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Comparing our kids to other families can make it difficult to see the wonderful things happening in our own lives. To avoid falling into this comparison trap with my 12-year-old Angel, Juliana, I focus instead on the awesome things she can do. Birthday celebrations are the perfect time to reflect…

International Angelman Day on Feb. 15 is a time to tell the world about Angelman syndrome. But for me, raising awareness is an everyday event. My reasons to support AS awareness are simple: It leads to better and more supportive care for those with AS, more research and…

Over the years, I’ve learned many lessons from raising a child with Angelman syndrome. However, I never thought there would be a lesson from a snow day. Although snow is a magical thing for many people, that is not the case for my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana. The big takeaway from…

Self-care for special needs parents is not the same as it is for other parents. I’m over reading articles that advise spa weekends, groups, and impromptu getaways as productive self-care. Like many things for special needs families, modifications are also needed for self-care, and please allow me to enjoy it…

Trip training is useful to help special needs children establish a toileting routine. With trip training, the child develops the ability to go to the bathroom by being taken at certain times during the day. This is the method we began using for our then-4-year-old Angel, Juliana, shortly after…

Deciding to get yourself or your child vaccinated for COVID-19 is a personal choice. For us, the facts outweighed the myths. My 10-year-old daughter, Jessa, and our 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, are now officially vaccinated. Well, almost. We made it through the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shots. But there…

We are now almost 10 years into our journey with Angelman syndrome and I’m still smiling. Not a cheesy, pasted-on smile, but a smile that says things are tough sometimes but we are doing all right. Traveling through life with Angelman syndrome is not an easy path to manage. Each…

Although they present a happy demeanor, Angels can have bad days. Or bad weeks, which is what happens when my 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, is sick. Her sweet disposition is there somewhat, accompanied by a mean little minion that seems to be sitting on her shoulder urging her to dish out…

My 11-year-old Angel, Juliana, has a fixation. A fixation is an intense focus or obsession. Some parents may view this as a bad thing, but experts say otherwise, and I’ve found Juliana’s obsession to be one of the most positive influences in her life. Since she was about 1…

There’s a really significant Christmas bell rolling around my house these days. The bell used to be an ornament. Now it serves as a reminder for me to be flexible and understanding. Along with a sense of humor, these traits are good qualities to possess when raising a child…