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September 2010 Issue
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Membership - Stay InformedRead the September Digital Edition
Upcoming EventsHome Depot Kids’ Workshop
September 04, 2010 (All Day) “Football Display.” The free workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time...
Swim the Warm Springs
September 04, 2010 (All Day) Swim in the historic pools built by President F.D. Roosevelt as a place for therapy, in Warm Springs, Ga. Normally kept...
Annual Labor Day Weekend Concert @ Lake Martin
September 05, 2010 (16:30) Enjoy entertainment and gaze over the crystal clear water of Lake Martin in Alexander City. Bring your lawn chairs and...
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BANG!...and they’re off! School, activities, car-rider lines, homework, and bedtime routines--the race has begun and everyone is running fast and furious! With all the excitement of new schedules and the ‘finish line’ to reach, I have to remind myself to get into a steady pace that works for each member of my family. For me, going full force is the tendency. Unfortunately, I can lose steam quickly, and by February, just sitting out that last mile of the race becomes appealing. My oldest two children need a medium pace with built in ‘water breaks’ to allow room for their busy school year without the quick burn out. The younger two children are along for the ride! The major focus for them is providing a strong support team to keep them going and having fun. As for my husband, cheering us on and handing out the water along the way truly keeps the team morale up.
Every month we seek to offer families here in the Auburn-Opelika area with resources that enhace and encourage their roles as parents. We are so excited, this month, to offer our first Special Needs Guide. We plan on sharing this issue each year and the most comprhensive special needs guide in the area. If you find that we have left anything out of our guide, please contact 
Question: We have a special needs child, who will likely be under our care for the rest of her life. The doctors say there’s a good chance she’ll live to be about 40. We just finished Baby Step 3 of your plan, and have three to six months of expenses in our emergency fund. How does the situation with our little girl affect our retirement planning and college funding?
The school year is settling in, a new schedule is in place, and with it, new concerns. Packing nutritional kid-approved lunches can be a bit of a challenge. It’s easy to throw pre-packaged, store bought items in a bag and call it lunch. But packing nutritional lunches doesn’t have to be hard.
According to a recently popular saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” As all parents know, raising children can be a challenge. We are truly blessed in our “village” to have so many resources available to us for our children and especially for our special needs children. Special education needs, occupational and physical therapies, speech therapy, evaluation and assistance for the visually and hearing impaired, play therapies and many others are all available in our community. How to access these programs may seem a bit daunting and overwhelming at times, but working together with your pediatrician, it can be done.
Do you remember when your child learned to ride a bike? First, they were nervous and wobbly, not knowing what they were doing. You probably ran along beside them, supporting them and yelling words of encouragement. Eventually, you were able to let go completely, watching them ride down the street with great confidence and excitement.
It is a reality in our current culture that about 1% of families will have a member with autism, Asperger Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). These developmental disabilities make up Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are marked by difficulties in communication and social interaction. Affected individuals often have difficulty with change in routine, sensory issues, maladaptive behaviors and establishing and maintaining peer relationships. 
Yesterday as my two-year old, soaking wet and clad in a soggy swim diaper, climbed into my fully-dressed lap, I reflected on the brevity of this season. While spending a few moments in damp shorts may seem like an inconvenience, it is a fleeting one. Judah will not always want to climb into my lap and park it. 
Question: Our son was already registered for Junior-Kindergarten before we became aware that you believe in phonic-based reading instruction. He will be 5 in about three months. The private school we are sending him to teaches reading using what they call an “integrated approach” that involves both phonics and other methods. I’m thinking of buying a phonics-based program that’s used by lots of home-schooling parents and working with him on it before school starts. Is he too young for this?
