“Kids are Heroes”
Joey was recently recognized at the St Joesph’s Childrens Hospital “Kids are Heroes” awards for his volunteer efforts. Diagnosed PDD-NOS and ADHD, Joey has a huge heart and a love for giving back. We consider ourselves a “volunteer family” and philanthropy is something children need to learn at an early age. Joey has found that love and regardless of the activity, he gives it his all. It has also served as a great therapy tool because it has brought him out of his shell. My once, non-verbal, little man now tells people about autism [1] (to the best of his ability) and gets on stage and talks to adults at events to encourage them to give. He is certainly my hero and as he progresses I know he will become a voice for others. For now, I am Joey’s Voice and a very proud mommy of Joey and his two loving sisters!
~ Tiffany Sotelo ( Proud Mom)
Related: Why Volunteerism Matters for Individuals with Special Needs! [2]
Independence!
My son Brendan is 10 and has cerebral palsy [3]. He took his first independent steps a couple of weeks ago and we couldn’t be more proud!!!
~ Kelly Anderson (Proud Mom)
Video Modeling Success
My son, Nick, is 18 years old and has a dual diagnosis of Down Syndrome [4] and Autism. He has a vocational job in an elder care facility in which he does the vacuuming. The school staff made videos of vacuuming, and after watching them he was able to pick it up much faster than looking at pictures. I am so proud that he not only does such a good job at it, but that he is so happy and proud of his work. Attached is a picture of Nick in action.
~ Teresa Unnerstall (Nick’s Proud Mom)
Share a Proud Moment with us Next Issue! Proud Moments can be any time that you have been extremely proud of your child with special needs. It can be when they are giving it their all or reaching a milestone. You may feel you can only share your excitement or enthusiasm with someone that will really understand. We understand. [email protected]
Joey exhibiting an “I CAN” attitude Photo courtesy Tiffany Sotelo
Nick exhibiting an “I CAN” attitude Photo courtesy Teresa Unnerstall
Helpful Articles
- Think Camp Yes, You Can Send Your Child to Camp [6]
- Cody Breaking the Tape: How Disabilities Didn’t Stop Him in Life [7]
- Patricia Moody’s PATH to Success [8]
- Born This Way Is Paving the Way! [9]
- How to Find Your Special Child’s Spark? [10]
- How to Set Clear Goals and Plan Naturally [11]
- Let’s Talk Inclusion [12]
- Help Motivate Your Kids With This Powerful Tool! [13]
- Setting and Achieving High Expectations [14]
- Celebrities with Disabilities that Turned their Dreams into Attainable Goals [15]
This post originally appeared on our July/August 2012 Magazine [16]