With winter upon us, it's time for snowy day activities, holiday traditions, breaks from school and family visits. But, when your child has a sensory processing disorder it can be challenging to enjoy family traditions and special occasions together. Here are some suggestions to keep your child comfortable, safe and having fun this winter!

The swimming pool is not only a great place to have fun with your kids, but it is also a great environment to increase attention and build cognitive language skills and body strength.

From the day we are born we are a member of a community. As our development progresses and we learn to convey our wants and needs, our involvement and inclusion in family and community life increases. In some instances, infants and young children require early intervention therapy to augment their social, emotional and physical development so that they become actively engaged in their community.

By Erica Aten, M.A., Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Intern, Psychological Services

Although parents are typically a child's first source of human connection, sibling relationships are also an important factor in development. As of 2010, 82.22% of youth lived with at least one sibling(¹). Sibling bonds are unique in that they often last a lifetime and are typically people’s longest relationships in life(²). Sibling relationships are influential in many ways.

JCFS Chicago works to find caring, qualified foster parents for Chicago-area children with special needs, supporting the families who welcome, love and guide these children…whether toward reunification with their families or adoption by new families.

Right now, the need for foster parents is greater than ever with nearly 400,000 children and youth who need stability, mentoring, love and care. There is no ideal profile of a foster parent--the demographics are broad and include single adults or coupled partners—and while the challenges are very real, the experience is also rewarding for both child and foster parent. But what exactly are "special needs" and what should a prospective foster parent know? The following are some frequently asked questions about parenting a child with special needs: