Parenting for Special Needs child can be challenging, you have to learn new rules, new laws, and a set of new language. Are you ready for IEP, ISP, ADP, SLS….?
Our child Victoria has experienced so many challenges in her life from birth until her young adulthood now. Despite all her challenges, she has dramatically grown and improved tremendously because of all the teaching and guidance and support from FCSN for many years now. Victoria is very happy and loves going to FCSN. Continue reading Thank You To Our FCSN Family & An Incredible Journey
I have learned so much in my journey of raising a kid with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Three learnings came out on top: love and patience, a growth mindset, and teamwork. Continue reading A Village, A Community, And Teamwork
Between supervising Family Gatherings, attending FCSN Voices meetups, and overseeing other efforts to help out the special needs community, adult volunteer Wei-Jen Hsia has become a vital part of FCSN’s volunteering team. Since joining in 2008, she has become a dedicated adult volunteer for numerous programs, most notably FCSN’s newsletter, FCSN Voices, and the semesterly Family Gatherings. Continue reading Interview with Wei-Jen Hsia: An Adult Volunteer’s Journey
Food and Nutrition Series #8
FCSN Voices has initiated a series of interviews with Dr. Lucy Qiao on topics related to food and nutrition for individuals with special needs. In this interview, Dr. Qiao discusses the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) issues in individuals with special needs. She breaks down the three major types of GI issues and explains why they are so common within the special needs community. She also shares intriguing discoveries from current research on the gut-brain axis, a topic found to have strong links to autism and special needs. Continue reading Interview with Dr. Lucy Qiao: Gastrointestinal (GI) Issues in Individuals with Special Needs
Food and Nutrition Series #7
FCSN Voices has initiated a series of interviews with Dr. Lucy Qiao on topics related to food and nutrition for individuals with special needs. In this interview, Dr. Qiao discusses her personal journey as a mother of a child with autism. She shares her insight on the importance of nutrition, as well as her experiences with establishing healthy eating habits and providing a balanced diet for her child. She also offers valuable advice and strategies for other parents facing similar challenges. Continue reading Interview with Dr. Lucy Qiao: Establishing Healthy Eating Habits
Special needs adults are often challenged with the difficulty of finding affordable and sustainable housing. According to the Center for American Progress, nearly 25 percent of more than 580,000 homeless people on any given night in the United States have a disability. FCSN members Alice Liu and Edmend Lin, along with other parents, tried two different approaches – an accessory dwelling unit and a dwelling owned by a parent LLC (limited liability company) – to address this issue for their beloved ones. Continue reading Parent Sharing on Housing Topic
“I realized, in a lot of ways, my sister was more intelligent than me,” DeAnna Purcell, co-founder of the College of Adaptive Arts recalls about her sister. “She never had her full abilities cultivated, honed, or supported properly.” DeAnna’s sister, Angel, was born with Down syndrome, a disorder of the body’s chromosome 21. Throughout her life, all her education has been through the public education system, a system that often isn’t able to fully support students with disabilities and thus, quickly becomes stressful for them. When Angel aged out of secondary school, she had no place that could allow her to continue her education while also providing her with the support she needed. Angel was DeAnna’s motivation for co-founding College of Adaptive Arts, the first lifelong learning model for adults with disabilities, in 2009. Continue reading College of Adaptive Arts Empowers Different Minds
Two years ago, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) introduced the Self-Determination Program (SDP) through Person-Centered Planning at an open house. Susan and Yong were quick to sign up for the pilot program, as their son Branden was in the last year of the Young Adult Program at the time. Although Branden was able to keep up with his academic workload, his autism manifested as extreme shyness that prevented him from communicating with others. Susan realized that if Branden were to graduate and enter the real world, he would struggle to survive on his own. In light of this urgent situation, Susan and Yong saw that the Person Centered approach of the new SDP could help Branden achieve independence and become an active member of the community. Continue reading Supporting Branden Through the Self Determination Program (SDP)
Food and Nutrition Series #6
Some people suffer from food intolerances, causing their bodies to experience immense discomfort which manifests in hyperactivity or self-injurious and aggressive behaviors. Addressing these food intolerances can result in drastic improvement in one’s quality of life. For this edition of the Food and Nutrition Series, Anna shares her journey with the gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet for her son Lawrence. Continue reading Food and Nutrition Series: Anna and Lawrence’s Gluten-Free Casein-Free Journey
Food and Nutrition Series #5
A food intolerance is caused by one’s body not being able to digest a certain food or an ingredient in the food. For this edition of the Food and Nutrition Series, FCSN parent Jia shared the challenges her daughter Alice faced as a result of gluten intolerance and their journey together in order to manage this condition. Providing inspiration for other families dealing with a similar situation, this article presents the story of a mother’s determination to help her daughter and advice that she would share with the community. Continue reading Food and Nutrition Series: Jia and Alice’s Gluten-Free Journey
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