eSpecially Ben

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AFOs - What are they? We have all seen UFOs - Unidentified Foot Objects - on children. What are they? What do they do? How can I get a pair? Ben wears AFOs - ankle foot orthotics - everyday. They give him stability because his calves, feet and ankles are weak. He has been wearing some type of brace since he was about 2 years old. It gives him the support he needs to walk with assistance. He does not seem to mind them and he makes it relatively easy for us to get them on and off. If they are made correctly and put on the right way, I do not think they cause him any discomfort. Saying that, I have seen him come home from school and camp with upside-down, backwards SMOs (supramalleolar orthosis) - never heard him complain then either. Lessons Learned Through insurance, we are able to get new AFOs every 6 months. Ben also has SMOs - and they too may be replaced every 6 months. I share this knowledge because I just learned it. I thought I had to alternate between the two and thi

Ben, age 7 Ben used his rolled up hand covered in paint to make this little animal. See more works of art at 5 Minutes for Special Needs. *Don't forget to vote for our Amazing Race team name - see the sidebar on the right.

When I am tired and stressed, I make poor food choices, exercise less and begin an unhealthy cycle. A few weeks ago, I had a tough week. In my delirium I wondered what could be wrong with me. I easily forgot about the stressful events and experiences that changed my body rhythm, reeking havoc on my well-coordinated, scheduled and fine-tuned life. Monday & Tuesday - Handling the challenges of the Video/EEG was stressful enough without looking forward to four hours of sleep on one of those pull-out chairs in the hospital. Wednesday - Delirium set in and I attended a planning meeting with my co-facilitator for our leadership consultation on Saturday. Thursday - I attended Ben's annual IEP meeting. IEP meetings are stressful even when they go smoothly, which this one did. However, the results from Ben's psychological evaluation were revealed in the meeting and it was a lot to take in. I will share in another post. Then I met with the school PT and a medical equipment

Imagine the splash!

When I was 14, my best friend was Ann Williams, and she and her family lived around the block from my house. We spent a lot of time together, mostly at her house, since both her parents worked. In fact, I never remember meeting her mother. Her father, I remember quite well. He resembled Dick Van Patten from Eight is Enough , a popular TV show from the late 70's and early 80's. Ann told me that their family took a limousine ride in New York City once and as they were getting out, her father was asked for his autograph. He played along. I also remember walking around their house in April and passing the living room, set off to the side, a place I had never noticed. There was a large, tall item standing in the middle of the room with a sheet over it - their Christmas Tree. Being from a family with set traditions concerning the Christmas Tree, I was flabbergasted. Our tree went up the Sunday after Thanksgiving, while watching Abbot and Costello Meet ...some sort of ghastly ghost

Flowers made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners. We copied this idea from Michelle at 5 Minutes for Special Needs - it sure brightened a gloomy day! Find out how to brighten your day.