I'm Being Myself

I've already conducted a webinar on puberty and adolescence in children with seizure disorders, made phone calls for my other job supporting advocacy efforts for kids in foster care, spoken to my sister about supporting Oliver with mindfulness meditation, gotten Sophie ready for an 11:00 orthotics fitting appointment that The Husband is thankfully taking her to, prepared for my afternoon meeting with the social worker from Medi-Cal and IHSS who will be appearing between noon and 2:30, hopefully closer to noon because I need to pick my boys up from school early because it's Tuesday, but not too close to noon because Sophie won't be back from her orthotic fitting, and she needs to be at the meeting so the social worker can ascertain whether she still needs benefits and am thinking ahead to this afternoon's semi-annual meeting with The Neurologist in Pasadena, hoping that she'll be in a better position to help ME get Sophie's medication added to Anthem's formulary so that I won't have to go to Vancouver, even though a trip away by myself in Vancouver is alluring.

There's a Mother-Son dance tonight, the culmination of Cotillion, and I'm kind of, sort of, hoping that Oliver will decide that he doesn't want to go. Because it's all too much. Then again, racing back from The Neurologist in Pasadena just in time to change my clothes to be squired around by my handsome youngest son is probably the brightest spot in an otherwise cockamamie schedule.

What are you up to, today?

Epilepsy and My Child

Looking forward to the webinar on December 13th, I wrote a brief essay in this month's Epilepsy and My Child Newsletter. You can read it by clicking HERE and scrolling down. My piece is titled Adolescence: The Developmental Milestone That Came on Time. The other articles are of interest, too, and we hope you'll register for the free webinar!

What I've Been Working On --

Forgive the repetitious posting of this flyer, but I am hoping to encourage many people to sign up for the December 13th webinar that I and my friend and colleague Jennifer have been working on along with Project Access and the Epilepsy Foundation. The webinar is FREE; you only need to register by clicking on the link in the flyer. Also, the webinar will be relevant to all children with special healthcare needs facing puberty and adolescence, so I'd appreciate you sending the information to your friends or anyone else who might be interested.

I hope to "see" you there!

Strategies for Success:

Communicating with Your Developmentally Disabled Child

During Adolescence and Puberty

Parents of children with severe epilepsies not only deal with the issues associated with epilepsy as a condition, but they may also face challenges with their child being unable to communicate verbally or having cognitive and developmental issues. Despite having a severe form of epilepsy, children continue to grow and will enter puberty and adolescence as any child would. Parents may be unsure how they are going to handle this stage of their children’s lives. Two parents, Elizabeth and Jennifer, will share their stories and our certified expert, Courtney, will provide helpful information for parents and youth on ways to communicate effectively during the pubescent stages and adolescent years. Also, the latest addition is Dr. Janelle Wagner, a psychologist who will provide information and data on the effects of epilepsy and relative conditions in adolescents and young adults.

Moderator: Elizabeth Aquino, Parent

Presenter: Jennifer Bertram, Parent

Featured Speaker: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Scientific Expert Dr. Janelle Wagner, PhD (Just Added)

Some topics that will be addressed:

Communicating with your child about his/her body changes

Social appropriateness and private behaviors

Assisting your pre-teen/teen with proper hygiene and care

.

If you are a parent who has questions or concerns about your child, please join us for this very informative webinar.

Link to register: http://ncpawebinar1.eventbrite.com/   

At the end of the webinar there will be an extended live Q & A session on the Epilepsy Foundation's eCommunities website.

Have questions? Submit your questions to the Forum before the webinar. Selected questions will be answered during the live event.

The information presented during this webinar is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician about all clinical care and treatment decisions.

Hosted by the National Center for Project Access of the Epilepsy Foundation. This event is funded by the Health Re-sources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau under grant # U23MC08582.

What I've Been Working On -- Please Spread Around and Attend

I work part time for Project Access with my friend and colleague Jennifer Bertram. We've been busy organizing and working on the following webinar. I would really appreciate you spreading the word to all those you know who have children and adolescents with developmental disabilities. And if you don't, but just want to hear how goofy I sound, register (it's FREE!) and listen!

December 13, 2011 1:30PM - 3:00PM pm EST

Strategies for Success:

Communicating with Your Developmentally Disabled Child

During Adolescence and Puberty

Parents of children with severe epilepsies not only deal with the issues associated with epilepsy as a condition, but they may also face challenges with their child being unable to communicate verbally or having cognitive and developmental issues. Despite having a severe form of epilepsy, children continue to grow and will enter puberty and adolescence as any child would. Parents may be unsure how they are going to handle this stage of their children’s lives. Two parents, Elizabeth and Jennifer, will share their stories and our certified expert, Courtney, will provide helpful information for parents and youth on ways to communicate effectively during the pubescent stages and adolescent years. Also, the latest addition is Dr. Janelle Wagner, a psychologist who will provide information and data on the effects of epilepsy and relative conditions in adolescents and young adults.

Moderator: Elizabeth Aquino, Parent

Presenter: Jennifer Bertram, Parent

Featured Speaker: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Scientific Expert Dr. Janelle Wagner, PhD (Just Added)

Some topics that will be addressed: 

Communicating with your child about his/her body changes

Social appropriateness and private behaviors

 Assisting your pre-teen/teen with proper hygiene and care

.

If you are a parent who has questions or concerns about your child, please join us for this very informative webinar.

Link to register

At the end of the webinar there will be an extended live Q & A session on the Epilepsy Founda-tion's eCommunities website.

Have questions? Submit your questions to the Forum before the webinar. Selected questions will be answered during the live event.

The information presented during this webinar is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician about all clinical care and treatment decisions.

Hosted by the National Center for Project Access of the Epilepsy Foundation. This event is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau under grant # U23MC08582.