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You Know You Have A Child With Special Needs When
 by: Author Unknown

  • You compare ERs instead of grocery stores. 

  • You compare your child's oxygen saturations. 

  • You view toys as "Therapy." 

  • You don't take a new day for granted. 

  • You teach your child HOW to pull things out of the cupboard, off the bookcases, and that feeding the dog from the table is fun.  

  • The clothes your infant wore last fall still fit her this fall.

  • Everything is an educational opportunity, instead of having just plain old fun. 

  • You cheer instead of scold when they blow bubbles in their juice while sitting at the dinner table (that's Speech Therapy), smear ketchup all over their high chair (that's Occupational Therapy), or throw their toys (that's Physical Therapy). 

  • You also don't mind if your child goes through the house tooting a tin whistle. 

  • You've fired at least 3 pediatricians, and can teach your family doctor a thing or two.  

  • You can name at least 3 genes on chromosome 21. 

  • You  really know your toast if you can spell the full names correctly.  

  • You  have been told you are "In Denial" by at least 3 medical or therapy  professionals. This makes you laugh! 

  • You have that incredible sinking feeling that you've forgotten SOMETHING on those few days that you  don't have some sort of appointment somewhere! 

  • Your vocabulary consists of all the letters OT, PT, SP, ASD, IEP, ISP, VSD, IFSP, etc. 

  • You keep your appointment at the specialist even though a tropical storm is raging because  you just want to get this over with....you waited 8 months to get it....and  besides, no one else will be there!  

  • Fighting and wrestling with siblings is PT. 

  • Speech therapy occurs in the tub with a sibling. 

  • When potty training is complete, you take out a full-page public notice in  the Washington Post. 

  • When the Doctors/Specialists/Hospitals etc. all know you by your name without referring to your chart. 

  • You keep a daily growth chart. 

  • You calculate monthly statistics for the number of times you child vomits, and did this for more than one year. 

  • You phone all your friends when your child sits up for the first time, at age  two. 

  • With a big smile on your face you tell a stranger that your four year old just started walking last week.  

  • Her medical file is two  inches and growing. 

  • You have a new belief.....that angels live with us on  earth! 



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