, and countless apps have been added to the app store. Since it has been a few years since our original iPad Apps post, we felt it was time to create another! Here is a list of twenty of our favorite apps for [..}
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A “Wheel” Fun Exercise Program
“Home Exercise Program” - doesn’t sound fun. “Range of Motion” - doesn’t sound fun. “The Wheels on the Bus” - I can get on board with that. We start out with the child lying on his or her back with the caregiver comfortably situated by the child’s feet. The motions can be done passively, with the caregiver guiding the child’s limbs; actively, with the child performing the [..}
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“Labeled” Special Education
“So what happens when she turns three? Some other parents say I might not want her placed in Special Education, because it’s so hard to get out once you’re in.” Oh, NO. My heart sinks. Who is saying these THINGS? I assured this mother that there are certainly avenues parents can take if they wish to discontinue Special Education services. It would require a letter to the Director of [..}
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The Disabled Love Disney
One of the most popular theme parks in the world, Disney World in Orlando, draws millions of people each year, and a huge portion of those people have some kind of disability. While most theme parks only do the bare minimum for wheelchair access, Disney (so say the bloggers) is the rare exception. While I haven't visited Disney World since I was 12 years old (another lifetime and body ago. I [..}
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Caroline is my kind of fighter!
I was lamenting not being able to move my fingers the other day, and then I ran across Caroline Lanctot. When she was 10 months old, she was in a car accident that left her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Caroline is now in 5th grade, and she has pulled me out of a dark place. It's too easy to get caught up in our problems, especially when you have a disability. For the last year, even [..}
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Hydrocephalus and Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts
My high school muscle man with a history of spina bifida who was excited to start the fall weight training class is on strict no-lifting precautions for the first month of school following surgery for a shunt revision. A preschool teacher was concerned that she might damage another student with the magnets on her whiteboard. Another preschooler was unsteady on her feet with extra challenging [..}
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Back to School, Back to Feeling Like You Don’t Fit In?
It's so not easy going back to school after doing all the things you love in the summer. It can be super hard going back, especially if you use a wheelchair. Maybe you're super lucky and you go to a school where everybody is cool and could care less if you use a wheelchair. Schools like this really do exist. I've heard of them, but my school was definitely not one of them. When I had [..}
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Hula Hooping From Your Wheelchair
I always loved hula hooping. Hula hoops come in a rainbow of colors (including sparkle and glow-in-the-dark), they spin around and round, they have tassels and they look so gosh darn pretty. If you use a wheelchair, you too can get in on the hooping fun. You don't have to stand up (although hula hooping would be fun to do in your standing frame) and walk to hula hoop. It's a lot easier [..}
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Stretched Too Thin?
The great news is that the vast majority of Physical Therapists feel very positive about their work situations. We tend to have moderately demanding work environments and high levels of control in comparison to other professions. We are healers! We are helpers! We set and achieve goals for ourselves and our clients! It is dynamic! It is rewarding! It is exciting! Most of the time. In their 2009 [..}
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Back to School Guide for Special Needs Families
Our kids will be back to school before we know it. Plan for your child's school year now with articles for parents, teacher resources, explaining your child's disability to teachers plus other resources like visual supports, social stories, school rules and more. Forward this link to other special needs families as well as your child's teachers and support team. ADHD and school - Articles about [..}
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