Special Needs

Baltimore’s Child earned national recognition at The Parenting Media Association 2023 Design and Editorial Awards Program on Friday with 10 awards, including six top awards within their categories and an overall award for general excellence. The awards ceremony was held Nov. 3 at the PMA’s annual conference in Chicago, Illinois. …

These pages are part of a special, expanded inclusive section in the October digital issue of Baltimore’s Child. Read it here. 

“Why do you talk like that?” I heard the question come from behind me as I helped another child in the Sunday school class. “It’s just the way I am,” I heard my sister-in-law wisely answer the curious boy. My sister-in-law, Kara, was born with cerebral palsy. She was helping …

By Cheryl Maguire A group of medical school friends nominated Sasha Hamdani to create a memory book for their pregnant classmate. Hamdani worked hard on the task for several weeks. She printed pictures, gathered mementos and listened to stories about their friend. The book — meant to be a group …

Going on a family vacation is a great way to create lasting memories and have fun without the demands of everyday life. However, all parents know that planning a trip that works for everyone in the family is challenging. When a child has autism, there are some additional steps parents …

Playdates are an important part of childhood. They offer time for kids to interact socially without the structure of school or extracurricular activities. They also help kids learn to share, socialize and play freely while still having support from their parents as needed. Children who are neurodivergent, or who have …

Having four children in four years is a feat on its own, but starting a business when one is only 4 years old is hall-of-fame worthy. Keri Demos, owner and operator of The Playroom—a children’s STEM play center with daily drop-in playtimes, events, classes and camps for children ages 0 …

When I tell people that I use the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons in my group therapy sessions with individuals with autism, the question they ask is: “Does this really qualify as therapy? How can a game where you traverse an imaginary world completing imaginary quests and slaying imaginary monsters …

  Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can often exhibit sensory issues such as hyper- or hypo-sensitivity to various stimuli. As many as 70% to 96% of those diagnosed with autism can display signs of sensory dysfunction. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association added sensory sensitivity to a list …

  During Maya’s* first birthday celebration, her mother knew something was different. “We were singing ‘Happy Birthday,’ and she had such a blank stare. In that moment, I knew something was off,” recalls Elizabeth Chaillou, who perhaps had special insight into typical childhood milestones given that Maya is the youngest …