Special needs

The challenges of trick-or-treating with a wheelchair

The challenges of trick-or-treating with a wheelchair

Anchel Krishna's daughter is entering at a tricky age—and lifting her out of her wheelchair is becoming increasingly difficult.

Anchel Krishna

I worry my special-needs son is lost in the school system

I worry my special-needs son is lost in the school system

"The last two months have not been easy. We know little more now than we did before Isaiah was just about to start school. That says much about the process and the tremendously limited resources."

Charlotte Dobo

Parents of kids with special needs get asked the oddest questions

Parents of kids with special needs get asked the oddest questions

"Stranger: 'He’s not regular, is he?'"

Anchel Krishna

Coming to terms with my daughter’s learning disability

Coming to terms with my daughter’s learning disability

A few months into grade two, Ann started hating school. Through her tears, she told us that the work was too hard and that she wasn’t good enough.

Claire Gagne

Why I won’t stay quiet about my kid’s special needs

Why I won’t stay quiet about my kid’s special needs

Anchel Krishna’s culture is notorious for not openly discussing life’s challenges, but when it comes to her daughter's disability, she’s an open book.

Anchel Krishna

Why I love Sesame Street's autism initiative

Why I love Sesame Street's autism initiative

"The truth about autism is that there is no truth about autism. Each case is so singular, so individual, so unique."

Charlotte Dobo

What it’s like when your kid has bipolar disorder

What it’s like when your kid has bipolar disorder

Heather Bishop’s now 19-year-old daughter, Erynn, was just a toddler when Heather first realized something serious was going on.

Anchel Krishna

The problem with ADHD

The problem with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is real, but it is also often misdiagnosed. Here's how three families struggling with symptoms of ADHD found answers—and help.

Shawna Cohen

An open letter to my daughter on her fifth birthday

An open letter to my daughter on her fifth birthday

"You gave us the biggest gift of all: a new perspective that allows us to live in the present—in an honest and vulnerable way."

Anchel Krishna

5 things you should say to parents of kids with special needs

5 things you should say to parents of kids with special needs

1. "Hello!" This one’s simple.

Anchel Krishna

Explaining death to kids with special needs is extra complicated

Explaining death to kids with special needs is extra complicated

"I’m friends with too many strong, beautiful people who've lost their kids at very young ages."

Anchel Krishna

The cost of raising a special needs child

The cost of raising a special needs child

While Canadians enjoy their free healthcare, many parents of kids with special needs struggle to cover their costs.

Wendy Haaf

7 things I've learned from my daughter's diagnosis

7 things I've learned from my daughter's diagnosis

Anchel Krishna on what she's learned since her five-year-old daughter's cerebral palsy diagnosis.

Anchel Krishna

5 things we learned from sending our kid to camp

5 things we learned from sending our kid to camp

Anchel Krishna made a difficult decision for her daughter with special needs—she sent her to camp.

Anchel Krishna

Back-to-school anxiety when your kid has special needs

Back-to-school anxiety when your kid has special needs

"I feel like I'm tossing him to shark-infested, under-funded waters with children who can't possibly understand why he sees and feels things differently."

Charlotte Dobo

Boy with autism gives cards to strangers to explain his disability

Boy with autism gives cards to strangers to explain his disability

"I can understand why parents would want to preemptively explain away their child’s disabilities..."

Anchel Krishna

We desperately need a Canadians with Disabilities Act

We desperately need a Canadians with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act was created 25 years ago in the US. Why are we so far behind?

Anchel Krishna

Watch these two besties in wheelchairs break it down

Watch these two besties in wheelchairs break it down

Now watch them Whip, now watch them Nae Nae– these two cuties in wheelchairs have serious dance moves!

Emily Rivas

Does having a visible disability make life easier for special-needs families?

Does having a visible disability make life easier for special-needs families?

"My four-year-old daughter has a bright pink wheelchair that attracts a lot of attention—both positive and negative."

Anchel Krishna

Whoa—the amazing invention Lego is making for kids with disabilities

Whoa—the amazing invention Lego is making for kids with disabilities

Lego teamed up with a Columbian designer to create the coolest prosthetic!

Ashley Metzger