BLOGHER12 (New York)
There was a “Healthminder Day” the Thursday before the main conference with breakout sessions aimed at mothers of children with special needs.
Blogging about Your Special Needs Child
The more we share, the less isolated we feel. Blogging gives us the opportunity to convey messages of hope, strength, and reward alongside the challenges. But it is not without risk: Our blogging can expose us to debate about each care-giving decision. And when we blog, we share not just our stories, but our child’s, in a very public forum. Many of us question our right to do so, even as we also wonder: how else are we going to change the perceptions and policies that impact our children? Ellen Seidman moderates a conversation with experienced parents, caregivers, and bloggers Marisa Howard-Karp and Kate Canterbury as they tackle these tough questions, head-on.
Liveblogged by Blogher: http://www.blogher.com/blogging-about-your-special-needs-child-0
Becoming an Expert Advocate
The best care, education, and support comes when you know how to fight for it… for yourself and for your child. The best understanding and empathy comes when you put a human face on “somebody else’s problem.” Learn how to be the best advocate and evangelist you can possibly be - inside the system, and out. Carol Greenburg moderates an empowering conversation with special needs and disability advocates Kristina Chew and Tanis Miller (formerly known as Redneck Mommy)
Liveblogged by Blogher: http://www.blogher.com/becoming-expert-advocate
Overcoming Burnout: Replenishing Your Reserves
"Place the mask on yourself first, and then help those around you who are unable to assist themselves." Easier said than done. We wear many hats every day: caregivers, therapists, teachers, and much more. Somewhere in that mix, however, we also need to take care of ourselves. This session, moderated by "the other" Julia Roberts, offers up practical, reasonable, and realistic tips on replenishing your reserves from involved and invested special needs bloggers Susan Senator and Laura Shumaker.
Liveblogged by Blogher: http://www.blogher.com/overcoming-burnout-replenishing-your-reserves
Wrap-ups and Reviews
- Lisa Quinonez-Fontanez http://www.autismwonderland.com/2012/08/10-things-i-learned-at-blogher12.html (She now blogs at Atypical Familia)
- Jean Stimey writing at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism http://www.thinkingautismguide.com/2012/08/coming-out-autistic-at-blogher.html
- Ellen Seidman at Love that Max http://www.lovethatmax.com/2012/08/raising-kid-with-special-needs-on.html
- Tanis Miller http://www.tanismiller.com/redneckmommy/2012/8/10/some-childrens-mothers-my-blogher-12-takeaway.html
- Miz Kp at Sailing Autistic Seas http://sailingautisticseas.com/mizkp-went-to-blogher12-and-all-you-get-is-this-post/
BlgHer13 (Chicago)
nothing specifically for special needs parents/ people with disabilities
Ooops! I was wrong. There was a Healthfinder Day track for Special Needs.
Special Needs and Caregiving Track
Session One: Changing Policy and Perception
Through their blogs, women are effecting massive change in their on-and-offline communities, and worlds. They are changing the way their communities and health care providers support their special-needs families.
Moderator: Jen Lee Reeves
Panelists:
- Christina Shaver who blogs at Hopeful Parents
- Julia Roberts of Support for Special Needs
- Louise Kinross, editor of Bloom (a magazine for parents of special needs kids)
Session Two: The Sandwich Generation
Take an honest look at the challenges of being caretaker for both a parent and child, particularly when one or both has special needs.
Moderator: PK Fields on Twitter as @Rtime
Panelists:
- Cecily Kellogg, who (I believe) blogs at UpperCase Woman
- Pamela Merritt (Shark-Fu) who blogs at Angry Black Bitch & tweets @Shark-Fu
- Varda Steinhardt who blogs at The Squashed Bologna
Session Three: State of the ‘Sphere
A moderated conversation with all track attendees about What I Struggle With and How I Do It, designed to identify our common problems and crowd-source solutions.
Moderators:
- Ellen Seidman, who blogs at Love That Max
- Jennifer Myers, who blogs at Into The Woods, Living Deliberately
Sorry, people, I can't find any wrap-ups or summaries or take-aways. If you wrote one, or have a link to one, leave it in the comments, eh?
Hi Liz, loving these really detailed recaps!
Just FYI: There was a Special Needs/Caregiving track at HealthMinder Day in 2013 as well, here's a link to the agenda of that day:
http://www.blogher.com/node/815584/schedule?from=subnav
Posted by: Elisa Camahort Page | Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 05:04 PM