Vacations for exceptional families require flexibility, persistence, a sense of humor, and a view of the world as the glass being half full. In this article, the author shares her family's summer vacation experience. If "getting there is half the fun," the author's family has had more than their share of fun times. She has learned the…

This brief article presents the author's experiences with her three autistic children. She tells of how caring for her autistic children is a tough responsibility, but it has made her see things with new eyes and made her life better. Although her hands may be full, it is full of joy.

The younger brother of a hyperactive, severely learning-disabled 21-year-old recounts his feelings regarding lack of parental attention, jealousy toward his older brother, embarrassment, and finally empathy for his older brother. (CB)

This article, written from the perspective of a special educator who has a daughter with mental retardation, describes the marital stress that having a child with a disability brings about. The article also notes the importance of parents getting away by themselves and offers suggestions for accomplishing this. (JDD)

A husband and wife's self-described difficulties illustrate the complex effects of living with a special needs child on marital relationships and on communication between parents and professionals. Practical solutions included obtaining child care help and meeting with the family pediatrician to coordinate information and records from a variety of…

The progress of a developmentally delayed child is described by his mother, covering his infancy, placement in and withdrawal from a residential school, family life, placement in a day school, adolescence, and entry into adulthood. (CB)

Counseling helped parents of a mobility-impaired 16-year-old recognize her need and struggle for independence, first indicated by her refusal to participate in the family vacation. Counseling helped both parents and the daughter to appreciate the other's viewpoints and to change the ways in which they dealt with family problems and communication.…