What Would You Do Wednesday?

We've been having lively discussions each Wednesday for our posts asking What Would You Do, so we are going to keep going with it! If you have a questions that you would like to put out for our blog readers to answer, please send it to blog@knowledgesafari.com

Here is a question from blog reader Lexi.

"Hi, I am new to world of blogging and special needs. My son was just diagnosed with Autism and I am reading so much information and trying to learn all that I can. Does anyone know of a check list or something like that that would tell me the things I need to be doing? Everyone says one step at a time, but I am kind of lost as to where to begin."

Ok blog readers, take it away! If you have any suggestions for Lexi, please leave her a comment!

What Would You Do Wednesday

We've been having lively discussions each Wednesday for our posts asking What Would You Do, so we are going to keep going with it! If you have a questions that you would like to put out for our blog readers to answer, please send it to blog@knowledgesafari.com

Today's question comes from Judy. So, Judy take it away:

" Hi, I became aware of the Knowledge Safari site through a friend of mine. Her son has special needs in the form of Muscular Dystrophy. He is 11 and I have been friends with her for 3 years now. To be honest, this is the only friend of mine who has a child with special needs (of a physical nature) and I am always wondering if I am doing this or that right. I know that my heart is in the right place so I hope I can't go wrong, but I still wonder.

My question is: What do you want/need from your friends when it comes to your children? Are there things that you want from a friend that is different because your child has special needs?

Up to now, I really just make sure that her son is included in discussions about our children and that he attends different events with us, etc."

Blog readers, if you have any advice or comments, please share them with us!

---------

Knowledge Safari is all inclusive whether you are a parent/family member with a child who has special needs or a child with special needs in your life, please join us!

What Would You Do Wednesday

Have a question that you would like to have our readers give you honest answers about? Email us at blog@knowledgesafari.com! We will include your question in an upcoming What Would You Do Wednesday post!

Today's question comes from reader Evelyn. Here is her question:

" Hi, probably like you I have a child with special needs. My son has ADHD and Auditory Processing Disorder. He is in 2nd grade and this has just been diagnosed this school year. Of course, we are having the ups and downs of trying to figure out which medications work best and I know that is just trial and error. My question today is: do you have any tips on how to work well with his teacher?

We had an IEP and it outlines what she should do in certain situations but she still calls me up to tell me things like: Well your son does well at things he likes to do but not at things he doesn't. The answer in my head is yes and so does the rest of the world...but I remind her that she needs to do x or y as outlined in the IEP.

It's not that she doesn't care, she just does not seem equipped. So, I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to make things better?"

Ok, wise blog readers....What Would You Do?

_______

Have you written a REVIEW on KnowledgeSafari.com yet? Please help us build a great resource!

What Would You Do Wednesday!

Have a question about how to handle something? Want to know how someone else would handle a sticky situation that you are in? Want an unbiased opinion? Submit your questions to us in the comments section and we will post them in the future!

Here is today's question:

This is from blog reader, Alana.

"My question is: How do you handle it when people stare at your kid? My daughter has Muscular Dystrophy and is in a wheelchair. She's 8 and I don't think she realizes each time when she is being stared at - but I do! I know she is aware at times and whether or not she is aware is just breaks my heart. I have probably run the gamut of responses, but I would love to hear what you think! Maybe there is something else I can do"

Ok, blog readers....take it away... What Would You Do?

What Would You Do Wednesday

Welcome to What Would You Do Wednesday!

This question comes from a reader of our blog, Janelle:

Hi! I have a friend coming to visit me and she will be bringing her daughter who has food allergies (primarily tree nuts). I have rid my home of the allergin and provided her with a list of restaurants that we might frequent while here so that she may call and get any questions answered ahead of time.

My question is: Is there anything else I should be doing to make their stay a good one, with regard to her daughter's allergies? I realize that being outside of her comfort zone can be a little nerve wracking and I want to put her at ease!

So, blog readers, how would you answer this question?

Let's help a fellow blog reader out!

-----------

Have a favorite restaurant that caters to your special needs? Review it on Knowledge Safari!

What Would You Do Wednesday!

Recently I had a parent ask me this question...

"I have 3 kids, one has special needs. How do I give the "right" amount of time to all of them when my daughter with special needs naturally needs more of my attention?"

Whew - that is a biggie! I think this is a question that applies to all parents, not only those with a child who has special needs. Each child needs more attention at one time or another! But, having a child with special needs, the attention that is required can be never ending. So how to juggle the time is good questions.

So, I am throwing it out to you....What Would You Do? What do you do? Have you tackled this situation in your own home? Any tips?

__________

Make sure to join us at Knowledge Safari! Reviews, Groups, Discussion and More!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY! BAD MOODS

Welcome to What Would You Do Wednesday! Each Wednesday on the KnowledgeSafari.com website – we ask you a question to see….say it with me….What Would You Do?

Here is today’s scenario:

You are having a bad day. Nothing seems to be going right….ugh! Don’t you just hate a no good, very bad day?

So what do you do to set your mood right?

What gives your mood a makeover?

Is it being able to take a moment to grab a cup of coffee?
Getting a manicure?
Chatting with a friend on the phone?

What do you do? Please share with us in the comments section. You might just give someone else a good idea!



COUNTING DOWN TO OUR LAUNCH ….6 DAYS TO GO!

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KnowledgeSafari
Join us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KnowledgeSafari

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY! SHARING

Welcome to What Would You Do Wednesday! Each Wednesday on the KnowledgeSafari.com website – we ask you a question to see….say it with me….What Would You Do?

Here is today’s scenario:

Let’s say your child has recently been diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, or some other type of learning disability. In some ways there is likely some sense of relief for you and your family in that you finally have a diagnosis for the concerns that you have been having about your child. On the other hand, it is emotional and overwhelming.

Is this information something that you would freely share with extended family and friends? Do you feel that this is information that you need to keep to yourself? If you choose to share the information –what are your expectations for the person with whom you are sharing? Do you want them just to listen to you vent? Do you want them to offer assistance/information?

Please tell us – What Would You Do?


COUNTING DOWN TO OUR LAUNCH ….13 DAYS TO GO!

Join us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/KnowledgeSafari

Join us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/KnowledgeSafari

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY!

Welcome to WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY? Where we give you a scenario and ask you to tell us …yes….you guessed it…what would you do!?

You have a friend who you think you are pretty close to. You share in her life, ask about her kids, and do the normal things that friends do. Here’s the catch…you friend rarely if ever asks about your child who has special needs. Maybe she is a little uncomfortable – maybe she does not know what to say – who knows what the problem is – but it is there underlying.

So, what would you do? Do you bring it up to her? Continue to ignore it? Let’s discuss it in the comments section! See you there.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY!

Welcome to What Would You Do Wednesday!

Here is a scenario for you:

YOU: You are a busy mom to a child with special needs. You have recently moved to another city and are feeling a bit isolated. Family lives close but are not responsive to requests for help. You are feeling alone, overwhelmed and tired.

QUESTION: What would you do to get yourself some relief?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section – you could really be helping someone out! See you there!

Don’t forget to get a sneak peek at our soon to launch website: www.knowledgesafari.com
And, follow us on twitter! www.twitter.com/knowledgesafari

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY!

Hi there - it is that time again....What Would You Do Wednesday!

First a little update....www.knowledgesafari.com is really coming along - we are on track for our early 2010 launch! Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming social networking site for families and friends of those living with special needs.

Ok, back to regularly scheduled programming.

I read an article recently written by a mom who has a child with special needs. He has a rare syndrome that causes facial abnormalities, among other things. The gist of the article was how frustrating it is to be in public with her young son and have people of all ages, stare at him. And, while she understands that most people mean no harm, she would rather that instead of staring for people to come up to her and ask her about her son.

Would you feel comfortable going up to a stranger and asking about the conditiono of her child? How would you feel if someone did that to you?

In discussing this issue with the Knowledge Safari Team - we are still pondering! Of course, we do not think it is right to stare that part we know for sure! But, the crux of the matter seems to be how do you handle general curiosity?

So blog readers....say it with me...What Would You Do? And by extension how do you feel about strangers asking you questions about your child? Do you have any tips from the parents/family perspective on how well meaning people should show or not show interest?

Let's hear from you in the comments section!

Follow us on Twitter too! www.twitter.com/knowledgesafari

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WEDNESDAY!

It's that time again....time for What Would You Do Wednesday!


Ok, we are fudging a little bit - because this week we are asking What Do You Think?

www.fox.com/glee

Did you see last week's episode of Glee? There was not as much chatter about it as we thought there would be on Twitter and Blogs, but we can't stop thinking about it!

Here is the gist...Glee is a campy musical TV show on Fox...another episode airs tonight. The show is quirky, fun and covers interesting topics. Last week it added a student Becky who happens to have Down Syndrome and included a musical number with everyone in wheelchairs - one of the main characters Artie - is paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

As we were watching the show we wondered how this would be received by the special needs community. We thought it was well done.

What did you think?



Have a situation that you would like others input on? Submit your idea for What Would You Do either in the comments or email us at blog@knowledgesafari.com

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Welcome to "What Would You Do" Wednesday's here on the Knowledge Safari Blog!

We've all been there. Out for a meal at a restaurant and there is a screaming/crying/generally acting up child that is interrupting the mood...well what if that child was yours? What Would You Do?

This can of course happen whether or not your child has special needs! How do you handle this situation? If you have any tips to share, please do so in the comments section! We can't wait to see what you have to say.

Do you Twitter? If so, leave your Twitter addy in the comments and we will follow you!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The other day while reading through various posts on Twitter, I came across something that bothered me.

I saw a post from a quasi celebrity, basically she is a layed off writer for a gossip column...without repeating word for word what she said here is the gist. In this post she was talking about bad drivers on a particular stretch of road she was on and used the term "special education" in a dispariging way as a means to describe their ineptitude.

Considering what we at www.KnowledeSafari.com stand for and as a human being it irritated me.

So my question becomes...what would you do? Would you have fired back a post to her? Would you send her a direct message to let her know of her transgression? Or, do you leave it alone?


What do you do as a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, sibling, teacher or friend of a child with special needs? Or, if you have special needs of your own, how do you handle a situation such as this?

Please discuss in the comments section! And, look for more "What Would You Do?" posts here at the Knowledge Safari Blog in the future.