eSpecially Ben

  Walking in the neighborhood When it comes to locating resources for Ben, it's taken patience, time and energy. I've had the support of my husband, Ryan, and family to do the administrative work it takes to find resources for a person with disabilities. I'm fortunate to be able to have the time to hunt down resources for Ben – and I also enjoy it. I talk with families often, and I've seen a pattern in the ones who have a difficult time gathering information and resources. They come to me frustrated, disenchanted and sometimes with the wrong information.  Here are my suggestions for finding resources and using them to best serve your child: 1. Ask the right people for assistance.  Lately, I've been talking with parents who can't find information about certain topics. When they tell me who they've asked, it's the incorrect person. The parents are frustrated because they thought the person should know the answer.  If you ask a doctor about community servic

When I worked at a local university in the dean's office, I was known for my organizational skills throughout the campus. If someone wanted something completed, they could come to me and I would be able to assemble an event, program, service with great organization, speed and accuracy. Who knew years later I would be putting those same skills to use for my son Ben? Over the last six years, we have met and talked with so many doctors, therapists, teachers, parents, insurance companies, agencies, organizations and respite workers that I could not keep them straight without the use of a fairly good organizational system. Below I outline the system that has worked well for me. Hopefully you may take some ideas from it and develop one that works for you.   Filing Crate Purchase a crate that is designated solely for your child's information. A portable crate may come in handy if you have to take it with you to a special meeting. Make files for anything that you will receive