Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fantastic Workshop for Siblings of Children With Developmental Disabilities


An amazing, nationally-recognized workshop is available to STAR Rubino families!

Brothers and Sisters of People with Special Needs:
Too Important to Ignore!

With the exception of mothers, siblings spend more time with children who have special needs than any other family member. And, because the sibling relationship is the longest-lasting relationship in the family, brothers and sisters experience concerns about the relationship throughout their lives.

SIBSHOPS are "pedal-to-the-metal" celebrations of the special relationship between brothers and sisters of kids with special needs. SIBSHOPS acknowledge that being a brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing, and for many, somewhere in between.

SIBSHOPS are available to parents, siblings and professionals to learn aobut sibling relationships and/or learn how to run their own SIBSHOPS.

The following are sibling "SIBSHOPS" scheduled this year:
SIBSHOPS will be held March 11 at & May 6
Participants must be between 8-13 years of age and have a brother or sister with special needs
Times: 5:30-8:00 pm
Where: 182 Wolfpit Ave., Norwalk, CT 06851
Cost: $35.00 per session ($50.00 per session for 2 sibs)
Contact STAR, Linda Snell for information: 203-354-0142

Here is what kids say about Sibshops:
"At SIBSHOPS you get to meet other brothers and sisters of kids with special needs."
"SIBSHOPS have outrageous games"
"At SIBSHOPS you can talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a brother or sister with special needs."

Monday, January 11, 2010

Choosing the Perfect Car Seat to Keep Your Child Safe






"There's no right or wrong way to choose a car seat," says AAA Public Affairs' Frank Mayko to parents looking for the perfect car seat for their newborn or the first forward-facing car seat for bigger babies.

"You have to research car seats and once your homework is done, the best car seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and fits your pocketbook."

Infants

Not only does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend all infants ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home, but in Connecticut the law requires babies ride rear-facing up to 1 year and 20 pounds.

There are two types of rear-facing car-safety seats: infant-only and convertible seats.

Ms. Mayko recommends infant-only seats, which are small and have carrying handles. Many come with a base that can be left in the car. Ms. Mayko says these fit the child perfectly, are convenient because they are easier to handle and have different weights.

Convertible seats can be converted from rear-facing to forward-facing as children get older. While these seats can be used longer, they are bulker and don't have carrying handles or a separate base.

Forward-Facing Seats

Once your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed by rear-facing seat manufacturers, the child can ride forward-facing in a convertible seat. However, its best for him or her to ride rear-facing as long as possible.

While Connecticut state law permits children to move to a forward-facing seat position after one year and 20 pounds, this is the minimum requirement and Ms. Mayko recommends keeping the children rear-facing longer, if possible.

She comments, "If you saw the crash-dynamic videos and realized how it affects the human body--let alone an infant before the spinal cord and neck have developed, you yourself would want to ride rear-facing!"

Several types of car-safety seats can be used forward-facing:

-Convertible seats: convert from rear-facing to forward-facing seats.
-Forward-Facing toddler seats: can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh 40 to 65 pounds or without the harness, as a booster--up to 80 or 120 pounds.
-Combination Forward-Facing booster seats: can be used forward-facing with a harness for children 40 to 65 pounds or without the harness as a booster, 80 to 120 pounds.
-Integrated child-safety seats: forward-facing seats are built-in some vehicles such as Mercedes and BMWs. Weight and height limits vary.

Mayko says, "The ability to change a baby to forward-facing all depends on the seat requirements, and each seat is different. When the toodler is the appropriate weight and height, parents can turn them forward-facing."



From the Child Passenger Safety column of AAA Connecticut Newsletter, January 2010