I Think I Can, I Think I Can

The little engine that could isn't the only one trying hard these days. Here are a few people and programs to help make raising kids with disabilities a little less challenging. Keep on keeping on!
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1. Clemson University in South Carolina is doing even more to support young people with intellectual disabilities. As this recent news report illustrates, around one-third of the staff at Clemson’s Shepherd Hotel have I/DD – and they’re delighting locals and guests at every turn. A partnership with the ClemsonLIFE Program helps the hotel recruit, train, and empower employees. Expansion is planned for two additional hotels in the near future. So much to learn from this wonderful initiative.
2. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued new protections last month to help travelers with disabilities fly safely and with dignity. Requirements include more rigorous standards for wheelchair users especially, mandating training for airline employees and actions required in the event of damage or delay. Having encountered our fair share of problems when attempting to "fly the friendly skies" with our son and his equipment, I'm hopeful these efforts will benefit travelers immediately. Check out detailed info here when planning your next flight. I also recommend this free newsletter chock-full of good guidance.
3. Our son's dentist has retired, and in my search for new providers, I discovered the National Inclusive Curriculum for Health Education (NICHE). It offers medical and dental professionals, students, and parents foundational knowledge about individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Whether you're looking to learn more yourself or help your loved one's health care providers better understand and adapt treatments to their special needs, this program has something for everyone.
4. The ARC of Northern Virginia has created a new ARC2Independence app designed to support individuals with I/DD in really meaningful ways. Users can access more than 200 lessons that teach skills and share tips around personal safety, employment, transportation, and daily living. You can even track progress against key learning goals. What a terrific tool for home, school, and community based programs. If you try it out, please let me know what you think. I'm eager to learn, too.
5. Author, mom, and popular podcast host Mel Robbins is everywhere in 2025. Her new book, Let Them, is the focus of most of her publicity and interview content right now. Her message is simple: If you want to be happier, stop trying to manage everyone and everything around you. In order to do this, she says, we must stop letting other people's opinions and judgment impact our lives. In this recent Oprah interview, Robbins explains that what happens around us doesn’t have to happen to us. I think these are really important messages for parents, especially. What can you allow more or less of in your life for better self-care?
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