Special Needs Archives

Like many Jewish moms, Jody Barrens Moran fretted about her son's bar mitzvah. But Barrens Moran didn't just worry whether her son would have a good time, or whether the caterer would be any… good. She worried about whether he could have a bar mitzvah at all. Max, 13, is nonverbal and can’t walk without assistance. While he has significant developmental delays, doctors haven’t been able to diagnose why. However, Barrens Moran was determined to do something meaningful for his big day. And she did: According to Jewish Journal, in… >> Read More

Israel

This Israeli Paralympic Athlete and Mom Is So Inspiring

Lior Zaltzman

Israeli athlete Moran Samuel was 24 years old, and well on her way to making her passion for basketball a career: “That was my dream. If you had opened up my chest you wouldn’t find an… anatomical heart,” she says, “you would find something round and orange and it had stripes and it was bouncy because that’s what I had for a heart.” Then one day, tragedy struck. In this moving video, the 35-year-old Paralympic athlete and world champion tells us how she revived her sports career after feeling like she… >> Read More

Books

Archie Comics Now Has a Character with Autism

Joanna C. Valente

There's character in Riverdale and her name is Scarlet. Even if you're not a particularly huge fan of comics, this is awesome. Archie Comics is making the move to becoming more inclusive and diverse,… as Scarlet will join the Riverdale world as a character with autism. The announcement came right in time for World Autism Awareness Day. Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit said how the new character gives readers examples on "inclusion and friendship," tweeting out the news. Ultimately, however, it's a way for kids to connect with a character like themselves, Silberkleit told us:… >> Read More

Autism

This Mom Created Free Safety Kits for Parents of Kids with Autism

Joanna C. Valente

Having your child wander off is a nightmare. It's every parent's worst fear to suddenly realize their child is missing, whether it's in their own backyard or from their after school program. This… happened to one mom, Natasha Barber, whose son has autism -- and because of that, she decided to do something about it. And luckily, her solution is free for everyone. Barber's experiences raising her son, Joshua, made her realize how few resources there are for parents with kids who have autism. Safety can be a concern. One… >> Read More

Special Needs

This Jewish Mother-Daughter Team Could Change A Girl’s Life, One Bowl of Soup at a Time

Sara Polon

A confession: I mock social media publicly. I loudly echo the sentiments expressed by so many — that social media is changing the way we interact with each other; that it can cause depression and… anxiety; that we all need to step away from the lure of Facebook. But, privately, I love it. I secretly enjoy looking at the pictures of my friends’ children. I don’t mind learning about big life events — engagements, births, and more — via alerts on my smartphone. I love reading the articles apparently chosen… >> Read More

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