eSpecially Ben

My article in the Charlotte Parents' Exceptional Child Guide is out. Here it is on page 11. It does take a minute to load, so set it up, walk away and by the time you come back, you can scroll down to the page. Exceptional Child Guide This takes you to online version of article.

Someone sent this to me today - an article about teenage boys running races together and so much more: Unexpected Friendship

Ben has been practicing walking in the water  all summer long .  Here is a one-minute clip of him showing off his skills.

10 Years Old! Celebrating with friends, cupcakes, past teachers, more cake, a little magic,  more friends, and one more homemade cake from Logan!

Tomorrow is Ben's big day. He turns 10. Logan made this card for Ben. Here's his description in his own words: Ben is a big superhero float in a parade. Some people are playing the game, "Who is Cool?" and they are carrying cards to vote for Ben. Ben is holding the world because the world needs him.

A few months ago, our medical equipment representative offered us a wheelchair for Ben. Another family donated it to the company because their daughter outgrew it. Always ready to try something new for Ben, especially for free, I accepted the offer. We kept the chair for many weeks, but unfortunately it was too big for Ben and he always found a way to slide under the belt, leaving his body hanging and his neck in a choke hold. Although comical to watch Ben try to get out of the chair, I knew it was not going to work for him. I contacted several people to see if they knew of a family who could use the chair. I did not get any solid responses. Our friend, Celeste, at North Carolina Assistive Technology suggested we try the NC Exchange Post , a site like Craig's List, but specifically for equipment for disabled people. After posting the chair on the NC Exchange Post, we received a hit quickly. It was from a grandmother, Ellen*, needing a chair for her granddaughter, Adrian*.

An unexpected perk of having a ramp is that using Ben's tricycle just got a million times easier. The trike is bulky and heavy, making it cumbersome to get up and down stairs. With the ramp in place, it is easy peasy . Now, the trike is stored on the front porch, next to the ramp and is seen as another mode of transportation for Ben.  Ben understands the concept of pedaling - something we have worked on for many years. Now, his biggest difficulty is keeping his hands on the handlebars. We have blue tape wrapped around the bar to help him see where his hands need to be placed.  However, he does fight us, and we have to continually prompt him to use his hands. Ben's occupational therapist will do some work with him in the coming weeks. We may also try putting a textured tape or material on the handlebars to entice him to hold on. It was suggested to try the gloves that will keep his hands locked in place. Personally, I think this will anger and frustrate him. I would li