When my daughter was 4 years old, she was eager to help. We wanted to find a way that would enable her help set and clear the table for meals. However, at the time she needed her walker or crutches to move around, meaning she couldn’t carry anything in her hands. We tried having her push an […]
Posts in the Encourage Independence category:
Visiting “the big robot” as a 5 year old
Today was Lily’s yearly MRI, and it seems fitting that my “Big Medical Tests – When Kids Have to Be Brave Beyond Their Years” post from last year popped up in my memories on Facebook. This year, her brave pillow looks much more worn, and her face looked super nervous as we entered the hospital for the […]
Liftware – Helping people with hand tremors eat more easily
I came across this product today, and it nearly jumped off the page at me. What a cool and really helpful way to use technology! It’s an eating utensil that makes it easier for people with tremors to feed themselves. The handle is electronic (comes with it’s own charger), and accommodates for the shaking hand while keeping […]
Deep thoughts about dancing…
This Mother’s Day weekend, I kept finding my mind flittering back to our 20 week ultrasound with Lily, and the time before she was born. The ultrasound tech mentioned Lily’s long legs and pointed toes, and my husband made a comment like, “maybe she will be a ballerina!” I remember seeing a look flutter across […]
Ladies & Gentlemen… we’ve gone all terrain!
From the moment my daughter started using her Kaye walker full time at 2 years old, I have had a dream. A dream of an all terrain walker that glides smoothly and easily over grass and dirt and mulch. A walker that doesn’t require muscle and struggle to cross uneven surfaces. Isn’t that a beautiful […]
Zubits – Adapting Shoe Laces – Open & close with magnets!
Tonight I came across a new product that I think could be life changing for many people who have trouble with their fine motor skills, or who have to wiggle and squish bulky braces (AFOs, etc.) into shoes. My daughter has challenges in both of these areas, so I’m super excited (and hopeful) about this new […]
A fabulous day for clothes & shoes!
When I think of all challenges we’ve faced over the last 4 years, the two that rear their ugly heads over and over again are clothes and shoes. Clothes: Over AFOs & twister cables Every day when I pick out Lily’s clothes, my mind is running scenarios. “Hmmm… I know these pants fit over her braces, but […]
Crutches & kindness
We met a pretty fantastic milestone last month. In some ways it seems little because we’ve slowly been progressing this direction for a year and a half. But it’s big because… well… we’ve been working towards it for a year and a half!! Are you ready?!? Drum roll please… Lily is using her crutches ALL MORNING […]
3 Signs You Might be an Ability Hacker
Sometimes when I tell people the name of my blog, they look at me sideways with a slightly puzzled expression. Eventually, the question comes: “What exactly is an Ability Hacker?” I decided it’s high time for me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys as the case may be) to put together a formal definition. […]
What does a peanut have to do with special needs parenting?
When tackling a herculean task, the people I work with will sometimes say “we just need to push the peanut forward.” I know, it’s a strange phrase, but I love the concept. What the saying means is that when a challenge is overwhelmingly large, and it feels like ultimate success may not ever be achieved, we should focus […]
Supercharged Hand Therapy… Constraint!
The absolute BEST thing we’ve ever done for Lily’s left hand is constraint therapy. When I first heard the details of the program, it scared me a bit, and made me feel like a meanie to consider doing it to my child. However, when I thought about it in the context of eye patching, which […]
5 ways to build hand strength and fine motor skills with everyday objects and activities
When my daughter passed the 6 month mark, I noticed that she kept her left hand in a fist most of the time. All the reading I did told me we should be concerned, so my insides kept knotting up as I obsessively watched her to determine whether her actions were typical or atypical. A few weeks later, […]
A simple fix for helping kids clear their place at the table
One of the things I feel very strongly about is that kids with limited mobility should be required to do as much as possible for themselves. This past week, I was trying to figure out how I could enable Lily to clear her own place at the table when I remembered a microwave cart we used to use for […]
Spring opens the door to playing outside – find an accessible playground near you!
This past weekend I sat outside under the bright sun and spring flowers, and drew pictures on the sidewalk with my kids. There is something magical about playing outside in the bright warmth after a long, gray, cold winter. I can’t seem to soak up enough of the sun. When I think about fun outdoor spring […]
Carrying an Easter Basket for Kids Who Use Walkers
Last week I posted about 8 Fun Easter Hacks for Kids with Varying Abilities. Since then, I found another one! During an Easter egg hunt, children using walkers can carry their own Easter basket by using a Think King Hook. We use the Think King hooks on our strollers for holding all sorts of things, including hanging […]
When has a story changed you?
Disability is a subject on which it is difficult to get people to engage. No one dreams of or hopes for disability to affect their life, so it’s logical that when the subject comes up people have the tendency to shy away or change the subject. It’s simply an uncomfortable topic when you aren’t neck deep in […]
ReelAbilities Cincy: “If you shovel the ramp, we can ALL get in!”
On Tuesday, I attended the LivABLE Luncheon as part of the Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival. This session featured a short film called The Commute about a man’s attempt to travel across New York City in his wheelchair. The film was followed by a group discussion about solving the everyday challenges facing people with disabilities as […]
Tripped up by good intentions and imperfect visions
Being a parent to a child with a disability can be a very humbling experience. Last year about this time, one of my biggest worries was getting Lily set up in a “big girl” bedroom before our new baby arrived in April. We hit road block after road block getting this seemingly simple task accomplished. My […]
3 Reasons Why You Should Never Underestimate My Child
My daughter recently aged out of our state’s early intervention program. As a result, she now attends preschool at our local elementary school, getting physical and occupational therapy as part of her school day. The initial process of qualifying for therapy and establishing her IEP was overwhelming and confusing. However, once we got past that […]
More flexible sitting solutions for kids who need extra support
After my article highlighting the Leachco Prop R’ Shopper for unstable sitters, I learned about a few other sitting help products which I want to share. I have not tried these personally, but I reviewed the comments and highlight key points reviewers have made below. Firefly – GoTo Seat The GoTo Seat looks like a wonderful way to […]