Special Needs Abu Dhabi: 9/26/10

Welcome to Special Needs Abu Dhabi

Raising a child with special needs can be, in itself, quite challenging. Raising a child with special needs in a new country seems to add much more to that challenge. I started this blog shortly after my husband and I, and our two sons, moved to Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2009. We lived there for under 2 years and are now living back in the United States.

Our oldest son, AJ, has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. Finding the resources in Abu Dhabi to help him with his special needs was an ongoing effort. In the U.S., the public school system provides testing, accommodations, and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with special needs, so we were spoiled there -- and dismayed at the seemingly apparent shortage of resources available to ex-patriot families (aka "ex-pats") in Abu Dhabi.

There are resources available in Abu Dhabi -- you just have to know where to look. Which is why I started this blog. My hope was to bring together in one place information to help parents of kids with special needs... so you will at least have a starting point. I also wanted this to be a place where we can reach out and support one another with advice and sometimes just a shoulder to lean on.

We have been back in the U.S. for about a year now, and I haven't written on the blog since the move -- until now. There have been a few parents who found the blog and wrote to me for advice -- and I have been happy to give it. I'm glad that it continues to serve its original purpose of helping ex-pat parents to find resources in Abu Dhabi to help their kids with special needs.

Recently, I have begun feeling the need to write again, but I've been unsure how to move ahead with the blog. In hindsight, I don't know if life is any less challenging in the U.S. than it was in Abu Dhabi. There are still daily struggles. I continue to advocate for my son who has ADHD -- to get him the help in school and in life that he needs in order to thrive, learn and grow. There have been steps forward and backward. I have felt hopeless and hopeful.

If you are in Abu Dhabi, or considering a move there, please leave a comment. If you know of resources that you've found helpful, let me know and I'll add them to the list. If you come across an article or book that has made a difference in your child's life, please share. Most of all, I hope you will share your stories. Wherever you are, it's good to know you're not alone.

Thanks for coming by.

For our kids,

Karen

Friday, October 1, 2010

Sleeping Problems

AJ takes two medications for ADHD -- Concerta (once daily) with booster doses of Ritalin in the morning and after school. Usually falling asleep is not a problem, but staying asleep can be hard for him. On the advice of his psychiatrist in the U.S. and his psychiatrist here (Dr. Yousef Abou Allaban at the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology), we started giving him Melatonin at night. This has helped a great deal, except when AJ is feeling a lot of anxiety (such as the first week of school). One night, after he had gotten up about three or four times, I had a bright idea (which isn't common for me when I'm half asleep!). When he gets up, what he wants is to crawl into bed between my husband and me because the closeness makes him feel safe and secure. So, I quietly took him back to his bed and then placed a pillow on each side of him -- I told him to pretend one pillow was Mommy and the other was Daddy. Then I pulled his covers up and placed his weighted blanket on top. It worked! Now, he sleeps through the night most nights. Granted, the anxiety has decreased with getting used to school again, but I feel that the Mommy and Daddy pillows made a huge difference.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

About AJ

AJ, and his 6-year old brother JT, are adopted siblings. They have the same birthparents, were born in the U.S., and were adopted at birth. Their birthmother is African-American and part Cherokee. Their birthfather is Italian and Polish. About a year after adopting AJ, we received a call from the adoption agency telling us that another baby was on the way -- and would we be interested in keeping them together? I think it took all of about two seconds for us to say YES! This is a decision we have never regretted. It's wonderful that they have each other. And Jim and I are truly blessed to have them in our lives.

JT (on left) AJ (on right)