Hi, there.
We’re so glad you’re here.
You’ve found the virtual comfy couches of a community through DaySpring’s (in)courage called (in)Able. We specifically serve, love, and (in)courage moms of kids with special needs. Needs like ADHD, Down syndrome, dyslexia, depression, FPIES, apraxia, celiac disease, gluten allergy, autism, Tourette’s, and everything in-between or on the edges. If letters like OT, PT, SPT, SID, BA, CAS, and IEP read like a native language to you now… well, you have friends here.
Special-needs is not something our schools do particularly well. Nor, our churches. Honestly, our families aren’t always so great with it, either. You see other parents like you out there, but it can be hard to connect while wrangling the chaos of your other children, family, work, and every day life. And, let’s face it: some days, you just don’t want to have to talk about it any more. Explain it any more. Go back to the beginning one. more. time.
You don’t have to here.
This group is not a life commitment. We know you have a ridiculous load on your plate at the moment. It’s just a place where parents with special kids can share life together with a like-hearted community. A place where surely someone will know what you’re talking about. No one’s checking in on you. There are no forms to fill out. Just show up. Someone here needs you and your story.
There’s a facebook group right HERE that’s open for photos, posts, questions, encouragement, and daily life.
This blog will have posts especially for (in)Ablers, and those will be posted about twice a month- every other Wednesday (provided the children have not buried us alive and taken the animals hostage. No guarantees). You can find those posts by clicking on the (in)Able tag.
Leave a comment and say hello. It’s nice to finally meet you.
Grace and Peace to you today.
Katie and Kaylee
[real-life friends with real-life kids with real-life special-needs]
Apple pie, anyone? 
October 2nd, 2012 at 7:39 am
I’m in for sure with my two ADHD and dyslexic boys (severe end of spectrum for these two…tested by a psychologists). Thanks for doing this!
October 2nd, 2012 at 7:40 am
crap…I meant a psychologist….just one. 🙂
October 2nd, 2012 at 7:41 am
I’m also the president of a special group for typing and grammar errors 😉
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:41 pm
LOL! I love it!
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:49 am
THANK YOU JESUS!!! You have no idea how much I’ve needed a group of sisters who can relate to my daily challenges revolving around my 7 yr old son with Aspergers Syndrome… This is a HUGE answer to prayer! HUGE!!!
{insert grin from ear-to-ear}
Blessings to each one of you today! Excited to get to know you & hear your stories…
xoxo
~Michelle
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:59 am
I’m with you Michelle!!!! SO glad this group is here!!!!
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:03 am
Well, we are so very glad you’re here 🙂 Goodness knows, I need some mammas who understand this journey in my boat!
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:05 am
So nice to meet you, Michelle! I am so excited YOU are excited… because it means I am not the only mom out there looking for other moms. You’d think with all the publicity and news and books that moms would know each other, but we don’t. Because we’re in a waiting room somewhere. Or making dinner. So glad you’re here 🙂
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:04 am
Woo hoo!!!! This group is an answer to my prayers and something I wrote about yesterday…and have been praying for…for years!!!! http://arearrangedlife.com/2012/10/01/backyard-mission-empathy/
We all are so wounded and have so many extra barriers to friendship invisible barriers that others can’t imagine…community with special needs is no easy game…but it is the rich beyond words!!! Breaking through those barriers is such a testimony of God’s grace!
THANK YOU for rolling this out ladies!!!
(I saw it on my phone and got SO excited…and then disappointed when the link didn’t work…but that’s all because you were in the process of working hard to make something amazing and I’m SO glad!!! Thanks again!
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:07 pm
You were just SUPER fast. They were trying so hard to keep it a secret until today, the 2nd. I don’t know how they did it! But, I’m glad you checked again. We’re so happy you’re here.
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:40 am
You definitely will catch me here… with a daughter with Aspergers, anxiety, sensory processing disoorder, celiac disease and a host of food allergies. Thank you ladies!
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:12 am
Hi, Shelly! You are in good company!
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:58 am
I would love to be included in this group. My daughter has Down Syndrome and is entering puberty with her 13th birthday in December. Can you say, pass the chocolate?
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:08 am
You are not only included, but NEEDED. Get over here.
October 2nd, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Oh, boy. My daughter has Down syndrome also, and she’s only 5. Her attitude is teenager-like already. I can’t even imagine what it will be like when she really is a teenager!
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
God’s timing is so very awesome! Our 16-year-old son has Asperger’s, ADD, social anxiety disorder and a seizure disorder and the 10th grade is so NOT his friend this year! You are an answer to prayer! Thank you!
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:15 am
Come on over, Kathy 🙂 We’re so glad you found us.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:40 am
Was thinking about joining the group for over 50’s (because I am) but am glad I clicked over here. I have a nineteen year-old son with ADD, and I’ve met so many other moms whose stories sound so very similar to mine. I’m convinced we need each other, and we need to learn how to communicate within our churches about how conventional parenting wisdom just doesn’t apply to our extraordinary kids. Thank you for doing this.
October 2nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Nancy, our group will be low-key… just chatting and support and the occasional cry for help 🙂 Or, daily cry for help. Definitely feel free to join BOTH groups, if you like, and see how it goes!
And this: I’m convinced we need each other, and we need to learn how to communicate within our churches about how conventional parenting wisdom just doesn’t apply to our extraordinary kids. : that is brilliant.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I was trying to make the same decision, Nancy. I am 50, so I guess I’m not “over” yet. 🙂 I am the mother of a 23 year old that was born with hydropcephalus, developed a seizure disorder after meningitis at 16 months. He has battled fine and gross motor delays, and some learning disabilities. PTL! He should earn his AA degree this December!
Someone who understands is so needed and helps so much. My husband and I really try to reach out to other families like us as much as we can. Looking forward to getting to know everyone here!
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:54 am
I feel like I’m standing on holy ground here. Thank you seems to small a word, ladies. But thank you for being (in)couragers to this precious group of super heroes!
~Lisa-Jo
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:08 pm
They are- we are- superheros! And now we can remind each other. What beautiful, broken holy ground.
October 2nd, 2012 at 12:29 pm
I am just so excited to see this group! Last night I was meeting with a group of women from my church pouring out my heart that I need a community of women that “get” my life. I have a 3 year old son who was recently diagnosed with autism and a 6 month old boy, Grayson, who is simply a gift from God. My husband and I are in a really hard season and I have been craving community. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this group! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for forming this group.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:10 pm
You are, as my friend Margie say, ‘in the weeds.’ This is the time… the marriage and the baby and the special needs… this is the time when it’s all colliding. So glad we may be able to help each other!
October 2nd, 2012 at 12:48 pm
In a way, you have been that for me both unintentionally and intentionally already. Thank you for that and for this.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Same to you, Friend.
Same to you.
October 2nd, 2012 at 12:50 pm
ok…. so I am so glad your here… my late night prayers have been answered through a simple email. THANK YOU! my youngest son is PDDNOS (autistic~ educational diagnosis) with now signs of Tourettes. We just found out 4 days ago that his behavioral issues are of genetic links (he is adopted) and are now in the early stages of digestion of his disability….. we moved here 3 year ago, and in spending so much time and energy dealing with my son, I have no friends.
I am here with hands and heart that need community and friendship…. thank you! GLORY!
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:12 pm
I think Ry’s stuff is genetic too, but it’s all me 🙂 Some of that is great… and some of that not so much. I know where you’re standing right now, Tif! I’m standing with you, just a few years ahead… and I can promise you it will CHANGE and you will SURVIVE.
October 2nd, 2012 at 1:55 pm
I’m joining! Thankful.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:16 pm
We’re glad to have you, Sandy!
October 2nd, 2012 at 2:29 pm
I cant believe there might be a place I fit in! I am 54 mom of 8 from 32 yrs to 3 months. Grandmom to 3 little girls. God has a sense of humor my husband & I had our children early so we could be young & healthy enough to enjoy our empty nest. God had a different plan, 10 years after our last child an aquntance asked for money for an abortion we said no but we would take her child he is now 18 & coming to terms of adoption, his birth mom has other 6 kids she kept. Then 12 years later God Gave us a baby with teen mom both to stay , after a year mom ran, but baby is now 6yrs old, 6 months after her arrival another little girl came at 3 months old she is also 6 and our son came 2 years later , so yes triplets through adoption all with drug & alcohol exposure ,so ADHD, ODD, learning disabilities,so far and now 6 years later God has blessed us with another little girl that is a bio sib she is 3 months, We are just beginning to determine what her needs are she is not a easy baby . People our age dont know what to do wih us (as our pastor told us ) as we are still parents of young children that is noisy , loud, inconvient and have to plan to do / go any where. Most are not comfy here as they have outgrown this stage by now. I dont fit in with young moms as Im old . and most other parents with children with out issues dont understand behaviors, or parenting in a different style, choices to use meds & therapy. I know of no one else in a simular situation(altho I would guess I not the only one) I dont even know how to expain why we choose to do what we do when we could have it “easy” & time for our selves that everyone else seems to tell we need. the only answer I have is its a GOD thing & either you get it or you dont. How do I explain a fierce love for a child I have never met, knowing it will be both a blessing & an exhausting struggle . How do I balance wife, mom of 4 young needy kids, my adult children & grandbabies and menopause ,hot flashes all thrown into each & every day & yet do it all for the Glory of GOD??? Thanks for letting me vent maybe just maybe sombody out there can relate:)
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Kristin. Your story is UNBELIEVABLE. Thank goodness for you!!! I can’t wait to get to know you better. Are you on facebook at all? We’re over there, too… https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Bless you, Kristin!!! Wow!
October 3rd, 2012 at 11:38 am
as i read through some of the coments my life issues seem so minor in comparison . I’ve been blessed
October 2nd, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Okay, ladies. This is the group for me. I have to be honest, though–it seems that I’m not that great with community (one of my own special needs?…). God keeps calling me out to be vulnerable and not hidden, but man! It seems like when I stick my heart out there, it gets stomped on. Or “that’s nice; thanks for sharing) and no more reach from the other person.
So I tend not to reach out and stay the course toward real community. But I’d like to change that tendency.
My daughter has a long list of “hidden disabilities” (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia–the big troubler, auditory processing disorder, plus an extremely sensitive spirit), and we homeschool. She’s 12 and thinking of herself as a “big baby” whenever little things make her cry. Whewy.
I post once a week at another sweet blog community (chosenfamilies.org), telling Cami stories and God stories, but not many Candi stories. My pen name over there (which is my actual given name, but no one knows me by that name) is Cassandra.
I guess that’s it: that’s how I feel: no one knows the real Candi.
So here I am.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Well, Candi… we love Cami, but I have to say… we love you so much, too. And MAN can I relate to what you have to say. I’m a hermit in almost every sense of the world… terrified of community and women and ALL OF IT… but writing is my outlet.
We’d love for you to join us.
Just sit back and jump in when you feel like it.
Or when you need it.
Or when we need you 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 2nd, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Me!!! My son is 6 and has Sensory Processing Disorder as well as being Gifted. I have 2 daughters, ages 2 and 4, who were adopted from China and have repaired Cleft Lips/Palates. Our lives are an organized chaos of speech therapy, IEP stuff, and regular school stuff! Can’t wait to meet everyone!!!
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Hi, Sherry! We’re excited to meet you, too 🙂 Pull up a couch.
October 2nd, 2012 at 3:46 pm
I am so glad to see that this group is forming. I have a son, Asher, who is 8 years old. He loves books, music, drumming, swimming and riding horses. Asher happens to have an undiagnosed genetic syndrome affecting his muscle tone and causing an intellectual disability. I am a stay at home mom and have become a crazy mommy advocate for kids with special needs. I have a beautiful 5 year old daughter, Eden, who loves ballet, loves her brother and can describe what an IEP is to her kindergarten friends. My husband, Beau, is a pastor of a small Presbyterian church in Durango, Colorado. I am so glad to meet you all in this space:)
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:28 pm
Hi, Kristin! We have family in Durango!!! And we have very similar lives… you’re just 3 years ahead of me. So very glad to meet you!
(That’s a lot of exclamation points, but I mean every one of them.)
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Kristin – We have a son with an undiagnosable genetic syndrome, too. They think it’s some brand new variation of something, so likely not inherited from my husband or myself. It’s a crazy world, isn’t it? His muscle tone, development, speech, heart, lungs, and more are affected.
It’s amazing to learn about this subculture of “undiagnosables” within special needs.
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:18 pm
This is so wonderful. I have twins boys who turn 12 in two weeks, both on the autism spectrum & one with auditory processing disorder. We recently had to withdraw them from Special Ed because our school district was trying to prevent us from enrolling the boys in a public charter school…in our District!! I too feel a fierce drive to advocate for kiddos with special needs. We had the means (praise God) to say, “No thank you school district…we’ll get the boys the type of support they need at the time they need it and start middle school off with success & feelings of competency, not failure first and leaky band-aids later”. …but what about the family who doesn’t have the means? what about the mom who doesn’t have an experienced advocate by her side at the IEP? I felt blessed all through grade school, and maybe that was a good thing, but as things started to go south and I realized “the system” was not going to change we had to take a leap of faith. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know and now I have a heart for advocating so that kids needs are met in the classroom so they can reach THEIR potential, not just what is possible with the support that is offered…that is simply unacceptable. Whew…didn’t expect to vent! =) So glad to be here to offer support and encouragement in a community that “gets it”!
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:32 pm
SO GLAD you vented! Yes, and amen! What about the others?! Who can’t or won’t fight?! What about the moms who aren’t calling to find out why there was no OT Friday? What about them?!
I hear you. I get you.
Welcome.
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:29 pm
I would love to join the group please! Always looking for other Moms to connect to who “get it” and don’t judge < Please let me know what I need to do to join, Thank you and GOD BLESS!!!
October 2nd, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Come on over, Mrs. Spencer! Just click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 2nd, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Yes! Yes! Yes! My son is 5 with spina bifida and sensory processing disorder!! So excited about this group!!
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:36 pm
This may be the first time I have cheered to be a part of a Kids with Disabilities group 🙂 LOVE IT.
October 2nd, 2012 at 6:58 pm
very cool. I have two boys and the oldest has autism. i’ve been spending time connecting with parents at the ABA school he goes to and find connections with these parents invaluable. i’d love to be a part of your group, too. 🙂 thanks for creating this place for conversation.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Maria, you are welcome any time. ANY TIME.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 2nd, 2012 at 7:55 pm
So glad I found this! My oldest two children were born with Cerebral Palsy with profound delays. Our oldest , Grace, went home to Jesus 9years ago this month. Our son has sensory issues and is nonverbal, confined to a wheelchair. He also has a dislike of crowds, new places , and loud people. It makes finding community hard. ;). So glad to find an online group.
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Amy, we are blessed to have you here, Dearest. You will have so much to share with moms just beginning this journey! I’m so excited to meet you… I know it’s just over the internet, but that’s where my community happens 🙂
October 2nd, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Very excited about this group! My 23 year old son was born with hydrocephalus, at 16 months he had meningitis and dealt with a seizure disorder since. He has dealt with fine and gross motor issues, and memory issues. He almost died in 2004. He had his right temporal lobe removed in 2005 and has been seizure free since 2007. If all goes as planned he will earn his AA this December.
I felt blessed to have a degree in special education before he was born. I knew where to go for help. My husband and I have tried to share what we have learned through the years. I look forward to talking with a group of parents who understand the things we deal with. IEP’s, hospital stays, surgeries, therapy, what we qualify for and what we don’t, etc.
I am in Kansas City, MO, btw. Blessings everyone!!!
October 2nd, 2012 at 9:21 pm
I am so excited to join this group as a mom to a 7 month old little boy with Zellwegers. I can really use all the support I can get dealing with the fact that my son won’t make it out of childhood without a miracle.
October 3rd, 2012 at 7:18 am
Abby, Friend… we are so glad to meet you. Take a deep breath and wade in when you can. What a load you are carrying!!! Let us pray for you and maybe make you laugh a little. I know we’re all so excited to learn more about your family.
October 2nd, 2012 at 10:33 pm
I am excited to find this group! I have a 6yr old daughter that has Down syndrome, SPD, strong oral aversions, and a recent dx of amblyopia-which will require surgery. I have felt as though I (we) didn’t fit, and didn’t feel my daughter was accepted. In recent months, after a pastoral change, I have begun baby steps back to church again. I know God is calling me there, I can’t seem to get past the people. Lol 😉
I look forward to the acceptance of Godly women that “get it” and to being able to help others feel the same. I feel as though God has bestowed an honor to me for allowing me to be my daughters’ Mom, but I do feel so unworthy most days to fulfull the goal. I know God gives the tools and power to fulfill His Plans, I sometimes think I am missing something.
Kim~Oregon Coast
October 3rd, 2012 at 7:20 am
Welcome, Kim! We are so glad to have you here! I promise you have friends here struggling with the same church and mom issues (can you see me raising my hand?). Hello from Michigan!
October 3rd, 2012 at 9:51 am
Hi Kim! I live in TX, but know a little about what you are going through. Carol is almost 13 and has DS. She has had her tonsils and adenoids out, eye surgery for strabismus or amblyopia, back surgery to release a tethered spine several tubes in ears, and most recently a screw put in each ankle to help her ankles grow straight. She does not have a double diagnosis, but also has a tendency toward ADD.
October 2nd, 2012 at 11:23 pm
I hope it’s not too late to enter into this community? My name is Missy and I have a 9 year old son with PDD-NOS (who will be rediagnosed this year – he’s hit the “term limit” for PDD-NOS). He also has a sensitive spirit and I’m finding myself yearning for conversation with other Believers who just… get it. I also have a 4 year old “mostly mainly” typical daughter, ha, who is going on 14. Tomorrow. Really. I am on my knees a ton. Mainly to clean – but also to pray.
October 3rd, 2012 at 7:17 am
It’s NEVER too late! Gracious. We’re open 24-7. Goodness knows, we’re up 24-7 🙂
Thank you for your prayers! They are coveted by those you know and do not know, especially me. It’s nice to meet you!
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:34 am
Thank you kindly!
October 3rd, 2012 at 12:06 am
It takes a bit of coaxing (in my head) and bravery to join a new group. (Introvert, anyone?) But, I’m thankful for my experiences in community, and glad to meet others within the special needs realm.
Our son has an undiagnosable genetic condition (likely a new mutation, not inherited… we think). We have a whole lot of questions and hardly any answers. (He likes to baffle and challenge all of the specialists he sees.) He has numerous medical conditions affecting his heart, lungs, muscle tone, speech, swallowing, and development. (He’s incredibly “verbal” but he can’t actually speak words. He uses sign language though!) In all this, he is the happiest boy I think I’ve ever seen (and I used to be a teacher). God blesses us amazingly through this boy every day.
Personally, I struggle with fear and a touch (ahem) of exhaustion. But, gratitude sure changes a lot, yes?
Thanks, ladies.
Right now, I have prayed for this group and the ladies who have commented… and even those who have read but haven’t commented. God, thank you.
October 3rd, 2012 at 7:23 am
Caroline, thank you for your prayers and your bravery in stepping out into a new group. I know how hard it is to start over with new people! We can be introverts together 🙂 Your son sounds a lot like my Rylie… very communicative, but few actual sortof words. Kids are amazing at getting their point across aren’t they?
October 3rd, 2012 at 9:13 am
Hi. I have two boys, ages 8 and 6.5, The oldest, David, was diagnosed with PDD-NOS when he was three. We later learned that he needed to be gluten, dairy and soy free. The other son is just gluten free. I saw this group forming and thought, why not? It would be nice to connect with other moms that understand how hard it is to find community when you can’t easily go to food events.
October 3rd, 2012 at 9:56 am
Heather, Hi. 🙂 My daughter has several issues with several foods. Even trace amounts could land us in the ER due to sever vomiting. I get you! And I get the struggle that a simple play date, dinner out, etc can be!! You. Are. Not. Alone.
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:10 am
Hi Kaylee, thank you for such a warm welcome. I am looking forward to getting to know you all better. Is the best way through the FB page? Or via this blog?
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:29 am
Thank you for being here. Life with a child who has behavioral and psychiatric disorders is a lonely place. I look forward to what is to come from this group.
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:36 am
Kelly! We’re glad you’re here… come on in and bring all your baggage 🙂
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:31 am
Hi Heather & Kaylee,
My lil’ man has Peanut and Tree Nut allergies. He was allergic to milk, wheat, and egg from ages 1 – 4. (He was no longer allergic at our 4 year allergist check-up. Praise God!) Our most life-changing event happened 2 years ago – when he was declared “No longer egg allergic”. That, of course, meant cupcakes and cake for all! 🙂 I so get the inability to just go to any event where food (and cross-contamination) could potentially occur. Sigh… God is sovereign and I hang my hat on that every morning.
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:33 am
Heather — YES! Facebook it up. We’ll meet you there!
October 3rd, 2012 at 10:34 am
Misindeedy, so great to meet you! It warms my heart and comforts my soul when I can hear another momma say “I get it!” THANK YOU!
October 3rd, 2012 at 11:41 am
noticed error in my email so corrected thanks
October 3rd, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Kristen, I know my family is blessed. So many times when our son was hodpitalized, but stable, we were surrounded by families whose children had cancer or were dying from some other cause. Getting our focus off of ourselves and onto helping other families in such worse straights, helped us remember just how blessed we are.
October 3rd, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Praying, Abby!!!!
October 3rd, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Our 3-year-old son has severe apraxia, hypotonia, and sensory processing issues. Being the mom of a special needs child is the hardest job I’ve ever had. But I wouldn’t trade being his momma (or his brothers’ momma) for anything. My boys bless me everyday, but it’s a very lonely world. Glad to connect with a group who “gets it” without a ton of explanation.
October 4th, 2012 at 6:48 am
I’m a mom to an almost three year old little boy with recently diagnosed Sensory Integration Disorder. I’ so thankful to join this group of moms who understand what we are just beginning to deal with. Thank you!
October 9th, 2012 at 9:26 am
I am so excited to have found this group. I love the (in)courage blog and love connecting with other women/mothers. I am adoptive mother of 3 (all out of the foster care system). Our journey has not been easy but has been amazing and wonderful. The Lord has given us the incredible blessing of watching Him at work in the lives of our kids everyday (and in us too). He truly has made beauty from ashes. I would love to share my story and encourage and connect with others. We face challenges such as trauma recovery, PTSD, ADHD, DID, expressive language delays and auditory processing issues to name a few. My youngest is now five and I am finally able to realize the dream of starting my own blog and sharing our journey in the hope of encouraging others. Thank you for creating this opportunity to connect! I put in a request on FB to join the group. God Bless!
October 10th, 2012 at 1:11 am
Excited to join this group. I have a 12-year-old autistic son who is a challenge yet a special gift from God. Looking forward to “meeting” everyone.
October 13th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I feel lost & in desperate need of community. God blessed us with 3 children the youngest of which has what seems to be the whole alphabet attached to her name but is a highly functioning special needs child which brings its very own unique issues. 2 years ago I left my field of Christian Education to become our daughters primary care giver & educator. A the same time we moved from our home in Franklin TN to WA & now 2 years later have moved from WA to OK. (918) was as close as God let us get to (615). Needless to say I have not made established relationships because my life revolves around our daughter & it takes at least 2 years to make a new home & here we are starting over again.
During this time, the Lord has worked beauty in my life the brokeness of recreation making me stronger in dependence in Him. I know longer want to wear a mask & desire to be real.
We are made for fellowship & I am in need of community, desperately hoping to find some here with like minded real women.
October 15th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Good Morning! You do not need to wear a mask at all. Life raising a kids with special needs is difficult, exhausting and certainly not what we anticipated to experience with motherhood. You are dearly loved! And you are not alone.
We’d love for you to join our (in)able Facebook group – a group of women caring, loving, supporting and encouraging – as we raise our special kids: http://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 16th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I am very excited to see what being a part of this community means, for both me and my daughter. She is 7 and is profoundly gifted. Some say that doesn’t sound like a “special need” but trust me, it is. She processes the world around her so differently from the standard. She is intensively sensitive and volatile. We are on the journey of discovering if she is twice exceptional, meaning high IQ with ADHD or dyslexia or dysgraphia. I feel blessed to have the awareness of this at such a young age and look forward to hearing from other moms who are going through similar changes. I know I can be very hard on myself and/or on her as a result of just not understanding what exactly is happening with her. I’m so grateful that you all are here and really looking forward to what we can share.
October 19th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
We’re excited you found us, Tess! We are indeed blessed to know things earlier and earlier with our kids. Praying you find as many answers as possible to help in your journey!
Feel free to join us over on facebook for daily life:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 16th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Yay! My 8 year old son has Down Syndrome and Hirschsprung’s Disease (colon disorder). We know people in our local DS group but when our son started having complications from his colon disorder they started backing away from us and now we rarely see them. I feel like we were a reminder that things can go wrong and that scares them. My son has had three surgeries in the past 2 years including an emergency situation last year. To top it off, we have to take him 1200 miles from home to see a specialist which means leaving our younger daughter with family for extended periods. He also has to have nightly treatments that most people just don’t understand. It can be a lot to take on and deal with on top of every day life.
October 19th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Hi, Tammy 🙂
You are carrying a heavy load, Friend… we are so glad you found us so we can share some of it.
We’re over here daily: https://www.facebook.com/groups/inable/
October 22nd, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Eight years ago, I stood in the hospital room, nodding my head at a doctor as he told me what tests he would be doing on my first, newborn baby. I remember feeling so young and so scared. In the several years it took them to find out her illness was genetically based, we had a son who seemed relatively healthy until he grew sick too around 3 years old. I’ve learned a lot in the years that have passed and know now both our kids have a Mitochondrial Disease. Getting out is hard for them due to fatigue and most outings socially end up with several weeks of being sick so it’s been difficult to get to know anyone. I’m looking forward to not just connecting with other women raising kids with special needs, but to connect with moms who are seeking after God while raising kids with special needs.
October 22nd, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Welcome, WELCOME. We are so glad you found us. Your comment “I’m looking forward to not just connecting with other women raising kids with special needs, but to connect with moms who are seeking after God while raising kids with special needs.”… that is EXACTLY what I desire, too. Let’s walk together, shall we?
October 31st, 2012 at 11:24 am
My family is on the road to adopt a special needs boy from China. There is a wide range of possibilities in regards to what his needs will be. I would love to watch and listen. I want to build my support and resource base ahead of time. Thanks for having me.
October 31st, 2012 at 3:47 pm
What a wonderful idea! My kids are very mild special needs and older now,2 born with a cleft lip and palate, one of whom was also diagnosed with trisomy 18& turners syndrome she’s an amazing 17 next week & her older brother is 18! Their 13 yr.old brother has a non verbal learning disorder. It will be nice to hear about other moms ways of coping. Thank you!
November 2nd, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Hello,
I was just told about this and wanted to get up here before i head to bed. Our son is Autistic with ADHD, Aspergers and a few other medical issues!
November 2nd, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Looking forward to all the wonderful ideas and ways people have overcome issues in many aspects of the spectrum
November 26th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Hi,
I’m a bit late in discovering this group but I’ll jump in for what it’s worth anyway. My eldest son, 10yrs, has Asperger’s Syndrome. The specialists have done what they can (which wasn’t much) and now we’re on our own. Feeling somewhat lost and grateful to discover a community who understands.
November 26th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
I just found YOU – and boy do we all need each other. Mom to two teen sons, adopted from eastern europe, both with ADHD, one with fetal alcohol (ARND) suspected, and all of us loving God! The challenges are there but the richness of life and the goodness of God is present.
Blessings to you all as we navigate our way through this journey with God there every step of the way!
November 28th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I’m just now getting around to the new incourage groups….I’m always in need of Special Needs support. I have 2 SN boys….autism, SPD, speech disorders. I love this. I’ll be joining the FB group and can’t wait to get to know y’all more!
November 29th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
As a single mom for the 20 years of my son’s life, I am blessed. He has Cerebral Palsy, ADHD, seizures, Dystonia…and I’m so proud to say graduated from HS and is now in college studying journalism. Thank you Lord for the good fight of faith and taking us from there to here:) I told him, if you can just get through HS, I promise everything will be better for you when you get to college. Well, so far, it’s better since he can pick his own classes and only take one or two if he chooses. If you need encouragement or support for getting from there to here, just key me know. God bless us all:)
November 29th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
I just found this group and I’m excited! I have 2 sons, a 10 year old with Asperger’s and a 7 year old with ADHD and SID. Even though they have challenges we praise God that they are wonderfully and fearfully made! Looking forward to getting to know others here. 🙂
November 30th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
I would be thrilled to trade a wee bit of wisdom (mother of 8, grandmother of 4) for a wee bit of your energy and enthusiasm!
The last 14 years have aged me, I’m afraid. Our 7th child is wonderfully healthy and happy, but with a diagnosis of CP, SPD and epilepsy. He doesn’t walk or talk (YET!) We have so much for which to be thankful. He has never had to be hospitalized and is not on any medications. But, his care and therapy is strenuous for this aging mother with arthritis and fibromyalgia.