parenting children with disabilities

Cady walks out of the school gate holding onto an adult’s hand. Legs wide apart and feet in-turned, her gait is the first giveaway to a casual observer that something is not quite ‘right.’ Her neutral expression shifts when she sees me; maybe not enough for someone else to notice it, but I see it. [...]

If you’re like me, the holiday season is an emotional time. Last month marked the 10th Christmas, Chanukah and New Year we celebrated with Elliott, our son who is profoundly affected by SCN8A — one of the many rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). I enjoyed the holidays, but no matter what the calendar says, [...]

As the parent of two children with disabilities, I’ve traveled a journey filled with many trials and tribulations. There have been days on this journey when I’ve felt powerful as a parent, but there have also been days when I could’ve used a bit more motivation to do better. Still, I’ve learned to take the [...]

Several years ago, one of my daughter’s therapists had the courage to call me and say, “Ellen, I see many signs of PTSD in you. I think you should consider neurofeedback or seeing a therapist.” Her suggestion didn’t upset me. Instead, I broke down crying because I felt someone was seeing me and everything I [...]