Special Kids

Behavioral problems in young children and how to deal with them as parents is an issue of enormous importance if we are to enjoy a happy and fulfilled family life. Do it wrong and you set yourself up for huge problems with the approach of the pre-teen years and beyond. Parenting is an art and is one which must be sensitively managed as we lead our young children to become responsible adults of the future. It's important to read the books, go to the parenting classes and particularly listen to those who have been there and done all that successfully in the past. The first step in good parenting is to make sure that we have our own house in order. Young children learn by example and are constantly...

"Canning is too expensive!" "Who has the time to can?" "Why should I can when I can run to the store and buy it on sale?" I've heard these statements, and others, many times. While true that canning requires a degree of time and effort, it can be extremely rewarding. Also, canning does require an initial outlay of money for jars, lids, and produce. But, the benefits far outweigh the costs incurred. In fact, there are 3 reasons why you literally cannot afford not to can! 1. "You are what you eat" Did you know that the majority of all illness and disease is directly linked to diet? As the saying goes, "you are what you eat." Furthermore, much of the food we eat is laced with chemicals, heavy metals...

As I was raising my children, my goal was for them to grow up to be positive, contributing adults who are happy, well adjusted, healthy, and successful. But, having been raised in a less than desirable home, I was unsure about how this can be done. With the help of many folks as role models and lots of reading, I realized it basically came down to five different areas of concern. How to parent in such a way we prepare them to meet the challenges they experience How to work with children who are living in different Family arrangements How to insure children receive a good Education How to raise Healthy children; and How to help children who have experienced some kind of Trauma In General, my...

Until recently, importance of omega-3 fatty acids was not known to many. Fortunately, after positive results of many studies and media advertising a lot; these fats have become a house hold name. According to the latest trend, more and more people are taking fish oil daily. Let us explore further. You will be surprised to know that more than 90% of us are deficient in essential omega 3 fatty acids. Since they cannot be produced internally by our body, we have to take them explicitly through food sources. Fish being rich in DHA and EPA omega3 fat was consumed earlier by many, but because of increasing pollution in ocean waters and risk of consuming tainted fish, government is encouraging on taking...

Fish oil supplement being rich source of omega 3 fatty acids are taken by many people these days to compensate the deficiency of omega3 fats. One of the major fish oil supplement benefits when compared to fish is the reduced levels of toxins like mercury, lead, PCBs that fish can accumulate in polluted ocean waters. Medically proven omega3 or fish oil supplement benefits are enormous; let us discuss top 5 medically proven ones - 1. Benefits during pregnancy: Omega 3 fatty acids are important not only for the baby but for the health of mother too. For baby - it helps in brain, eye and nervous system development, better hand/eye co-ordination, lesser sleep disturbances, etc. And for mother it reduces...

With the approaching threat of the rapidly spreading H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, many are concerned with how to prevent the spread of the disease. Many are more concerned with how to protect themselves adequately so as not to attract the virus and fall victim to it. While there is a vaccine available, more people are legitimately concerned not only with its effectiveness, but have questions as to how safe the vaccine really is. After all, the vaccine has not been tested and humans will essentially become guinea pigs to see if the vaccine actually works. This is indeed a scary situation, but there is hope in a little known health supplement which can be used as an alternative to the...

Imagine that we each arrive into the world with a golden ball that is our life companion, bouncing and shimmering its way along side us throughout our lives. As we grow up, the glow of our golden ball grows brighter as our self-esteem blossoms. Through the messages we give our children, we make choices in how strong their golden balls glow. They may fade or grow ever more radiant as our loved ones develop pride in their competence. A wonderful consequence of nurturing pride is strong self-worth. These ten tips will help your children or challenging loved ones to grow and glow ever more golden: 1. Praise even small acts of cooperation. They will glow with feeling appreciated. 2. Encourage them...

Child rearing is full of defining moments. Passing on your values, teaching how to be a good winner and not a sore loser, and helping learn how to navigate social relationships and friendships are just a few of these critical moments shared with our children. Another is choosing the right summer opportunity for your child. There are many questions that must be asked as you review the many diverse summer experiences available for your child. Will my child make friends? What happens if my child does not want to participate in a specific activity? How will it be handled when he is disappointed in his athletic performance? What will happen if my child can't pass the swim test? Will my child be safe? Be...

When diagnosed with ADHD, the parent of the child often wonders, "How can I treat ADHD safely?" Every parent would want the child's treatment to be not only effective but also safe and no parents would want their child to be a victim to side-effects. Hence it is of utmost importance to treat ADHD safely so they can live a healthy and normal life. Most physicians prescribe medication in the form of stimulants. Drugs such as Methylphenidate which is found in Ritalin, Metadate, concerta and Daytrana, Amphetamine which is found in Adderall and Dextroamphetamine which is found in Dexedrine and Destrostat are the most common. However, one must take care that the ADHD person is closely monitored and...

Many years ago, my wife and I were health care professionals working primarily with what was then termed hyperactivity (or childhood hyperactivity). The terminology has changed over the years and the latest description of this disorder (in both adults and children) is ADD/ADHD or attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Like many professionals, we developed an interest in this disorder because we had children suffering from it (and we later found out that we, too, were ADD/ADHD adults!). During our research and education regarding this disorder we also discovered that some researchers were also investigating a link between ADD/ADHD and SAD or seasonal affective disorder...

This computer program teaches the times tables in a fun and engaging way for young mathematicians - and non-mathematicians! It's like something they would play on Nintendo or Game Boy ... but on this game, you need to answer the questions correctly (times tables) in order to get the golden key and advance to the level. Being the sneaky mom that I am, I loaded it up and started playing it myself (turning up the volume very loudly!) Soon, both my kids were saying, "no mom - go here!", "push this button", "MOM ... you are gonna loose or walk over a cliff!!!" and the final, "Mom, you really need to let me play this game cause you are gonna loose." Can you tell I'm really bad a video games...

Hi Folks, OK so I know that I am always encouraging you to make fresh healthy food yourselves, but let's face it, sometimes there isn't enough time in the day. I want to talk about things that you will commonly find in your ready made food; what they are, and what they means to your health; this way you can make an informed choice about what to pick up and more importantly what to put down. So what is an additive? It is something added to your food to make it last longer, taste better, look palatable, make it easier to manufacture, or cheaper to produce. Within the European Union additives are labeled with an E number which means that the additive has been accepted by the European Community...

Like it or not, ADD can lead to numerous problems, but very few are as dangerous as substance abuse. People who have ADD are usually more impulsive and lack some of the social skills that many of us take for granted. Impulsivity and a tendency to gravitate towards people who don't do well in school can lead to drug abuse, and parents who are raising children with ADD should be aware of the signs. Education Leads to Prevention The best form of prevention is knowledge. If your child has ADD or ADHD, you should begin to educate them about the harmful effects that drugs can have on their mind and body. Keeping an open dialogue with your child is extremely important. Besides the harmful effects that...

Tent caterpillars create a cocoon for an entire colony. Within one colony there are two types of caterpillar. One type, pioneers, weave long threads forming the skeleton of the tent. The others, the workers, weave cross threads filling in the structure. If there are too many pioneers, the tent is too big and collapses. If there are not enough pioneers, the tent is too dense and the colony suffocates. Viva la difference. Within the colony of human beings we can find similar differences. Some are explorers, entrepreneurs extending the boundaries of our environment in art, science, or business. The rest fill in the details as accountants or managers. As a manager you know that creativity is the...

Baby BumbleeBee provides parents with the most appropriate learning materials for their infants and toddlers based from a scientifically established teaching method. The Baby BumbleBee's Paired Associative Learning refers to a simultaneous experience with two stimuli at once or in close proximity and begin interacting with them. using this method, the company was able to develop videos that exhibit paired stimuli in the form of an object and the spoken word. Baby BumbleeBee's products focus on the development of specific age-appropriate skills and use time-tested approaches to teaching those skills. In fact, its unique approach to child's learning process gained multiple awards. Baby BumbleBee...

The sky was over cast and the day was cold. But I was warm inside the home ofa delightful, intelligent, interesting, busy mom who also has the role ofbeing a wife, counselor to her family, chef, and chauffer just to name a fewof her jobs that she does every day. Oh and she works as a nurse part time. She hired me, a professional organizer to tackle her teenager daughter'sbedroom and get it organized. Her goal was to find things that had been lost,create a room where there was no clutter and she could bring her friends tofor slumber parties. She also wanted to get rid of clutter that hadaccumulated and she had no idea what to do with any of it. Reasons to hire a professional organizer: 1.  As we...

Let's face it. If you are willing to face the reality of it, dealing with adult Attention Deficit Disorder is difficult at best. It affects your relationships, work performance and even the recreation we are involved in. So what can be done to minimize the impact on your life? Adult Attention Deficit Disorder has been shown to be a result of genetics, or family history, and a chemical imbalance in the brain. Environmental and social factors are not causes of ADHD, but these can have an affect on ADHD adult treatment. ADHD in adults manifests itself through varying behaviors. These behaviors might include difficulty staying on task, impulsive or reactionary behavior, and staying organized. These and...

Fish oil supplements seem to be mainly known for the fact that they relieve arthritis pain. In reality this oil has many medicinal qualities and practically anybody can benefit from taking these capsules. But let us just discuss the benefit children can reap from taking this product.. I am assuming that people, reading this article, are already familiar with Omega 3 essential fatty acids and that these can only be obtained from fatty fish and/or quality fish oil.The essential fatty acids in the Omega 3 fish oil, derived from fatty fish contains a large quantity of DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid. This acid is crucial for brain development and maintenance. It helps our brain function the way it is...

As it goes without saying, quitting any form of addiction varies from person to person and will be different for everybody on a case to case basis. There are different ways through which different people will do best quitting an addiction and it is important to find the ones that work best for you. There are several ways through which anyone can successfully quit an addiction, but ultimately, you must make sure that you are resolving to quit this said addiction for your own gratification and fulfillment and no one else's. One of the ways by which quitting an addiction is made easier is by setting a goal date by which you should be able to quit. By doing this, you will be more conscious of the time...

Marfan syndrome is an inherited disorder that affects connective tissue the fibers that provide the framework and support for your body. Connective tissue is not a single entity, but a catch-all term for everything in your body that keeps you from falling apart. The familiar tendons and ligaments keep bones and muscles together, but other connective tissue is more obscure, like the elastic fibers in the aorta that keep it soft and rubbery. Marfan syndrome is caused by mutations in the FBN1 gene on chromosome 15. People have a pair of FBN1 genes. Because it is dominant, people who have inherited one affected FBN1 gene from either parent will have Marfan's. Marfan syndrome affects all of these...

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) refers to a heterogeneous group of closely linked clonal hematopoietic disorders. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diseases that involve the bone marrow and blood. The bone marrow in myelodysplastic syndrome is typically more active than normal and yet the numbers of blood cells in the circulation are reduced. This is because most of the cells being produced in the bone marrow are defective and are destroyed before they leave the bone marrow to enter the blood stream. The hallmark of the myelodysplastic syndromes is the combination of a hyperactive marrow with low blood cell counts. A reduction in numbers of all types of blood cell is called pancytopaenia...

Lemierre's Syndrome also known as necrobacillosis or post-anginal sepsis. It is caused by the bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum, and occasionally by other members of the genus fusobacterium. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the most common pathogen isolated from the patients. The interval between the oropharyngeal infection and the onset of the septicaemia is usually short. Deep in the abscess, anaerobic bacteria like Fusobacterium necrophorum can flourish. Fusobacterium necrophorum organism is found in the intestines of many species as part of the normal flora. It survives well in wet soil that has high manure content. Other bacteria are frequently linked with the disease, swollen cervical lymph...

Evans syndrome is characterized by immunized thrombocytopenia and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia is a condition in which the red globules which carry oxygen and carbon dioxide normally are destroyed by an autoimmune process. Evans syndrome assigns people of all the ages but is usually first diagnosed in the infants. Individually, the immunized thrombocytopaenia and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia assign people of all the ethnic groups but the syndrome of evans can assign the white people more than other ethnic groups. The causes of evan's syndrome is genetic. Between 5 % to 8% of Americans, up to 23.5 million, have the one or more autoimmune disease. The autoimmune...

Good pasture syndrome also called anti-glomerular vault antibody disease. Good pasture syndrome is a disease that affects the kidneys and lungs. It is an autoimmune disease a condition in which the body’s own security system reacts against several part of the body itself. When the immune system is working normally, it creates antibodies to fight off germs. It usually involves rapidly progressive kidney failure that develops in days to weeks along with lung disease. People generally are short of breath and cough up blood. Symptoms can rapidly become severe: Breathing can fail, and big amounts of blood can be lost. At the similar time, the kidneys can rapidly fail. There may be little amounts of...

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is a genetic disorder that is also known as Iliac Horn Syndrome. Nail-patella syndrome is a connective tissue that produces defects in the fingernails, knee caps, and kidneys. It is caused by mutations in a gene known as LIM Homeobox Transcription Factor 1-Beta (LMX1B), located on the long arm of chromosome 9. Nail abnormalities are seen in almost all individuals with nail-patella syndrome. The nails may be absent or underdeveloped and discolored, split, ridged, or pitted. The fingernails are more likely to be affected than the toenails, and the thumbnails are usually the most severely affected. In many people with this condition, the areas at the base of the nails...

Maffucci syndrome is a really rare disorder. Maffucci syndrome is a disorder which affects the skin and skeleton, causing benign cartilage tumors, bone deformities, and dark hemangiomas to grow. Maffucci syndrome is characterized by benign overgrowths of cartilage skeletal deformities, and dark red, irregular shaped patches of skin, resulting from benign growths on the skin consisting of a accumulation of blood vessels (hemangiomas). Maffucci syndrome affects both males and females. Patients are normal at birth and the syndrome manifests during childhood and puberty. The enchondromas involve the extremities and their distribution is asymmetrical. Disfigurations of the extremities are a consequence...

Morquio syndrome is a mucopolysaccharide storage disease. Morquio syndrome is a genetic disease of metabolism in which the body is missing or doesn't have enough of a substance needed to break down long chains of sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans. Lysosomes function as the primary digestive units within cells. Enzymes within lysosomes break down or digest particular nutrients. In individuals with MPS disorders, deficiency or malfunction of specific lysosomal enzymes leads to an abnormal accumulation of certain complex carbohydrates in the arteries, skeleton, eyes, joints, ears, skin, and/or teeth. These accumulations may also be predicate in the respiratory system, liver, spleen, central...

Muenke Syndrome, also known as FGFR3-related craniosynostosis. Muenke syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by the early closure of certain bones of the skull (coronal synostosis), which affects the shape of the head and face. Many people with this disorder have a premature fusion of skull bones along the coronal suture, the growth line which goes over the head from ear to ear. Other parts of the skull may be malformed as well. These changes can result in an abnormally shaped head, wide-set eyes, and flattened cheekbones. Muenke syndrome occurs in about 1 in 30,000 newborns. Most people with this condition have normal intellectual, but developmental impediment and learning disabilities...

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a uncommon health situation that affects the nerves outside a person's brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nerves convey sensory information (e.g., pain, temperature) from the body to the brain and motor (i.e., movement) signals from the brain to the body. Guillain-Barré syndrome is very rare: It only affects one or two people in every 100,000. Most of the people who do get Guillain-Barré syndrome recover and are bright to come back to their normal lives and activities. Guillain-Barre syndrome sometimes is triggered by a respiratory disease or the stomach flu. Guillain-Barre syndrome may be an autoimmune disorder in which the body produces antibodies that harm the...

Alport Syndrome (AS) is an inherited disorder of the basement membranes of the kidney, eye and ear. People who inherit defective genes for the "collagen" proteins in these basement membranes may develop progressive loss of renal function, deafness and abnormalities of the eye. In the kidneys, glomerular basement membranes normally act like filters, allowing fluid to move from blood vessels to urine while retaining protein and red blood cells within the bloodstream. Thus, one of the early signs of Alport syndrome may be leakage of small amounts of blood or protein into the urine during childhood.Collagen-containing membranes are also important for the shape of the lens of the eye and the structure of...

Zollinger-Ellision syndrome is the name given to a condition in which tumors form in the upper intestine or pancreas. Hormones are emitted by the tumors which cause increased acid production in the stomach, which leads to peptic ulcers. This syndrome is very rare – and less than one percent of duodenal ulcers are a result of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Generally, this condition is more commonly seen in people over 50 years of age; however, this disease can occur at any period in life. Symptoms of this condition are similar to those of peptic ulcer. For instance, common symptoms include heartburn and a burning or aching sensation in the upper abdomen. Addition symptoms include diarrhea, weakness...

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a form of child abuse in which a parent induces real or apparent symptoms of a disease in a child. The caregiver almost always is a mother, and the victim, her child. Because children are the victims, MSBP is considered a form of child abuse. There are different intensities and manifestations of this disorder. Symptoms of MSBP are hard to identify but are most prevalent when the child only becomes sick in the presence of his or her mother. The mother maintains a dynamic relationship with the physician, as the whole disorder is centered upon her need for attention from the doctor. It is most widely agreed that MBPS is caused by a need for attention and...

Dandy-Walker Syndrome is an inborn mind deformity involving the cerebellum (a region at the rear of the mind that controls campaign) and the fluid filled spaces around it. Parents of children with nifty walker syndrome may gain from hereditary guidance if they mean to get much children. There are a spectrum of abnormalities in this region that resemble the nifty walker malformations. This may assist explain why some of the newer descriptions of this irregularity relate to posterior fossa cysts and cyst-like formations quite than the classical nifty walker deformity. The syndrome is seen more often in females than in males. The main deformity of the mind, however, cannot be corrected, and these...

In 1998, Canada government passed the Social Assistance Reform Act, under which two new programs were created: Ontario Works, for short-term employable persons without any other resources, and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for disabled persons who were deemed eligible and require assistance for a longer period of time. Under bother programs, the needy people can find enough benefits to live life being self-dependant. Under the ODSP one can find a fixed amount for basic needs. The income support is payable to the “benefit unit”. The larger the benefit unit, the higher the amounts allocated for basic needs and shelter. Talking about the benefits, you can classify them into...

> Whilst it is true that we remember more of what we see than what we hear it is also a fact that what we feel has even more impact. Experiencing a situation builds a realisation that mere telling cannot. What we feel, hear and see has the power to touch us at an intellectual, sensory and emotional level. Much Disability Awareness Training relies on holistic approach to discrimination. It regards discrimination against those with a disability the same as discrimination against race colour or creed. In an academic way this is absolutely true. Discrimination is discrimination wherever it occurs. We can tell people that it is wrong to do and they will readily agree. Just as we would all agree...