long-time readers of EP Magazine may be surprised to see our 2018 edition is no longer made up of a collection of directories for the special needs community. Our current edition is much more than that. Formerly known as the Annual EP Resource Guide, the book is now called EP GUIDE: Navigating Special Needs Resources. The detailed directories have been replaced with in-depth articles intended to offer sound guidance, written by EP's respected and most trusted experts in the field. All are meant to help point you in the right direction—whether you need advice on what to do The Next Day (see page 18), or soon after you, as a parent, have been told of your child's diagnosis. Or perhaps you're with the military and would like to be better informed about Military-based Educational Resources for Children with Special Needs (see page 70). You will find those articles and much more in our packed table of contents.

In their article, 2018 Genetic Resources, EP Magazine's regular contributing writers from Genetic Alliance best described the need for quality guidance: "The Internet is a limitless string of materials that can explain problems and help find solutions for individuals who may not otherwise have the resources they need. But with all the good, all the change, all the conversations in this day and age, there is almost too much information available to the general public. The average person is so overtly bombarded with information that it is often a struggle for them to find high-quality, accurate, and informative resources to help them solve their problems or answer their questions. The objective of this guide is to aggregate the best, most valid resources for families..."

We hope you approve of the new EP GUIDE, the first issue of this year that EP Magazine turns 47. At the same time, we would like know what you are interested in reading in the coming issues. Drop me a note at: vira@ep-magazine.com. A blessed and happy 2018 to all of you! – Vanessa B. Ira, Managing Editor •