Anna has one child and lives in Fairview Park
What do you do to relax?
Watch TV shows and movies
What else would you like to tell us about yourself?
I am a past intervention specialist and now a stay-at-home mom to support my son’s needs and therapy schedule.
What benefits has Connecting for Kids brought to you and your family?
Free and convenient Music Therapy & More and Adapted Playgroup programs that make us feel welcomed and safe.
Which have been your favorite Connecting for Kids resources?
Music Therapy & More and Ask Us 1:1 parent resources.
My greatest lesson learned was...
To set and follow realistic, measurable goals. For example, you feel like you need to be working on therapy skills as much as possible during the day. Ask your therapists how many minutes they expect a day, and it will likely be a realistic amount of time compared to the unrealistic time you decided in your head.
The best thing about parenting a child who struggles is...
We have and will have such a strong bond. I feel like I get extra “baby phase” time with my son. He is not mobile and very snuggly. We can still go out to restaurants and enjoy ourselves.
The most difficult part of parenting a child who struggles...
How time-consuming and emotionally exhausting it is. We have extra layers on top of the typical parenting stressors. It feels unfair that simple everyday tasks like feeding, transitioning and playing take us more time, effort and practice when other kids do it all naturally without support.
Do you have any recommended resources such as blogs, websites, or books that we can share?
Any Facebook page for your specific diagnosis, local groups, equipment resale, etc. Overcome the Overwhelm for Special Needs Moms podcast.
Is there anything else about your journey that you would like to share with other parents?
I think more education on healthcare and other sources of funding would be helpful, especially right after you get a diagnosis. I am still unsure if we are getting the coverage we need or that we could have.
