50+ Books for Special Needs Kids: The Ultimate List

This post contains referral links which means that if you purchase from one of my links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.  Don't worry, this won't cost you any extra!

If your child has special needs of any kind, reading them a book about another child with similar issues can make them feel less alone.  

When I got my kids a copy of "Special Like Me" which is a book about a boy with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome just like they have, they were pretty excited.  I even took it to the school and read it to each of my two oldest kids' classes.

For children with special needs of any kind, reading them a book about another child with similar issues can make them feel less alone.  

Books that focus on special needs of any kind are not just a great idea for the kids who have them, but for their peers, family, and anyone else who could benefit from learning more about the condition (hint: that would be everyone).

With that in mind, I spent several days researching and compiling this list of children's books about various special needs and disabilities.  I hope you find a book that works for your family!   

Easy No Sew High Low Vest Tutorial

This post contains referral links which means that if you purchase from one of my links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.  Don't worry, this won't cost you any extra!

I wear layers most of the time.  Sometimes it's a t-shirt and hoodie, but other times, when I have to look like adulty and like I didn't just roll out of bed, I throw a vest on over my shirt to dress it up.

One day, I was wishing I had a vest to go with a specific shirt I was wearing that day and then happened to glance at my mountain reasonably sized stash of fabric and realized that I had everything I needed to make myself a new vest.  10 minutes later, I was done and out the door.

Want to make the cutest, easiest fashion piece ever for yourself?  You'll need four things...a yard of knit fabric, fabric scissors, 10 minutes of your time, and a long sleeved shirt from your closet.

Seriously, that's it.  And don't worry.  You won't be cutting up your long sleeved shirt.   

My POTS Story: How an EDS Diagnosis Led to POTS

This post contains referral links which means that if you purchase from one of my links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.  

I remember sitting in the shade as a kid while my siblings ran around and played in the sunshine.  I had no interest in joining them because the sunlight made me feel "funny."  I didn't know it at the time, but it was the first symptom of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS.

Since I was a teenager, I've had chest pains.  They're sudden and sharp, and they feel like I'm being stabbed in the heart.  After mentioning it to my doctor, she ordered an echocardiogram and an EKG, both of which came back normal so I wrote it off as me being weird again.

When I was 18, I went to a two day Christian music festival and camped in a tent with some of my friends.  It was hot and sunny the whole time, and I was absolutely miserable.  I ended up sleeping in the tent most of the time, so dizzy and nauseous that I could barely stand.  When I was able to get out and listen to some of the concerts, the sun was so bright that I couldn't see and I got a headache from squinting so hard.  I thought I'd be fine when we got home, but a few weeks later, I was still so fatigued that I couldn't keep my eyes open and not feeling well at all.  I went to the doctor who diagnosed me with a severe chronic magnesium deficiency.    

See the whole "POTS Warrior" collection in the Sunshine and Spoons Shop

I have never fainted, but I've always had issues with being dizzy and lightheaded.  I black out easily and it usually takes me a minute to feel okay again after I stand up.

Just Like Me: Toys for Kids with Special Needs

This post contains referral links which means that if you purchase from one of my links, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.  Don't worry, this won't cost you any extra!

Kids love it when their toys look like them.  From hair and eye color, to any special needs that they might have, it helps them feel accepted.  They can also help kids feel less afraid of their differences or medical conditions.

My son Davy was only two months old when he had surgery to get his G Tube.  The day before his surgery, a nurse came into his hospital room with a stuffed bunny that had a G Tube just like the one Davy would be getting.  I practiced hooking the extension tube up on the bunny before and after Davy got his feeding tube which was much less stressful than having to practice on my screaming baby.  He got his G Tube out when he was 18 months old, but the bunny still sits on top of his dresser.  I plan to add it to his memory box when he gets older.

Toys that are adapted or created to have special needs or disabilities shouldn't just be for the kids who have them though.  What greater way to teach your child that it's okay to be different, have a feeding tube, or wear leg braces than for them to play with a toy like that?

Handsocks and Eczema Awareness Month

I was compensated in the form of product for this post.  Nevertheless everything in this post is my honest opinion.

October is Eczema Awareness Month.  Mild eczema is usually no more than an annoyance, but for people who have severe eczema, it can be downright miserable.

With four of us diagnosed with asthma, eczema is also a common issue in our family.  Davy's eczema is definitely the worst though.

The poor kid has eczema from head to toe and when it's flaring up, he's so miserable that he can't sleep at night.  He scratches until his skin is raw and open.  I do a skin care routine for him each night that includes a layer of triamcinolone (a prescription steroid cream), vaseline, and then vanicream.  The triamcinolone often burns when it's applied and so understandably, Davy hates his skin care routine.   Periodically, his eczema will flare-up so severely that nothing I do at home can get it under control again.  The only thing that works at that point is a round of Prednisone (an oral steroid) and antibiotics.

What Is Life Like with ALS?

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and it can make being a mom hard.  My kids know that there are days that Mommy has lots of owies and needs to rest.  I can't do a lot of activities with them like take them to the park or go for walks with them.

My EDS has given me a small taste of what it's like to be a mom with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).  Sarah from Speed 4 Sarah was diagnosed with ALS when she was 33 and her daughter was just two years old.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.  Early symptoms include muscle cramps and twitching, weakness in the limbs, and difficulty swallowing or speaking.  As it progresses, the muscles atrophy and eventually become paralyzed.  The survival rate is generally 2-5 years after diagnosis.

Giving Back Program Pick for October

In the past, I've selected March as a month to give back by donating a percentage of all sales in the Sunshine and Spoons Shop to a foundation or charity organization.  But now it's time to up the ante.

From now on, I will be selecting a different organization each month to which to donate 10% of all proceeds from the Sunshine and Spoons Shop during that month.  Each month, the new organization will be posted here so you can see who and how your purchases can help.  I'll also post the total from the month before.

As October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month, a cause that is dear to my heart (pun intended for those of you with POTS, haha) 10% off the proceeds from all purchases during the month will be donated to Dysautonomia International.

Be sure to check out the dysautonomia collection at the Sunshine and Spoons Shop to help raise awareness for and continue to fund research for dysautonomia.  Remember though that ALL purchases count towards the donation amount.

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@sunshineNspoons is donating 10% of all shop proceeds to @Dysautonomia International this month!

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Have a suggestion for next month's Giving Back Selection?  Leave it here!

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What are Dysautonomia and POTS?

Did you know that October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month?

Let me back that up a little....do you know what dysautonomia is?

If you said no, you're not alone.  Most people have never even heard of it.  I didn't know what it was either until I was diagnosed with it.