I thought it would be a nice idea to start a post for those of us with special needs children. My son is 12. He has Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Anxiety, OCD and ADHD. He is such a ray of sunshine, he's my baby and just an all around wonderful kid. He's so darned cute it's not even funny. He has dimples that when he smiles, his whole face smiles. I love him so much,,he's hard to handle and it's been a struggle but God gave me someone special to raise and so I do the best I can. His issues haven't really affected my having a sleeve but since my diet has changed, so has his and it has helped him with focus a little. I hope to meet other moms and dad's who have kids with special needs so we can share stories and information.

Peace queen you have said you live in frankfort I live in louisville U of L has a program called Stars for kiddos with pdd is there any programs there I am a therapist and work for a big community mental health care we are seeing more kiddos with pdd

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I have to give you moms a giant hug for what you do - you are truly amazing.

I am not a parent of special needs children but I have triplet brothers who are special needs dual diagnosis for each one. This is a subject near and dear to me. I am trying to convince my mom to have the surgery. Although my brothers are 42 and have their own place and caregivers, life is still a challenge for my parents. My mom could get around better for them with the weight off.

Peace queen you have said you live in frankfort I live in louisville U of L has a program called Stars for kiddos with pdd is there any programs there I am a therapist and work for a big community mental health care we are seeing more kiddos with pdd

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I live in Lawrenceburg, close to F'fort. Could you send me more information about this program? Is it for the Louisville community children or offered to anyone? There are programs for autistic children but it's hard to find a program geared specifically for pdd kids. The spectrum is so wide..my son is high functioning with particular needs whereas some children have extreme difficulties and have a variety of needs. Finding programs for pdd would be awesome. My son was involved in one group but it terminates once the child hits junior high

Thanks for this! My daughter has been diagnosed with adhd autism spectrum v. Severe reactive attachment disorder. Ocd anxiety to name a few. I stress eat, so in the last 8 years. Since she came to live with us, i have put on 75 pounds. I need the sleeve as a tool to help me remember to eat reasonable portions and think about what I put in my mouth. The moe stress the more i eat the worse i feel a out mself which stresses me out more. I need to stop the cycle, i need to feel better about myself, feel healthier so I can tackle this lifetime commitment befor me. I am just now sitting in the psychiTrists waiting room in an emergency visit as my daughter appears to be decompensating.

I'm the single parent of a 16 year old with a mild intellectual disability and speech impairment. I had her when I was 20, so my life as I knew it ended with her birth. I gained 60 pounds during my pregnancy, and she came at 28 weeks gestation, and spent a month and a half in the hospital before coming home. As we were both growing up together, I ate my way through emotions, depression, and disappointment in myself. I had to stop attending college because she was medically fragile, and as she got older, she had speech, PT, & OT twice a week every week. My entire 20s and early 30s were spent trekking back and forth to doctors and therapists appointments, so keeping myself healthy was the last thing on my mind. I finally finished college when I was almost 30, and jumped right back in for graduate school, which I just graduated this year at the age of 36. The journey of being a parent to a special needs child has been hard, but definitely rewarding. She now participates in numerous Special Olympics sports and she cheers on a Special Needs Cheerleading Squad. She's the typical teenager who has an iphone, and wants a car. I tell her that we would have to evacuate the streets everytime she leaves the house, lol.

It was suggested to me that I request a seperate forum specifically for parents and family members with special needs kids. I made the request and so I hope to hear something soon.

My daughter has a development disorder with her eyes. "Usually" it comes along with other things that might not manifest until the child is 10 or so. At this point it's purely a cosmetic thing that she can naturally compensate for if it ever bothers her. But I guess we'll see what develops in the next few years.

When I was in highschool and early college I worked with special needs children, and then later with adults. Everything from TBI to autism to profound developmental disabilities - you name it. I mostly enjoyed the work (there are some things that really have no joy, even if you try your hardest to see the silver lining) - but I could, and eventually did, walk away from it. Hats off to you guys who can't walk away from it, and deal with it because it's a part of who you are now. Military families like to say they have the toughest "job" -- pshaw.

Agree with the poster above. I worked with kids on the autism spectrum through college and grad school and never have I met a group of more dedicated and loving parents. My inspiration to go to law school stemmed from working with families and seeing how difficult it was for them to have access to appropriate services for their children. My career veered off path somewhat (I still represent children, many with bipolar disorder and ADHD), but will forever be grateful for the experience I had working with those kids and their families. You are all amazing people!

It was suggested to me that I request a seperate forum specifically for parents and family members with special needs kids. I made the request and so I hope to hear something soon.

A new group if any of you would like to join,,here's the link.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/groups/show/162-sleevers-with-special-needs-childrenf/