Center for Family Involvement Blog
The Center for Family Involvement works with families to increase their skills as advocates, mentors, and leaders so that people with disabilities and their families can lead the lives they want.
Our blog shares snippets of the unique journeys many of us are on – from the celebrations, struggles, joys, pains, and more.
THE DREAM TEAM
An amazing school year is akin to spotting a unicorn when you have a child with a disability. You dream about it. You might sketch what you think it looks like. But actually seeing it, touching it, living it? It seems like we have better chances winning the lottery....
THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND OF FARTS
By Valerie Abbott Most parents would not categorize the sound of passing gas as one that sparks joy. In fact, many of us began gently teaching our children from a very young age that bodily noises, such as burps and farts, are sounds that should be avoided amongst...
COVID-19 TOOLKIT
The Center for Family Involvement and the Center for Disability Leadership at the Partnership for People with Disabilities have partnered to put together a toolkit to help individuals with disabilities and their families during this pandemic. This document has...
SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE SIBLINGS!
If there was ever a time to celebrate the siblings of individuals with disabilities, it is now. I have three children. Arlo is 9; he has Down syndrome, ADHD, hearing loss, and medical issues that make him high risk during this pandemic. Emil is 7, Maya is 4; they are...
THE LATEST ON MEDICAL CARE DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
COVID-19 is here. This pandemic has spread to every corner of the United States. This is just the beginning. The gravity of this crisis is still sinking in, when it’s over we will either be someone or know someone who has gotten sick. This is a particularly terrifying...
EMOTIONAL SIDE EFFECTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS
The novelty of this novel coronavirus we call COVID-19 is wearing off. At first everything happened so quickly and we were too busy to let it all sink in. Rush to the store to get supplies. Call doctors to renew prescriptions. Prep homeschooling materials to educate...
FEAR OF RUNNING OUT
By Valerie Abbott A few nights ago, I woke up in a deep panic. My heart was racing, I felt queasy. I turned to my husband, who was resting undisturbed - unaware that I had flung the comforter across the bed and that I was now standing up wide awake in the dark. I...
DEAF HISTORY MONTH – REFLECTOIN
By Irene Schmalz Deaf history month is rich with examples of successful people with hearing loss – my favorite being Helen Keller. History reflects the ongoing process that families’ experience with their own children with hearing losses. Each family’s contribution to...
THIS MESS WE’RE IN – IT’S OUR EVERYDAY REALITY
Pay attention to what you’re feeling right now. Take a moment to take it all in and really reflect on your thoughts and the cause of all of the anxiety. Stay calm and FEEL IT. Isolated. Restricted. Trapped Scared. Angry. Uncertain. Unemployed. Assigned inappropriate...
TAKE THIS TIME TO SLOW. IT. DOWN.
I turned off all of my alarms tonight. On any given day I have at least 8 alarms and notifications reminding me to do something. When everything shut down a week ago, I decided to leave two morning alarms on so my family of five could keep some sort of schedule....