Recently a kid in my daughter’s class giggled and said, “she can’t talk!” It was the first time I’d seen my kid get teased. When I first put Little Bird in this inclusion program, it was suggested to me by a mom whose son had started in a mainstream class the year before that I [...]
A Few Months back I Posted an article about Special Needs videos On You Tube. One of those videos is about Jason McElwain a High School kid with a passion for basketball. Although Jason had autism it didnt stop him from participating in varsity sports. And when given a chance he made the most of it. [...]
This article appeared in the Augusta Chronicle Meet Adyson Wise. She’s 2 years old, her favorite color is pink and she loves watching Sesame Street. She frequently laughs for no apparent reason, sings Ring Around the Rosie with gusto and vigorously resists her mother’s efforts to brush her hair. Not far from her home in North Augusta [...]
My husband and I moved to Michigan eight years ago from California. We arrived completely alone, knowing no one. After a few weeks, we met a couple named Yisrael & Devorah Pinson and we immediately became friends. One night, Yisrael invited us to go downtown for a fundraising dinner. We had no idea what the dinner was for, but [...]
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News Donovan Johns was 3 years old when he was diagnosed with autism after his parents noticed he struggled with speaking, expressing his needs and interacting with others. His condition has since improved dramatically, his parents say, after therapies that have cost them tens of thousands of dollars. Donovan’s family [...]
By Remy Nirschl During one heated moment with tears in her eyes, the look my neuro typical daughter gave me, said it all, “I’m here too, mom”. Nicole, my twelve year old daughter, is considered neurotypical compared to her brother. Yet, having a younger brother with autism is not very typical at all. One evening, [...]
Friendship Circle is an amazing place. From the purple sand in the tactile room to the cheese pit here, the first time I visited, I knew my kids would never tire of playing here…and they don’t. What I didn’t know is that the people here would be even more alluring than the toys and the [...]
There is a story about the ficus tree in the middle of a building. And one about a girl whose self-esteem had bottomed out. And one about a donor whose wife wanted to keep money in Michigan. Bassie Shemtov weaves these stories into my tour of The Friendship Circle, an extraordinarily successful non-profit that serves [...]
My bird is a sensory seeker. She loves feeling things and really getting the sensation of feelings things. She craves that input. Today she played with some shaving cream. I put down one of those plastic mats that we used to “catch” foods that were thrown off of her high chair, then I grabbed a [...]
