Parenting a child with special needs can be perplexing and overwhelming journey which requires parents to make choices in unfamiliar territory. The manner in which parents make choices for their children establishes a model and sets a tone for what they expect their children to learn as well as what we expect of the people who serve their…

This article profiles Amanda Valentin, a 22-year-old woman with cerebral palsy who is a quadriplegic and nonverbal, who uses assistive technology to improve her life. The author was Amanda's assistive technology specialist who trained her to utilize software and hardware efficiently. She describes the steps she took to ensure that the assistive…