Hard to believe I've written twenty of these "best of the web" for special needs parents...is that a milestone or what? No particular theme this time around, just some mesmerizing stories - thought provoking and perhaps frustrating...
1) Let's start with the frustrating and get that one out of the way so we can have some fun. In case you were living under the balmy delusion that our society is beginning to accept the importance and the responsibility of providing appropriate education for students with special needs, well...you may not WANT to read this post at Autism Unexpected, but you SHOULD. Look over the comments. I had a hard time pulling myself away from them in that sort of "horror movie" shock where you don't want to look, but you just have to. I couldn't resist adding a couple of comments of my own.
2) This post by Insideout510 over at Hopeful Parents is decidedly more, well, hopeful. It shows the kind of pro-active-get-involved-never-say-quit kind of special needs parenting that someday may keep those naysayers in the previous entry in their place. I applaud the energy and time this parent was able to put into giving her daughter a Summer to remember, forever.
3) I enjoyed the perspective of this piece at Specialgathering. Will your legacy be one of a few shining relics hotly traded by enthusiasts or a quiet on-going producer and provider of useful goods and livelihoods?
4) This post by Bird on the Street offers a new perspective on the vaccine controversy, and a different approach similar to what we used with our twins when we found out shortly after they were born that our daughter might be on the autism spectrum. Katy mentions The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears, which sounds like an excellent resource on the topic.
5) Sticking with my recent practice of posting a link to an encouraging worship song, I hope you'll enjoy this one by Casting Crowns. Our Sunday School lesson today was (in part) about how God makes each of us unique and loves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of who He is.
