It’s been a dream of mine, for a long time now, to partner with others to give fellow parents the information I wish I’d had when I first got on this rollercoaster of special needs parenting.
Finally, I am making this dream a reality! I’m going to be working with a range of specialists, teachers, special educators and more, to give you 5 Things Special Needs Parents Should Know. It will be a series of posts, highlighting 5 things to help parents deal with a given situation or providing insight into how things work.
I envisage a weekly series with concise and actionable information. I want parents to come away each week, with increased understanding and the confidence to make improvements and changes to their situation. I want to encourage discussions, share advice and work together to help each other.
But, I’m looking for your input!
If you are a professional, who can provide valuable insight to parents, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dieticians, behavioural consultants, music therapists, sports therapists and anyone else who can help parents better understand and navigate the system.
If you are an advocate – legal, education, financial, government, medical, mental health – your input will be valuable. Advocacy is something we all need to improve and I know the community is crying out for more assistance with the roll-out of the NDIS and the ever-changing funding arrangements in health and education.
If you are an educator – a teacher, principal, learning support teacher, teacher’s aide, tutor, special education teacher – I’d love to hear from you too. Education is one of the biggest sources of grief for special needs families and I’d love to cut through the noise and provide actionable advice to fellow parents.
If you’re a disabled adult, I especially want to hear from you. Parents need to hear about lived experience and disabled and #actuallyautistic adults are the best source of this. Having your input will help parents better relate to their kids and give some insight into what their kids may be experiencing, resulting in better outcomes for all.
If you’re a parent and you want to share your experience or provide insight into a particular issue (e.g. homeschooling, biomedical treatments, advocacy, specific condition etc.) please, get in touch. I think it’s important we share our knowledge and our experience too!
I’m open to anyone getting in touch with ideas so email me at kirsty@positivespecialneedsparenting.com and let’s discuss your idea. If you’re not confident with writing, I can help with that. I can also accept anonymous submissions so, if you’re worried about privacy or conflict of interest in your professional capacity, we can work around that too.
On the flipside, if you have a business, I can definitely give it a shout-out as part of a post – it’s the least I can do after you’ve made the effort to share your expertise!
What topics would you like to see in this series?
What do you think special needs parents should know?
Congrats, Kirsty, for making your dream come true!
Thanks Natalie – now to make it happen!
I can only imagine the lists of things that would be useful to know! Good luck starting the series and I hope you find a range of awesome people to share with you.
I’ve got a few already lined up and have some people in mind who I think will really add to the series. I just hope it lives up to the expectations in my head!
Hi Kirsty
I don’t have anything constructive to add but will be reading with interest.
SSG xxx
Thanks SSG – I hope anyone will learn from the series as it goes along, not only special needs parents. Understanding goes a LONG way in this world – hoping to add a little here and there to make things easier for everyone.
Go Kirsty. I do believe you have the power to help so many people. Twenty years ago, my son and I had no real understanding or support for his aspergers. I was young and naive, and had no idea how to push for support or where to find it. I wish I had known then, what I know now.
If you’re interested in contributing a 5 Things post, as a parent to a now-adult, sharing 5 things you’ve learned along the way, I’d LOVE to have you as a contributor!
l like reading about making your dreams a reality. I can help where I can but remember I have ‘been out of the NSW DoE system for a while.’
Congratulations on your work and activity helping yourselves and others make sense of the services and requirements.
You will do a fine job!
Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 10/52. Next week’s optional prompt is “My Last Meal”. Denyse x
I would be honoured to have you contribute D, as a former teacher, principal or education consultant. I know you have so much wisdom to impart to both parents and beginning teachers x
This series is going to be of great value to the community, congratulations to you.
I certainly hope so – it’s something that I’m looking forward to learning from too (there’s ALWAYS something new to learn!)
Thank you! I’m new to the special needs world, its real tough at the moment,but I will be reading your blog eagerly!Amidst my grief I feel like I am part of a whole new family, and what an amazing family special need parents and kids are!
Hi Deb, I’m so pleased you landed here! It’s an amazing family and it’s an amazing life – challenging, crazy, frustrating, inspiring and full of joy. It’s hard, no question about that, but there is support, understanding and help if you need it. Feel free to follow the facebook page (just search for Positive Special Needs Parenting) and I’m also in the process of launching a facebook group for support and help too (search for Positive Special Needs Parents). You can always email me too, if you have questions – kirsty@positivespecialneedsparenting.com