Join me for my next Free Lunchtime Teleseminar!

Surprisingly Simple Tax Tips
For Parents of Children with Special Needs

With Special Guest Amy Young

Thursday, March 11, 12 noon Eastern Time

Tax season can seem overwhelming when you have a child with special needs. There are exemptions, deductions, and itemizations ... receipts, schedules, and forms ... and there's that looming April 15th deadline that gets closer every day! But with four weeks still left, you can still get through tax time with more organization and less stress than you thought possible!

Join us as special guest Amy Young shares valuable tax tips specifically for parents of children with special needs, and answers questions like:

• How do I organize all my tax stuff? (It's easier than you think!)
  
• What expenses can I itemize? (You may be surprised at some of these!)
  
• What if I get audited?
  
• What forms do I have to fill out?
• and more!

Amy will de-mystify the tax process for special needs parents, saving you time, frustration, and quite possibly saving you money with the information and methods she'll be sharing in this teleseminar.

Free Lunchtime Teleseminars last 30 - 45 minutes, with time for discussion and your questions. The call will be recorded, so if you can't make it to the call, no worries!  We'll email you the link to the recording, so you can listen later on at your convenience.  Note: you must register below in order to receive the call recording.

To register for the call, enter your first name and primary email address below:

Upon registering, you will instantly receive the phone number and access code to call in at the scheduled date and time.

I look forward to having you on the call!

Privacy Policy: Your email address is never shared in any way.

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

This article appeared earlier today in my FREE Overwhelmed No More! Newsletter. To subscribe, enter your name and email address in the sign-up box to the left. You'll get practical tips and inspiring ideas every month to help you successfully navigate life as a parent of a child with special needs.

I get really excited about IEP resources.  Especially ones that make the IEP process - which can be confusing and intimidating for many parents -- feel manageable and doable. 

Last year I published a list of my favorites, thinking they could never be topped.  But this year, I've been astounded by some NEW resources -- some of which take advantage of the amazing capabilities of modern technology.  I hope these will help you through your IEP season this year!

IEP RESOURCE OF THE YEAR
Don't have time to attend parent advocacy workshops, but need the training and vital information that these programs provide?  Problem solved!  Wrightslaw now offers its top-notch training program on CD!  You learn everything you need to know about Special Education, IDEA, IEP's, and advocating for your child -- at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home!  Topics include Special Education Law and Advocacy Training, Understanding Your Child's Test Scores, Legal Requirements of IEP's, and more.  You can learn more and purchase the CD's here:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/webex/index.htm

BEST NEW IEP INNOVATION
... and dare we say, most hip?  PEATC (Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center) just developed the first ever iPhone App for special education!  It's called the IEP Checklist App, and it has every step, fact, and law – arranged in easy to access categories and sub-categories, color-coded, with space for your notes.  All at your fingertips – great for parents AND professionals!  It's FREE, and it's available in Spanish, too.  You can see a quick demonstration and download it here:
http://www.peatc.org/peatc.cgim?template=iPhonePressReleaseKit 
The only drawback may be that you can't use it if you don't have an iPhone.  (Maybe this is the excuse you needed to go buy one!  I'm definitely thinking about it!)

BEST NEW BOOKSHELF ADDITION
Wrightslaw nabs another category this year with its most recent book, All About IEP's.  It's, well, all about IEP's - and is written in Peter and Pam Wright's trademark plain-English style.  I love the reader-friendly format - lots of shaded boxes, quotes, examples, and bulleted lists.  No parent of a child with special needs should be without this book!  Learn more and order here:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/aaiep/index.htm

THE "NOW I GET IT!" AWARD
If you're like a lot of special needs parents, you may have wondered, "Just what exactly is the difference between an IEP and a 504?"  This simple little 3-page chart finally answers that question, with a side-by-side, point-by point comparison.  This is a great addition to your IEP notebook - print it out, 3-hole punch it, and put it in that binder!
Download the IEP/504 Comparison Chart here

THE MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
What?  No IEP binder?  Check out one of my favorite IEP products, "My IEP Toolkit."  You can become completely organized in just a couple of hours! Now THAT's a major achievement. 
http://www.Organized4Kids.com/

I hope these resources will be helpful - and if you have more outstanding IEP resources to share, please post a comment! 

You may also want to check out my article from last year, with 6 more great resources to get you through IEP season:  

http://www.SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com/blog/2009/3/19/my-6-favorite-iep-resources.html

May your IEP process go smoothly this year! Be sure to visit my Facebook group to post questions and talk about your IEP challenges with thousands of other parents of children with special needs. It's easy and it's free! Go to www.Facebook.com and search on Overwhelmed No More Group.

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

My friend Marla Roth-Fisch, author of Sensitive Sam , sent me some great information on an upcoming movie and two excellent websites with resources for parents of children with autism and sensory challenges. Thanks Marla!

HBO debuts their long-awaited movie, Temple Grandin
February 6, 2010!    8:00 p.m.

Claire Danes stars in the title role of this HBO Films presentation of a Ruby Films/Gerson Saines production, based on the true story of the best-selling author, animal scientist and autism advocate, whose own autism has afforded her uncanny powers of observation. Directed by Mick Jackson. Watch the HBO movie trailer here.

For additional resources, parents can go to the Future Horizons, Inc. web sites: 

 www.FHautism.com

www.fhsensory.com/

Marla's book, Sensitive Sam , is a wonderful resource for children with sensory processing disorder. And it has a happy ending! I'll be featuring it in a blog post later this week, so stay tuned.

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

This article appeared earlier today in my FREE Overwhelmed No More! Newsletter. To subscribe, enter your name and email address in the sign-up box to the left. You'll get practical tips and inspiring ideas every month to help you successfully navigate life as a parent of a child with special needs.

Your role as a mom or dad of a child with special needs is rewarding, fulfilling, and awe-inspiring. Yet it's all too easy to become overwhelmed by the many demands on your time and energy. And the tricky thing about being overwhelmed is that once you're there, it can be difficult to figure out how to get life back under control!

You CAN break the cycle of overwhelm, no matter how hectic your life is right now. Today's tips give you 10 simple actions you can take, in 5 minutes or less -- today and every day -- to jumpstart your escape from overwhelm. These are things you can do in small moments with minimal effort -- yet you'll be amazed at the difference they can make in your life - and in the lives of your children and family as well.

The 10 Simplest Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes or Less,
For a More Manageable, Balanced, Joyful Life

1. Breathe.

2. Stay Hydrated.

3. Stretch.

4. Smile.

5. Laugh.

6. Go outside.

7. Savor a delicious fruit or vegetable.

8. Eliminate or re-schedule an item on your to-do list.

9. Take delight in a micro-moment of joy.

10. Hug and kiss your children.

When you start with these 10 steps, and make them a regular part of your life, you'll gain clarity, you'll have more energy, and you'll build momentum - the three key foundations for a manageable, balanced, joyful life.  Print this out, post it where you'll see it often, and give these steps a try in the coming days and weeks. Let me know how it goes!