Waiting rooms are oases for mothers of children with special needs. They congregate in these small holding areas, sitting on musty couches, while their children receive the latest therapeutic interventions. Sometimes they sit quietly, sneaking glances at each other while pretending to read year-old "People" magazines. Sometimes they crawl under a…

Three months after Karen's birth, her mother desperately tried to maintain her sanity. Karen's two brothers were fine, and Karen's twin slept, ate, and bonded with members of the family; Karen, on the other hand, was a screamer. "It was like someone was cutting her limbs off with a chain saw. It went on and on, and nothing we did comforted her;…

The author, a mother of Lauren, a three-year-old girl diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, describes her anxieties and worries in sending her daughter to preschool. She worried that Lauren's GFCF diet might not be followed and that she might regress with the overwhelming options and stimulation that school offered. The author describes her…

The mother of a Down Syndrome boy describes her feelings regarding her younger nonhandicapped son and the need to understand and meet his needs for information and attention. (CL)

The mother of a child with Rett Syndrome, a degenerative brain disease, describes difficulties in obtaining a diagnosis and the relief she and her family felt once the diagnosis was made. She emphasizes the need for parents to offer each other support. (CL)

The mother of a child with chronic kidney disease describes how selfishness--in the form of taking care of herself--has enabled her to survive and her son to develop independence. (CL)

The mother of a handicapped child recounts her development of assertiveness skills in the interests of her child. She discusses needing to be constantly alert during her child's infancy, dealing with her own feelings of grief and guilt, fighting for her son's rights against bureaucratic obstacles, and learning the appropriate times to exercise…

A mother reflects on the ordeals faced by her infant son who has heart and intestinal disorders and discusses the characteristics needed by mothers of disabled and chronically ill children. (CL)

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.

A personal perspective is given on attitudes and behavior toward children with deafness and the lack of understanding it is felt to represent. (DB)

The mother of a young child with a life-threatening respiratory disorder recounts her personal growth in learning lessons of acceptance, the value of each moment, the courage to change, and love. (DB)

A mother of a severely handicapped child recounts her experiences and adjustment including the pressures of single parenting, sibling issues, and ways to meet one's emotional needs. (DB)