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OPWDD Eligibility

Browse information and advice that fits your lifestyle

Making Purim Work for Your Child

Parents share their best tips for navigating Purim overwhelm. Because with some prep and wise choices, you can have a Purim that feels manageable and enjoyable.

Hands Full Parenting: Helping Your Preemie Thrive

How can you help your preemie develop the skills they need to thrive?

Understanding Intervention Options

From OT to SLP: decoding the alphabet soup of therapies that help your child

How OPWDD Evaluations Work: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understand how to get an OPWDD evaluation — the first step in the OPWDD eligibility process

Social Scripts for Kids at Family Gatherings

Real scripts for real moments that your child can use to communicate clearly and confidently

Hands Full Parenting: Growing Through Adolescence

She’s an adolescent. And she had developmental delays. How to navigate both when parenting your teen

Circle of Support

I was so angry I threw the phone. It’s still not easy but I now know that challenges are blessings in disguise.

Never Say Never

It was an earth-shattering moment of realization. If the doctors were wrong, if I was able to teach my child one thing, I could teach her a million and one things.

Recognizing CVI: Ten Characteristics

The ten behavioral characteristics commonly seen in children with CVI: what to look for and how to help

Understanding CVI

CVI causes vision challenges in children with healthy eyes, and diagnosing it can unlock their vision potential.

Dancing with Crutches

My daughter got a diagnosis of long-term paralysis from the waist down... but she would go on to walk, run, and even dance.

Sight Unseen

A mother shares the story of navigating her daughter's Down syndrome, infantile spasms, and then, vision concerns — until she found the hope.

Structure on Days Off

Strategies for building structure and rhythm into days without childcare

Inclusion Without Overwhelm

Strategies for successfully including your child with special needs in your holiday family time and traditions

To Tell or Not to Tell

After receiving a diagnosis should you share with family and friends? How can you do so most effectively?

Rose Colored Glasses

We faced evaluations, therapies, financial burdens, and heartbreak. And through it all, I came to realize: I can see the world through a lens of grief and anger, or I can put on my rose colored glasses.

Summer’s Secret Skills

Progress doesn’t pause for summer – it just looks different.

Recognizing Early Signs of Autism

Learn which developmental markers and signs may suggest autism spectrum disorder so you can seek the necessary help and support.

Empowering Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is among the greatest gifts we can offer our children. So, how can we foster it? Let’s explore a few common behaviors worth reconsidering.

A Hug from Above

Sheindel's mother's story

Managing Panic Attacks

Fearing the fear can trigger more panic; here’s how to stop it in its tracks.

Smart, Simple Camp Prep for Kids With Special Needs

Eight strategies to ease camp transitions for kids with sensory or developmental challenges.

Hands Full Parenting: Sibling Rivalry & Negative Behavior

Applying the Hands Full parenting approach to your special child

The Colors of the Spectrum

We watched To Tell the World together—my teenage son and I. It unlocked the conversation we'd never had before.

The Essential Guide to Outings with Kids with Special Needs

Here’s a collection of real-world strategies to help make day trips feel less overwhelming for your child and your family.

Hands Full Parenting: Navigating Tantrums

Pathways to Potential Part 3

How Do I Get OPWDD Approval?

Securing OPWDD approval is the first step toward getting the support your loved one needs.

Indoor Winter Sensory Adventures

The wind is howling, and snow blankets the streets. Your child is frustrated and bored — and lets you know it at least every five minutes.

Defining IDD Levels and Severity

Learn about the four levels of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – mild, moderate, severe, and profound – with clear, concise definitions.

Life Skills for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Discover practical strategies to teach life skills to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Learn scaffolding techniques & step-by-step guides with ease.

The Sensory-Smart Gift Guide

Gifts for sensory-sensitive kids go beyond play—they’re a gateway to calming emotions, enhancing focus, and fostering key developmental skills.

Spina Bifida: Early Intervention

Embarking on the journey of caring for someone with spina bifida presents a unique set ofchallenges, yet early intervention opens a world of possibilities for yourchild's development and well-being.

Nothing to Hide

Our story starts when I was awaiting the birth of my fourth child, now a delicious six-year-old named Shloime.

Hands Full Parenting: Aggression & Emotional Health

In this series, I’ll respond to parents’ questions about behavior management, each potentially echoing your own experiences.

Yom Tov Transitions Made Easy

two elegantly dressed children at a festive table
NYC’s Top Accessible Adventures

NYC’s Top Accessible Adventures

Eight destinations that will welcome your child with special needs

The Yom Tov Parenting Survival Guide

Ten tips for managing Yom Tov with a special needs child

Understanding OPWDD Eligibility: What You Need to Know

Get clarity on the on the program that can help with the care of your child with special needs.

How Direct Support Professionals Enhance Quality of Life

What Is Com Hab and How Does It Provide Individualized Support?

Discover the benefits of Com Hab, who qualifies, and how it can help your family.

6 Benefits of Respite Care for Families of Kids with Special Needs

Encouragement for the First Day of School

Boost your child's confidence as he heads off to school

Understanding Social Anxiety Disorder

I’ll just go over and talk to him. He won’t bite. I’m going

A Parent's Guide to Cooking for Kids With Food Allergies

They say food is fuel, and as cliché as it may sound, its undeniably true.

What is Spina Bifida? An Overview

Raising a child with spina bifida comes along with a whole host of emotions

My Life in Holland

Fostering Independence in Children With IDD

Understanding IDD

People with intellectual disabilities can present with such a vast variety of impairments

What is Epilepsy?

Defining Signs of Dyslexia

Hands Full Parenting: Becoming the Therapist I Needed

How Dr. Sora Yaroslawitz helped her daughter thrive against all odds.

Understanding Down Syndrome

Early Intervention for Down Syndrome

Our Roller Coaster Ride

Life feels like a roller coaster. But I know I'm always in safe Hands

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Understanding Autism

If you’re a parent on this journey, know that our understanding of autism is ever-evolving, and staying informed is so important.

Autism Support

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can feel overwhelming. Navigating the world of autism as a parent – even more so.

Confronting Childhood Trauma

How to Support a Family Member with Anxiety

Practical tips for creating a calm and supportive home

Understanding Separation Anxiety

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Mental Health Disorder Prevention

Combating Depression in the Elderly

Understanding Depression

Understanding Anxiety

Adult ADHD Action Plan

Understanding Speech and Language Development

Helping Kids Sleep Better: Sleep Strategies for Anxiety

Sensory Processing Sensitivity Test

Does your child have sensory sensitivity? Take our quiz to find out

Strategies for Feeding a Picky Eater

Simple Sensory Activities to Try with Your Child

Decoding Diagnostic Tests

Understanding Common Diagnostic Tests for Children

The Ultimate Child Development Checklist

Understanding typical childhood milestones helps you spot delays early, so your child gets the support they need at the right time.