This article is the eighth of a multi-part series on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Historically, TBI has received limited national attention and support. However, since it is the signature injury of the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, TBI has gained attention of elected officials, military leaders, policymakers, and the public. The…

As summer comes to a close, military families across the globe are relocating to new installations. With that transition requirement comes a great deal of challenges faced by military families with school-age children. This means new houses, new neighborhoods and new friends. Families who have a child with special needs require new physicians, new…

This article is the first of a multi-part series on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Historically, TBI has received very limited national public policy attention and support. However since it has become the signature injury of the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, TBI has gained the attention of elected officials, military leaders,…

Temperatures exceeded 115 degrees on July 11 during the five-hour mission in the city of Amerli. More than 50 soldiers were on site and tensions were high; Amerli was the scene of a massive suicide truck bombing just four days earlier. Soldiers kept alert but visibly struggled under the weight of dozens of pounds of battle gear. Throughout the…

"Bloom where you are planted" is sage advice that parents have passed down through the ages to their children. It is especially wise counsel for the military child who faces new environments on a regular basis. But in today's complicated, fast-moving world, filled with choices, opportunities, and myriad pathways from which students with…

Located in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, Fort Lewis is the home of the highest per capita exceptional family member population in the Army. Ideally located on the Northwest coast of Washington State, Fort Lewis is home to the Strykers and First Brigade. Combined with its close proximity to McChord Air Force Base, the installation is ideally suited to…

This article is the first of a multi-part series on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Historically, TBI has received very limited national public policy attention and support. However since it has become the signature injury of the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, TBI has gained the attention of elected officials, military leaders,…

Research from the National Institute for Early Education Research shows that the benefits of quality early education are not limited to special needs or to key risk factors, such as difficult economic circumstances. Instead, Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs were shown to be important for all children. Access to high-quality Pre-K programs is…

The Specialized Training of Military Parents, better known by many as STOMP, is a federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) center established to assist military families who have children with specialized education or health needs. STOMP exists to empower military parents, individuals with disabilities, and service providers with…

Transition is a dynamic lifelong process that seeks to meet individual needs as a person with disabilities moves from childhood to adulthood. Per laws in most states, once an individual becomes 18 years of age that person is considered an adult regardless of the level of his or her disability. Initiating planning for adult living activities and…