Once a week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review gives you a quick description of everything that hit the blog in a given week. This is a great way to figure out if you missed anything that you wanted to read. It can also be helpful for those of you who want to scan through it, to find blogs that are specifically relevant to your family’s situation.
Oklahoma Judge Rules School Vouchers are Unconstitutional
School vouchers seem to be very controversial right now. In Oklahoma, there is a law called the Lindsey Nichole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Act. It allows students who have special needs to receive a school voucher so that they can attend a private school that can meet their needs better than the public school can.
The problem is that the private schools involved in the program are almost all Christian schools. The Oklahoma state constitution specifically does not allow taxpayer money to go towards funding religious organizations.
The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on March 26, 2012. This week, I would like to point out an episode of The Coffee Klatch that features “Noah’s Dad”. He is a father that blogs about his experiences of being a dad to a child who has Down Syndrome.
Judge in Florida Rules Medicaid Must Cover ABA
There is a law in Florida that requires private health insurance companies to cover the cost of applied behavioral analysis treatment, (ABA), for children who have an autism spectrum disorder. Medicaid is a public form of health insurance that covers people who are low-income. Medicaid was not covering the cost of ABA treatment. A judge has ruled that Medicaid now must start covering ABA therapy, just like the private health insurance companies are required to do.
Mattel Will Make a Bald “Fashion Doll” for Kids with Cancer
A group has been requesting that Mattel, the maker of the Barbie doll, create a “Bald and Beautiful” Barbie. The group believed that the bald Barbie would help children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. Mattel is not going to make a “Bald and Beautiful” Barbie, but it will make a bald “fashion doll” friend of Barbie. The bald “fashion doll” will be distributed to hospitals and to an Alopecia group.
Where to Find a Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny
Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder, a sensory integration disorder, or other types of special needs can find it really difficult to visit with the Easter Bunny. Several places have started doing a “Caring Bunny” event that has no crowds, noise, or bright lights. Here are a few places to find one of these events.
More Places to Find a Sensory Friendly Easter Bunny
Here are a few more places to find a “Caring Bunny” event to take your child to. You might also want to check your local newspaper, to see if there will be one of these events located near where you live.
Image by Charlene McBride on Flickr