Shameless Promotion!

Nominate Your Favorite Special-Needs Sites and Books

If you feel moved to act after reading the information below, please do so. The more nominations I receive the better chance I have of getting in the final voting process. Thank you for your help.

The 2011 Readers' Choice Awards on About.com

About.com's 2011 Readers' Choice Awards will showcase the best products, features and services in multiple categories, from technology to hobbies to parenting. Nominations will be accepted from Jan. 13 to Feb. 4 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Fill out this form in its entirety and click "Send Feedback" to have your favorite Special-Needs sites and books counted for our 2011 Readers' Choice Awards for Parenting Special Needs. Check back with Parenting Special Needs at About.com awards page to learn about finalists in other categories.

Winners will be announced March 15. There's no prize -- just the bragging rights that come with getting recognized by the readers of one of the biggest networks on the web. on Feb. 11, 2011 to see if your favorite special-needs sites and books were nominated, and visit our central awards page to learn about finalists in other categories.

Question: What Are the About.com Readers' Choice Awards?

Answer: The 2011 About.com Readers' Choice Awards will showcase the best products, features and services in dozens of categories. Readers' Choice grew out of a successful awards program on our Computing channel, and it's being expanded this year to include multiple channels, from technology to hobbies to parenting. About.com Parenting Special Needs is one of the participants this year. Nominations will be accepted starting Jan. 13, 2011. Voting will take place from Feb. 11 through March 8, with winners announced March 15. There's no prize -- just the bragging rights that come with getting recognized by the readers of one of a leading website owned by The New York Times Co. To learn more, visit awards.about.com. For information about the awards to be featured on the About.com Parenting Special Needs site, keep reading this FAQ.

Question: What Qualifies a Site for "Favorite Special-Needs Parenting Blog"?

Answer: The first category for the Readers' Choice Awards for the About.com Parenting Special Needs site is "Favorite Special-Needs Parenting Blog." To qualify for this award, a blog should be:

Written by the parent of a child with special needs
An active blog with recent postings
A blog with the primary purpose of sharing personal parenting experiences, rather than news or advice

** Everything in italics is taken from About.com's Special Needs Site. **

Comments

How I Make Being a Mom and Volunteer Work at this Group Home

In September, Ben celebrated three years living in a group home in Charlotte, North Carolina, with five other men. Ben lives 20 minutes from our house, and we see him several times a week for doctor's appointments, to drop off supplies, for group home events and sometimes because I just miss him. Ben occassionally sleeps over, and he often spends a weekend day hanging out on his favorite couch, watching videos at our house. This Easterseals PORT Health home is Ben's second placement. The first placement through another agency didn't work out, and he left after six months . We were wary of trying a new place, but it's worked out well. My husband, Ryan, and I have developed a partnership with ESPH. Over time, we've built mutual respect and trust with the residents and staff. Here's what's worked for us: 1. Get involved with the group home. Ben lives with five other men in a six-bedroom house in Charlotte. On move-in day, Steven, one of the residents, made ...

Gadgets & Gizmos - Part 6: Landeez Chair

We spent last week at the beach near Atlantic Beach in North Carolina. At Fort Macon Park , they have a special chair for people like Ben who may need extra help moving in the sand and water. The chair is made by Landeez . We were amazed by this chair. It did travel over the sand and in small amounts of water with ease. We bought an inexpensive strap to go around Ben's waist so he would not fall out. I thought that Ben could go farther in the water sitting in the chair, but it does eventually float...away if in too deep of water. Ben got tired of sitting in it and wiggled his way under the strap. For the most part, it is a great invention and it made it easier for us to keep Ben safe on the beach. If he had been interested in a long walk on the beach, this would have worked great for him.

Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities: From Group Home Placement to Discharge

Last August, we moved Ben into an alternative family living (AFL) placement, about 90 minutes from our home in Charlotte. It was a three-bedroom house and Ben was given the largest bedroom with its own bathroom. A typical AFL in North Carolina operates like this: a person with disabilities, the client, moves in with another family, couple or an individual. The client lives in the family’s home and the family receives payment in return for housing, feeding and caring for the client. Ben’s AFL was unusual: A couple with extensive caregiving experience wanted to run a three-bed group home but needed to apply for the license through the state. They were willing to take Ben as the first resident in a house, separate from the one they lived in. The plan, according to the couple, was to get approval for the group home within a couple of months. We ordered Ben a double bed, headboard, 54-inch television, new sheets, towels and blankets. Friends helped us move him in....

eSpecially Ben

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