A life in a Special Need's Parent World

[Guest guest]

Someone forwarded this to me and I thought it was so true!

You know you have a child with special needs when..........

You compare ER's instead of grocery stores.

You compare your child's oxygen saturations.

You view toys as " therapy.'

You don't take a new day for granted.

You teach your child HOW to pull things out of the cupboard, off the bookcases,

and that feeding the dog from the table is fun.

The clothes your infant wore last fall still fit her this fall.

Everything is an educational opportunity instead of just having plain old fun.

You cheer instead of scold when they blow bubbles in their juice while sitting

at the dinner table (that's speech therapy), smear ketchup all over their

high chair (that's OT), or throw their toys (that's PT).

You also don't mind if your child goes thru the house tooting a tin whistle.

You fired at least 3 pediatricians and can teach your family doctor a thing or

two.

You can name at least 3 genes on chromosome 21. (You really know your toast if

you can spell the full names correctly)

You have been told you are " in denial " by at least 3 medical or therapy

professionals. This makes you laugh!

You have that incredible sinking feeling that you've forgotten SOMETHING on

those few days that you don't have some sort of appointment somewhere!

You get irritated when friends with healthy kids complain about ONE sleepless

night when they're child is ill!

Your vocabulary consists of all the letters OT, PT, SP, ASD, VSD, IFSP,etc.

You keep your appointment at the specialist even though a tropical storm is

raging because you just want to get this one over with.....you waited

8months to get it.....and besides, no one else will be there!

Fighting and wrestling with siblings is PT.

Speech therapy occurs in the tub with a sibling.

When potty training is complete, you take out a full-page public notice in the

Washington Post.

When the Doctors/Specialist/Hospitals etc. all know you by your name without

referring to your chart.

You keep a daily growth chart.

You calculate monthly statistics for the number of times your child vomits, and

did this for more then one year.

You phone all your friends when your child sits up for the first time, at age

two.

With a big smile on your face you tell a stranger that your four year old just

started walking last week.

Her medical file is two inches and growing.

You have a new belief.....that angels live with us on earth.

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