Compiled by Sarah J. Blake
Strong families are one of the keys to physical and emotional well-being. The articles on this site are provided in the hope that they will help to strengthen family relationships.
Sarah has worked for several years as a child care provider and advocate for families of children with disabilities. She moderates an email-based discussion group for parents of children who are blind or visually impaaired and is active on groups for family members of children with other disabilities. During the school years of 1992-1993 and 1996-1997, she directed a small youth choir at her church. She has also worked as a counselor and teaching assistant at a summer camp for teenagers with visual impairments and provided tutoring and consulting services for families homeschooling children with special needs. Sarah's academic background is in psychology and special education.
Sarah also has lived with disabilities all her life and has seen firsthand the impact that special needs can have on a family. Her efforts to improve her own family relationships contribute to her work on this site.
Making Child Care a Positive Experience for Children with Special Needs
One of the greatest challenges facing parents of children with special needs is that of finding a good child care provider and making the child care experience positive for the child. In this article, Sarah shares some tips for parents on communicating with the child care provider based on her experiences both as a child care provider and a blind child.
Creating Positive Group Play Experiences: Tips for Parents, Friends, and Caregivers of Young Children with Disabilities
Sarah shares tips for parents, family friends, and child care providers for addressing concerns about safety, learning about disabilities, dealing with teasing, and other factors affecting young children's friendships. Tips are also included for parents to use when nondisabled children are visiting their home.
Adopting a Blind Child: What You Should Know About Blindness
Sarah addresses common questions and concerns of families who are considering adopting a blind child.
Adopting a Blind Child: Adjusting to a New Way of Life
In this article, Sarah provides tips for families who have recently adopted a blind child or will soon bring home an adopted blind child.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
Sarah discusses general safety precautions and discusses the ways in which safety online can be handled with an attitude similar to the attitude many blind people use when evaluating safety in other situations.
This page is part of Growing Strong, a site designed and maintained by Sarah J. Blake. Sarah is the author of several books and provides tutoring, consultation, and other services. Please click the link above for more information.