Choosing the right camp for kids with special needs and making sure they'll be safe there is a major source of summer stress for parents. Ease the worry with these safety strategies.
+ Choose the Right Camp
+ Assemble a Camp Information Packet
+ Prevent Camp Tragedies
Maybe your child's "camp" isn't the woodsy type but a preschool program, a periodic field trip, or a date with the babysitter. Observe these precautions for:
+ Picking a Preschool
+ Preparing for Field Trips
+ Finding a Babysitter
Too many days with nothing to do but watch TV and IM friends can turn your child's school-trained brain to mush. Keep learning going with these teaching tips and tools.
+ Teach Your Child to Read
+ Teach Your Child Reading Comprehension
+ Start a Reading Routine
+ Teach Your Child Healthy Eating
+ Teach Your Child to Keep a Journal
+ Games for Fun and Learning
+ Educational Software
+ Five Ways to Keep Learning Going
+ Five Alternatives to Harry Potter
+ Ten Texts for Summer Learning
So your little camper has come home with some little campers of his or her own. Lice aren't nice, but getting rid of them can be tricky when they're on the head of a child with special needs. Follow these offerings of lice advice.
+ Smothering Head Lice
+ Using Tea Tree Oil to Foil Head Lice
+ Beware of Lindane
+ Handling Head Lice When Your Child Has Sensory Integration Dysfunction
+ Teaching Your Child About Head Lice
+ Should Head Lice Keep Kids Out of School (or Camp)?
Whether your child has medical or mobility challenges, or just can't behave in a cooped up place for more than five minutes, travel can be less than tranquil. These articles can show you where to find help, and help you pass the time.
+ Get Special-Needs Aid from Airlines
+ Reduce Child Turbulence on Plane Flights
+ Keep a Big 'Bag of Tricks'
+ Kill Time with the "Dots" Game
You don't want to be the fun police, but unsupervised kids will undoubtedly find ways to get in trouble that you can't even imagine. Keep good times in bounds with activities and precautions that make you part of the action.
+ Teach Your Child to Cook
+ Be a Music Monitor
+ Work Out with Your Child
+ Inspire Reluctant Artists
+ Fun Things to Do Today
If your child gets PT, OT and speech at school, chances are summer marks a therapy vacation, too. These books will help you give your child some of what therapists offer.
+ The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun
+ How Does Your Engine Run?
+ Teach Me How to Say It Right
+ What Did You Say? What Do You Mean?
Sometimes the right equipment makes all the difference. Here's how to get the tools you'll need for at-home therapy.
+ Make Your Own Therapy Tools and Toys
+ Sensory Integration Tools and Toys
Bored, stir-crazy kids can bring bad behavior to whole new levels, but with the right tools and tricks, you can turn the tide and end the summer with better behavior than ever. Here's how to:
+ Analyze Behavior
+ Build Better Behavior Charts
+ Choose Your Battles
+ Control Your Reactions
+ Count to 10
+ Ease Transitions
+ Find a Prime Time-Out Spot
+ Help your Child Listen
+ Issue Better Ultimatums
+ Keep It Calm
+ Say What You Mean
+ Set Attainable Goals
+ Teach Your Child to Succeed
It's irresistible -- take those carefree summer months and use them to finally get to those New Year's resolutions. If you've got a project you're just itching to tackle -- and you're sure that itching's not sunburn or poison ivy -- get a little organizational help from these articles.
+ Top 5 Summer Projects
+ Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child
+ Teach Your Child Self-Care Skills
+ The "No Pants" Toilet Training Method - Potty Training for Children with Special Needs
+ Before You Potty Train
Getting kids with special needs geared up for summer with cool equipment and clothes will get a lot easier if you forego the mall and visit some online retailers. Follow these links to find gear for:
+ Swimmers with Special Needs
+ Children with Autism and an Attitude
+ Gifts for Children with Cancer
+ Children with Diabetes
+ Children with Food Allergies
+ Children Who Use Sign Language
+ Children and Teens in Wheelchairs
+ Those Who Love Someone with Autism
The loss of school routine can hit children with special needs hard, as much as they may celebrate the end of school. Help your kids de-stress with these guides to relaxation and anxiety-prevention.
+ Breathing Techniques to Relax Your Child
+ Guided Relaxation for Children with Special Needs
+ 31 Ways to Tell Your Child "I Love You"
+ Hug Your Child
+ Make Your Child Into a Burrito
+ Use an iPod to Calm Your Child
+ Teach Your Child to Control Anxiety
+ Teach Your Child to Stay in Bed All Night
+ Five Ways to Boost Your Child's Self-Esteem
Not for nothing, but your routine gets pretty messed up by school-free summers, too. If you're feeling the stress, grab a little "me" time to surf the Web, read a book, play a game, organize a project, or just relax.
+ Give Yourself a Time-Out
+ Parenting Special Needs Site of the Day
+ Special-Needs Beach Reads
+ Harried Parent's Book Club
+ Special Needs in the News
+ Question of the Day
+ Love Notes for Special Parents
+ Weekly Quiz
+ Alphabet Soup Quiz
+ Eight Quick Ways to Get Inspired
