Special Needs Children – Kathleen M. Basi

The “Daily Buzz”

By: Kathleen April 16, 2021

disability, Down Syndrome, Julianna, Special EducationDevelopmental disability, Disability, Down Syndrome, Special Education, Special needs, Special Needs Children, special needs parenting2 Comments

One of my daughter Julianna’s IEP goals for this year is to learn to express herself in writing. We’ve always had trouble getting from her what is going on in school; she needs help learning to bring what’s in her head, well, out of it. Her absolutely fabulous teacher identified that as a real need…

An Update On My Chromosomally-Gifted Girl

A few weeks ago I posted on Instagram about my chromosomally-gifted girl’s adventures in color guard costuming. The response was so sweet, it reminded me that for all my personal interests of music and fiction and photography, it’s my daughter you all like to read about the most. It’s been quite a while since I…

IEP Day

By: Kathleen May 1, 2019

disability, Down Syndrome, UncategorizedDevelopmental disability, Disability, disability advocacy, IEP, Special Education, Special needs, Special Needs Children, special needs parenting2 Comments

This is what #IEP prep looks like: notes from parent advocate, part A and B. The first draft of the IEP, from which the comments came, split in two: the half we got through last week, and the part we have to do today—the goals, i.e the basic shape of her middle school experience. Finally,…

Fun With IEPs

By: Kathleen September 25, 2017September 25, 2017

disability, Down Syndrome, education, IEP, UncategorizedDisability, Down Syndrome, education, IEP, Julianna, Special Education, Special needs, Special Needs Children, special needs parentingLeave a Comment

Fun fact: I spent 2 1/2 years as a music ed major before deciding all I really wanted to do was play my flute, and I universally hated every one of my education classes. The class that broke me and caused me to switch? Special Education For Non-Special Educators. It took me until Julianna was…

Being Clear-Eyed About My Special Needs Child, And My Responsibility To Her

By: Kathleen August 14, 2017August 14, 2017

disability, Down Syndrome, parenthood, parentingDevelopmental disability, Disability, Down Syndrome, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, Special needs, Special Needs Children, special needs parenting3 Comments

¾ of the way through Day 3 of iCanBike camp, the gym at the YMCA was starting to get less crowded as the more successful campers started heading outside with their volunteers to transition to independent riding. The speakers were playing “give ‘em hell” music like “Eye of the Tiger” and “How You Like Me…

On Julianna, at the end of Grade 2

By: Kathleen May 23, 2016May 24, 2016

disability, Down Syndrome, education, Julianna, UncategorizedDevelopmental disability, Disability, Down Syndrome, education, Julianna, Special Education, Special needs, Special Needs Children3 Comments

Every so often, I like to share some of Julianna’s school work and progress. I need to be clear: this is not a total picture of Down syndrome. It’s not even a total picture of “what a person with Down syndrome can do in the second grade.” There’s a vast range of ability among people with…

Special Exposure Wednesday

By: Kathleen September 22, 2010September 22, 2010

child development, Down Syndrome, education, Julianna, parentingchild development, Down Syndrome, parenting, Special Education, Special Needs Children16 Comments

I realized something this week: It’s never going to end. For the first two and a half years of her life, my sight was focused on getting Julianna mobile. Crawling, pulling up, and all the other steps along the path to walking. I knew that on the far side of walking lay teaching her to…