CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2023 VOLUME 53 ISSUE 12
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
- 14 THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF THERAPY DOGS By Tosha Tharp-Gaitanis
- 18 HOW FAMILIES CAN FIND SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY By Larry Landauer
- 20 AN ACT OF KINDNESS LEADS TO FRIENDSHIP By Alondra Cabrera
- 24 THE BENEFITS OF ACCOMMODATING YOUR FAMILY DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND BEYOND By Corey Briskey, MPH
FEATURES
- 38 BUILDING RESILIENCE IN FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES By Lauren Agoratus, M.A.
- 40 DIVORCE AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD By David Bulitt
- 42 WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR CHILD'S SURGERY Tips from Leading Pediatric Surgeon Kathryn Bass
MORE THAN 1 CHILD • WITH SPECIAL NEEDS •
- 27 PARENTING MULTIPLE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Courtesy of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) SpecialCare
- 31 WHEN MORE THAN ONE CHILD IN THE FAMILY HAS ASD By Marta Chmielowicz
- 36 PARENTING ONE CHILD WITH DISABILITIES CAN BE DAUNTING; PARENTING TWO OR MORE IS OVERWHELMING By Kara Jolliff Gould, Ph.D.
ON OUR COVER
Support from friends, family, professionals and community organizations is particularly important to individuals with special needs and the families that care for them. EP's Annual Family and Community Issue is filled with information and personal stories that are intended to help improve the lives of those with special needs and those that care for them. Coverage begins on page 14.