Knowledge Is Power: Help for Families with Children of Special Needs

Navigating the world of special needs parenting can feel like being lost in a dark forest with no clear path out. It can be easy to lose your way. That's why resources make great maps.

Families with children of special needs are often too overwhelmed or exhausted to search for these helpful resources, especially when their children are infants or toddlers. Becoming informed and confident special needs parents takes time and energy, rare goods when facing the demands of special needs parenting. But keep at it—your child will be the winner.

Here are a few helpful ideas to get you started on the road to effective parenting.

• Visit bookstores and libraries often. These are great places to find current information on a wide range of disabilities, including autism, attention deficit disorder, asthma, mental illness, and many others. Indulge yourself with some quiet time alone to learn more about how to better meet your child's needs.

• Use a computer. Technology can help you research your child's special needs and connect with other families of similarly challenged children. If you don't have a computer and can't borrow one, libraries have computers available for patrons use. Enter special needs into a search engine, and you'll be deluged with information. Refine your search by entering the name or description of your child's specific challenges. As you know, it's buyer beware on the Web. Evaluate the sources of the information you locate. Esteemed universities and hospitals, for example, are more reliable sources of information than, say, manufacturers of supplements. Check the URLs. A .edu ending may be more trustworthy than a .com. Don't hesitate to ask the research librarian for help. That's his or her job.

• Build your own library. Assemble a personal collection book by book. You'll soon have ample resources for parenting a child with special needs at your fingertips.

• Network parent to parent. Connecting with another parent of a child with similar challenges may be the best resource of all, especially if that family is further down the parenting road than you are. Reach out to others who have been where you are headed, and then share your knowledge with those coming after you.

Remember: regardless of your child's age or disability, when it comes to special needs parenting, knowledge truly is power.  

Judy Winter is an award-winning journalist and recipient of the Michigan Federated Chapters of the Council for Exceptional Children 2002 Exceptional Parent Award.