eSpecially Ben

In the course of working on purchasing new equipment for Ben, I made contact with someone who developed a list of funding sources for families. She would prefer not to be named - we will just call her Angel. Angel did this on her own, to help the families who do not have a way to pay for the equipment their children desperately need. If you know of others we can include on this list, please add in the comments section or email me directly. The web addresses and information have been checked as of today, October 24, 2014. Angels in Need Davidson, North Carolina Website: www.angelsinneed.org Phone: 704-607-5118 Coverage: Local & International Angels in Need is a 100% volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity based in Davidson, North Carolina. It is our mission to serve children with special needs and their families both locally and abroad. Our goal is to enrich the lives of these children and families by supporting already existing programs and organiza

Between ramp and toileting issues at home, and our most recent school closing dilemma, finding a solution to one of these problems is a miracle. And I will take it! At the North Carolina Assistive Technology office in Charlotte, I was able to borrow a toileting system for one month to try it out. I think it will work for our home. It is easy to take on and off for regular use. Easy to clean and store in the bathtub when not in use. The design is great with enough support and safety features to keep Ben comfortable without falling. Our bathroom is teeny tiny - about 5ft x 8ft and that space includes a full shower/tub, sink and commode. This is the only bathroom in our home so finding something that was small and versatile was necessary. Now onto the the next problem...

 In September I wrote about our journey to the world of toilet training. At the point of writing the post, we were about 6 days into it. Now we are at the 6 month mark - which is cause for celebration, or at least a reason to buy some new Spidey underwear! Ben is doing fabulous at home and at school with toilet training. He is proud of himself, we are proud of ourselves and we only see progress ahead. That's not to say there are setbacks, which are usually caused by us not being on a consistent schedule with Ben.   Big Mack Button In the last months, we introduced a Big Mack button to try to help Ben communicate his toileting needs to us. Before Ben sits on his potty, he pushes the button and the recording says, "I have to go to the bathroom." Ben's school has been extremely supportive with our efforts to train Ben. At Ben's IEP meeting, the school agreed to use the same button, wording and process each time he used the bathroom. It is working! On a few o