When the lies about food become too much to handle, there might be another factor at play. Follow along as Ben's struggles with food are taken to the next level and begin to become more than his parents can manage alone.

Why does one child with Autism behave differently from another child with the same disability? While the neurospectrum disorder can cause social, communication and behavioral changes, from mild to severe, the impact of Autism is magnified when a second (or more) disability is involved. Read on to find out how parents can understand and help a child challenged by Autism, in addition to other chronic disorders.

Parents may often grow frustrated when their child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder becomes increasingly defiant over a necessary daily task, such as teeth brushing, bathing, or getting out of bed in the morning. Before frustration reaches a boiling point, or resorting to punishment, parents can work together with their child to understand and express each other’s concerns and come up with a solution that works for everyone involved.

A father struggles with having his son, who has behavioral issues, understand the consequences of his actions. After a visit with a behavioral counselor, he learns about behavioral strategies, and also finds a window into his son’s world that allows him to better see and understand his perspective.

It's not just about your child being picked last for the kickball game or not making new friends at school, it's about the derogatory comments towards your child from other children or the lack of empathy from the adults in his/her life. Finding the right tools to help your child with Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorder and educating those who interact with your child, will help lead you all down a path towards a bright future for your child.

There are countless books on parenting, but nothing fully prepares you to be the parent of YOUR child. Every child is different, every situation is different, and every day can be different than the last. For parents of children with special needs, this is surely the case. There is no manual for how to handle meltdowns, rage episodes, and aggressive behavior and there is no clear cut answer to how you should FEEL about your children during these times of struggle.

Parents may often find themselves resorting to ultimatums, threats of punishment, removing privileges, or simply throwing up their hands when their child with special needs is having a meltdown and exhibits demanding or irrational behavior. Before exercising rigid authority, which often worsens challenging behavior, parents can instead use personal coping strategies to help themselves stay centered and focused so they remain calm in the face of conflict and, in turn, help their child become more calm as well.

Maintaining an open line of communication with parents is important and often difficult, even in the best of circumstances. This is especially true when a struggling student is being evaluated for a possible disability—and an IEP—and a teacher’s continued updates throughout the process can provide worried parents with much-needed reassurance.

Lori Hetzel is the mother of a child diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder (RAD). She describes the struggles her family encountered obtaining special education and resources for their daughter after they adopted her from Russia at age nine.

An Individualized Education Plan takes time to create and implement, often requiring a year or more of testing, meetings, and decision-making to determine appropriate educational instruction and supports for a student with special needs. When Angie digs into the process, she learns more about education than she ever thought possible, and wades through bureaucracy, advocating for her son.

Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and other trauma and stressor-related disorders try many techniques to mitigate the problems with emotion regulation and aggressive behavior. Emotional scaling can help children with RAD to better understand their emotional experience in order to regulate their emotions and behavior before experiencing outbursts of agitation and aggression.

It's only normal for parents to want to be everything to their children. That's a tall order for any parent, but when your child has Prader Willi Syndrome, "everything" is more than any one person can be. Read about how one parent learned that letting experts help manage his son's disorder give him the chance to focus on being a father.