Children and People with Special Needs

An inside perspective of special children, their families, volunteers, community members and Friendship Circle coordinators who bring them together.

I am the mother of two autistic children. I love them both dearly, but as any parent of children with special needs will tell you, raising them is challenging and can often be full of disappointment, hurt and frustration...

Correspondence of the Rebbe and Dr. Robert Wilkes, at the time director of the Child Development Center at the Coney Island Hospital, on the subject of assisting children with special needs.

Question: I just found out my unborn baby will have Down syndrome. We already have our hands full our other kids. What will happen to the baby's soul if we abort it? Are we wrong for not wanting a child who is not perfect? Response: You ask whether it's ...

Chana Question: My son was diagnosed with a form of brain dysfunction. Please let me know if his parents or grandparents did something to deserve this punishment. Should we blame ourselves for his illness? Also, how can we help him? Answer: I am sorry ...

“If you have a child with special needs, you experience similar things, whether it’s grief over losing the dream of having a ‘perfect child,’ or dealing with challenging school systems and difficult grandparents and communities that make them feel ...

How did a boy who never spoke a single word bring about such powerful feelings and emotions, and are we capable of translating these emotions into a significant legacy?

Everyone wants to belong. To be loved and appreciated. But for parents of children with special needs, finding a safe haven of friendship and social activities can be daunting.

"For every ounce of effort we give these children, they give back tenfold." Chaya is the mother of six biological children, including a Down's syndrome son and three adopted Down's kids who were tragically abandoned by their parents, at birth or shortly ...