Welcome to the Spring/Summer edition of Little Rock Special Family, the only magazine in central Arkansas written by and for parents raising children with special needs.

In this issue, you'll meet three families with amazing stories to tell. First, the Loraine family shares their journey to adopt Oksana, a Ukrainan orphan with cerebral palsy. Dawn Adams introduces us to her son Colin and his inspiring canine companion Omari, who helps the young boy learn to manage stress at the dentist's office. And Dr. Kim Skelley writes about how her daughter's severe heart defect has affected their family in miraculous ways.

Also inside, Beth Stamp, owner of Allied Therapy, offers insight into the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law No. 108-446. This important federal law governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to children with disabilities. It’s currently undergoing changes, and we've got the scoop on how families in central Arkansas will be affected.

It would not be a Special Family Editor's Letter without an update on my daughter Emily, who suffered from epilepsy and a brain tumor when she was a toddler. Today, she's seizure free and officially in remission, having had five years of clean scans. However, we're on a new, challenging path – that of learning disabilities.

Second grade has been a struggle for her, and her teacher suggested we have her evaluated. We chose ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center for this and were very pleased with the depth of the evaluation and with the follow up we received. The official diagnosis: ADHD, as a result of her brain having to work so hard to compensate for the left temporal lobe that was removed along with the tumor. Her teacher and the rest of the staff have made modifications in the classroom that have helped her tremendously. It looks like we'll end the school year on a much better note than we began.

My advice? Don't be afraid to seek help. This was new, unchartered territory for us and at times all the jargon was overwhelming. I'll admit that I felt a sense of frustration and loss due to the fact that she'll have yet another hurdle to overcome. But there's so much help out there. You can find a comprehensive list of support, education, therapy and other services in the back of this magazine. You are not alone.

Best,

Jennifer