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Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Learn more about this website, which has been created for parents of children with disabilities or special health care needs.
Answering the tough questions now might save you a lot of pain and trauma later. A mother and father talk about why knowing the answers to the tough questions was so important when they lost their own son.
Are you prepared for the next disaster? Learn about one mother’s experience after Hurricane Harvey hit her community and get tips on what to think about when preparing your family’s disaster plan.
Giving birth to a baby who needs to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (N.I.C.U.) is incredibly difficult. Two parents who experienced having a baby in the N.I.C.U. share their frustrations, fears, and strategies for dealing with the situation.
When you look for help outside of your family, you’ll find that you aren’t alone. Turning to your community for services and support can improve your child’s quality of life and help your family focus on being a family.
Seeing your family as a team can help you face any challenge and give your children the unconditional love they need.
When you start your journey raising a child with a disability or special health care needs, trust your instincts and don’t forget about the joys of being a family. Two parents share what worked for them when starting their own journeys.
See the story of Brandon—a young man with a disability, a supportive home filled with friends, a band, and a great job. Brandon also happens to be a big fan of The Beatles—maybe their biggest fan of all time.
Receiving a diagnosis for your children is hard. But counseling can help immensely. Here are some tips from professional counselors.
When married couples with kids with disabilities decide to get divorced, it can still be a healthy, productive process—especially for their children. Here's one family's story of how they maintained a collaborative divorce.
Meet Travis and Amy, two young adults with disabilities who have created independent, vibrant lives for themselves. From an early age, their parents involved them in everyday decisions.
Meet George, a young man with special health care needs from rural Texas, whose family has found ways to give him fantastic opportunities—despite living where support services are less available.
Parents and their children on what made them decide to get help.
How connecting with other parents helps.
A mother shares her story of how she and her family have adapted through the years and provided everything needed by her daughter with special needs. Hear how their love and support have helped her develop and thrive.
A day in the life of the Geisinger family.
How parents have made it easier for their children to connect in the community.
Parents and respite caregivers on what respite care is, how you can find it, and why you need it.
A day in the life of the Barnes family.
Parents and kids on how to deal with bullying.
Tips from a military family about handling transitions.
Strategies from parents and children if your family has children both with and without disabilities and special health care needs.
A day in the life of the Sedas family.
A day in the life of the Rodriguez family.
Dads sharing lessons learned and what it’s like being a father of a child with special needs or a disability.
Speaking openly about mental health issues.
You know your child better than anyone. If you suspect your child has a mental illness, act now.
Learn what families can do to prepare for emergencies.
Hear from young adults with disabilities—and their parents—who recognize the power of smaller, everyday victories. Celebrate!
These children and young adults with disabilities offer their candid insights into what they wish their parents knew about them—their dreams, their expectations, and their love.
Parents of children with disabilities share their honest responses to the powerfully simple question: What do you wish you’d known when you first had your child?
Mothers of children with disabilities share advice on ways to stay informed about resources and services available to Spanish speaking parents. Many are not aware of the support available to them, however they can find what they need through websites and organizations.
Emergencies can be even harder to navigate for parents of a child with a disability, especially when their child needs special healthcare equipment. For Maureen and her son George, who is paralyzed from the neck down and requires total care, emergency preparedness entails much more than stocking food and water. Parents of children with disabilities must plan ahead and prepare for worst-case scenarios. Maureen shares her story of how she was able to find backup power sources to keep George’s healthcare equipment working during a power outage.