The case study examines the causes and effects of childhood teasing on disabled children and notes the added stress of a new house and new neighborhood. Becoming more acquainted with community and school resources is seen as one way of dealing with the situation. (CL)

The mother of a disabled young adult recounts her daughter's steady progress in a work adjustment program that featured a special job-site coordinator assigned to her. (CL)

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…

A secondary student with cerebral palsy describes his pride in playing drums and percussion with his school's marching band in the Tournament of Roses Parade. (CL)

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 teenage daughter with mental retardation describes the ways in which her child behaves as a typical adolescent despite the retardation. Positive experiences with camping are described along with the difficulties of allowing her to maintain her independence safely. (CL)

Jane Schoenfeld's eighteen-year-old daughter and five of her daughter's friends have major learning differences. After searching fruitlessly for a summer class in independent living skills, Shoenfeld relates how she and the parents of her daughter's friends decided to set up their own summer program. They found a facilitator and invited two…

A young woman diagnosed as having Tourette Syndrome as an adult recounts the years of misunderstanding and humiliation prior to correct diagnosis and therapy. The importance of parents sharing family medical history with children and physicians is emphasized. (DB)

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)

A disabled woman reviews the ways in which parents can communicate positive and realistic expectations about their disabled children's future. The importance of direct communication regarding sexuality and prejudice is emphasized. (CL)

The mother of a child with a variety of difficulties recounts her family's frustrations in receiving conflicting and ambiguous diagnoses from medical specialists who focused only on their area of specialty rather than the whole child. (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)

A mildly retarded young man speaks of his desire to live independently as well as of the difficulties of being lonely and unable to support himself. A counselor suggests a condominium rooming house arrangement which would provide a degree of independence along with opportunities for social interaction. (CL)

The author describes her experiences in teaching her mentally retarded daughter about sex and the changes happening to her body. She suggests the needs of disabled young people extend beyond preventing unplanned pregnancy and preparing them for their menstrual period. (CL)

A parent of a six-year-old son with spina bifida examines common accessibility problems in the form of six steps involved in taking the child shopping from finding a parking space to finding an entrance ramp and maneuvering in the store. (DB)