How Did Special Needs Neighborhood Get Started?
One day as I sat in a waiting room while my daughter received Speech Therapy I began talking to another mom, René Craft, who also was waiting for her child. I introduced myself, "My name is Kim Webb." We talked about local schools because I sought a desirable school environment for my daughter who has a communication disorder called apraxia of speech. I was having a hard time locating a superior program for elementary aged kids with special needs in Austin, Texas.
Kim Webb (left) and René Craft
Then, René asked me if I knew where she could find therapeutic horseback riding lessons for her son who is affected with autism. On this day, we talked for two hours. We discovered that our children have similar needs despite their very different diagnoses and personalities. Also, we realized that we attended the same High School in Houston, Texas, more than 20 years ago. We exchanged telephone numbers and e-mail addresses before saying good-bye.
Thereafter, René and I met for coffee/tea regularly. We compared notes about our journey of raising children with special needs. We compared our efforts and, the efforts of other parents we know, to find help for our kids with special needs. Especially frustrating for us was our search for local resources. After several meetings, the idea for this Web site took shape.
Austin 2007
We enlisted volunteers to help us to design and to develop the Special Needs Neighborhood. We wanted to create a Web site where families and caregivers of kids with special needs could communicate with one another about local resources; just as René and I did that first day.
Our idea was:
- to make a free Web site available for families and care givers of kids with special needs that focused on resources;
- the Web site users would provide the content for the site; and,
- the Web site users would add feedback/opinions about their experiences with the providers/organizations listed on the site.
René and I conducted countless hours of research to learn more about what our community wanted/needed. Our research results showed that parents/caregivers needed more resources and easier ways to find resources. Also, our research results demonstrated that parents/caregivers wanted to hear from one another about experiences with local providers/professionals. They too wanted to connect with one another about lots of things in a comfortable, easy place and so we added a blog called René’s Blog. We planned a new approach to connecting with one another in our community!
The New Approach
Special Needs Neighborhood is user built. It's intended to be a resource swap. You add the information for each category. For example, you have a speech therapist to recommend so you select the Speech Pathology category and click on the "add a resource" option. Then, you follow the instructions for adding a resource. You may add your point of view about the speech therapist and, others also may share their opinion about this therapist.
Special Needs Neighborhood site is easy to use. The navigation system allows you to search the site. You may search/list resources in Austin, TX or, you may offer resources located where you live; use the drop down menu to find your city. If you do not find a page for your city, just let us know and we will add it. You do not have to share your name with other users. In fact, we encourage anonymity! And, you police the site. If you find information that you feel is inappropriate, then contact us.
The Benefits of Collaboration
You have heard many times the expression, "it takes a village to raise a child." Well, this idea is especially apparent when raising a kid with special needs and, Special Needs Neighborhood is your cyber village! Here, you may find the answers you seek or, provide another with the answers they seek. However the site benefits you, we all will benefit from your contributions. Let's dish neighbor!