Very important to remember this - Bryan :)

Which one of the 4 types of PCOS do you have? Learn more about the symptoms, causes, and how to manage each type of PCOS.

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In recent years, an association between hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) has garnered attention and patients are increasingly presenting with this triad. However, a real relationship between these entities is unclear due to a lack of scientific validity. We conducted an extensive review of the literature using two different search strategies. A narrower strategy included 88 searches of various combinations of terms for each of the three conditions, yielding 19 unique papers. A broader search included 136 searches of various combinations of terms but included all forms of EDS and yielded 40 unique papers. Of these, only four and nine papers from the narrower and broader search strategies were original research articles. None of these papers resulted from a combination of the search terms for the three conditions. All three clinical entities are controversial in either existence or pathogenesis. MCAS is a poorly defined clinical entity, and many studies do not adhere to the proposed criteria when establishing the diagnosis. Patients previously diagnosed with EDS hypermobility type may not meet the new, stricter criteria for hEDS but may for a less severe hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD). The pathophysiology of POTS is still unclear. An evidence-based, common pathophysiologic mechanism between any of the two, much less all three conditions, has yet to be described. Our review of the literature shows that current evidence is lacking on the existence of MCAS or hEDS as separate or significant clinical entities. Studies proposing a relationship between the three clinical entities are either biased or based on outdated criteria. The reason behind the purported association of these entities stems from an overlapping pool of vague, subjective symptoms, which is inadequate evidence to conclude that any such relationship exists.

Looking for the perfect POTS Syndrome diet? This article by Dr. Mustafa Ahmed has all the info you need to follow the best diet for POTS.

Resources for teaching children with Down Syndrome Below you will find information on proven resources used to help children with Down Syndrome with literacy, numeracy and communication. Click on any of […]

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Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder seen in girls.There is no cure for this condition, and treatment is aimed at maintaining function as long as possible. One approach is to engage the child in therapeutic activities. Here are some of the different types of activities to do with children who have Rett's, and their benefits.

“Mast cells are the “universal alarm cell” that starts the inflammatory cascade. They can be triggered by infection, allergens, environmental factors like pollution, or even emotional stress. Once that happens, mast cells set into motion a series of inflammatory reactions, including the activation of immune cells and the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pro-inflammatory […]

A student's success is largely dependent on the teacher. Here is a list of 10 things teachers should know about Down syndrome from a parent's perspective.

Every child with Down Syndrome is unique but there are commonalities especially when it comes to behaviors. Learn about the 7 most common behavior issues we see in children with Down Syndrome as well as tips on how to manage those behaviors. Let's rock this special life!

I love sharing what I've learned (and am still learning) about homeschooling, especially homeschooling a special needs child. I am a huge advocate for homeschooling children with special needs. I truly believe that a parent's love for their child will guide them to find the best possible curriculum to meet their child's needs. I'll do anything to help Joe succeed. Research reading programs - ✔ Find musical DVDs to help him learn math facts, states, etc. - ✔ Sit with him for endless hours in the bathroom while working on potty training. - ✔ Teach him how to butter his own bread. - ✔ You'd do these for any of your kids right? The difference when dealing with a special needs child is that often times the first thing tried doesn't work. Or the second. Or the third. Usually around the 4th or 5th try is when I finally find something that works. I hope my trial and error process provides you with more insight to help you know where to start. For any homeschooling parent, especially if you are starting from the beginning, teaching your child to read is the skill that requires the most of your time. Over the years I've used many different reading programs. I've purchased ready to go curriculum. I've printed and printed and printed phonics worksheets and mini books. I've spent my Dollar Tree budget on workbooks worth exactly what I paid. I've bought my share of early readers. Oh, how I despise most early readers. Some have worked, others not so much. I'll share two of my favorite series later in this post. Here's what I'm using to teach Joseph (with Down syndrome) to read today. I say today, because I do change things up a bit through the school year depending on what's working and whether I find something new I'd like to try. However, I have no plans on changing because the following two reading tactics are working quite well for us. #1 All About Reading Level 1 This is the phonics component to Joe's reading program. It's really the spine, the meat, the backbone to how I'm teaching Joe to read. Phonics play an important part in reading, even for kiddos with special needs. I've read in numerous places how kids with Down syndrome can only learn to read through sight reading. That's false and short sighted because really, are you going to make flashcards for every word in the dictionary? Because that's what sight reading means - memorizing and learning to recognize words immediately. Phonics is a tool for readers. A tool to help them sound out a word using very specific rules relating to letter combinations. And I love All About Reading! It takes you through step by step using a sequence that makes sense. Each step is scripted, which at first (if you haven't used a scripted curriculum) feels fake and slow. But once you pick up on the flow and script style, it's really easy to be natural and still follow the script. Now that I'm very comfortable with All About Reading Level 1, I put my own spin on it. Here's how: Letter sounds come easy to Joe, but the blending of letters together to read a word is a slow process. He definitely gets the process. It's just his lips don't always want to move into the letter sound shapes quickly. Say the word fun. Look at yourself in the mirror as you say it slowly. Your lips have to make 3 different shapes. Then in order to say the word fast you have to be able to move your lips and tongue quickly. That's where people with Down syndrome often struggle. The brain power is there! The necessary facial control is sometimes difficult. All About Reading lessons include a section called Fluency Practice. It's usually 1-3 pages of words, phrases, and sentences for your child to read to increase their reading speed. Speed is important for reading comprehension. As we've progressed through the lessons the Fluency pages are our least favorite part because they take a long, loooong, looooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnng time to get through. Like Lesson 10 took over a month. Looking at a whole page of sentences was overwhelming even if I covered up everything except what he was reading. He just knew it was never ending. So I grabbed a yellow legal pad, turned it sideways and started writing out the sentences word by word for Joe to read, and we haven't turned back. It's working just as I had hoped. The key to this style of fluency practice is to write one word at a time. The 2nd key is to adjust the sentences so there's lots of repetition. See my samples below. In the first example the sentences are the same length; I just changed up a word or two in each sentence. Reading the same words over and over again helps with instant recognition. Lesson 10 Sentences Lesson 12 Sentences - definitely harder than lesson 10. Once the full sentence is written I let Joe read it again pointing on his own. Then a smiley face and I start writing the next sentence having him read each word as I write it. Once the page is full, we're done for the day. ----------------------------------Edited 4-13-18------------------------------------ Since this blog post I started a YouTube channel. For a look at All About Reading Level 1 and how I customize it to make it work best for Joseph check out the video. #2 Like I said earlier, I've bought my fair share of early readers. We've stuffed our library bag, too. I'm hard to please when it comes to those early readers. Some readers have advanced words. We checked out one Level Pre-Primer from the library with the words tornado and lightning. Clearly, those are not pre-primer words. Some are simply stupid. Thankfully, I ran across Margaret Hillert's "Beginning to Read" books. Most of the books are familiar stories, simplified to only include words off the Dolch word list. The Dolch word list includes 220 of the most often used words in books, textbooks, newspapers, etc. Hillert's books are repetitive throughout and list the words used in the back of the book. Her simplest books use just over 30 different words. Original copyright hardcovers New updated versions. These include excellent additional literacy activities. The rhyming activity is really helping Joe with his rhyming. Books we've read according to number of words 34 - The Three Little Pigs 36 - The Three Goats 43 - The Yellow Boat 44 - Cinderella at the Ball 45 - The Three Bears 49 - A House For Little Red 58 - The Purple Pussycat 61 - Four Good Friends 61 - Dear Dragon Goes to the Library 67 - It's St. Patrick's Day, Dear Dragon 69 - Little Red Riding Hood 72 - Pinocchio This is just a handful of her books. Amazon has many, many more, but they are pricey. Buying used is probably a good option. Here's another option for purchasing used copies. Here's how we use the Beginning to Read books. Day 1. I read aloud the story a couple of times during Morning Time or whenever time permits. Day 2. I read the title, then have Joe read the title from the title page. I read the first few pages, then have him read a sentence or two. I read a few more pages, then have him read a sentence or two. This continues till the end. Day 3. I point, he reads. If he gets stuck on a non-phonetic word (true sight word) I simply tell him the word and he keeps reading. If he gets stuck on a phonetic word, I have him sound it out and go on. Day 4. Repeat of Day 3. Day 5. I quiz him on the words using homemade flashcards. I write each word on a card, then set out 12 in front of him. I say a word, he finds it and holds it. Each time he finds a word, I replace it with another card so there are always 12 cards in front of him. Once all cards have been picked up he gets a reward, usually a hug, high 5 or animal cracker. Day 6. Same as Day 5, except I put out 16-20 cards at a time. Day 7. Joe holds the pile, reads a card, then hands it to me. Once I have all the cards (which I've done nothing to earn them) he congratulates me. He's so funny. Writing out the flashcards doesn't take much time because the words are used in multiple stories so I just reuse them over and over. He also reads the book to himself during afternoon quiet time. At this time, I don't correct him if I hear a wrong word. I let him read it any way he chooses as long as he's reading quietly. I want him to simply enjoy books. Thanks for reading; that was a lot of information. Do you have other questions about teaching reading to beginners? I'd love to help. Please leave a comment here at the blog or at the Camp Homeschool Facebook page. Linking up with

What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome? “Traditionally, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) was considered a rare disease generally focusing on the mast cell mediators tryptase and histamine …

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Because my husband has Tourette Syndrome, our son has a 50/50 chance of inheriting it. Whether or not he gets it, we are here for him every step of the way.

Do your hands feel numb, tingly, or outright painful after just moderate work, If so, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. Learn all about CTS in this article.

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Web Site about Linda Carney MD highlighting her work in conducting a General Medical Practice, Retreats, Seminars and demonstrating the Health Results received from her Starch-Smart Dietary Care Extraordinaire lifestyle programs.

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"Some people and doctors will never see us from the inside out."

Are you a Mom of a child with special needs wondering how to deal with your child's temper tantrums? Well, I'm here to help. Check out my guide for the special needs Mom and start rocking this special life!

In this article, we'll discuss the worst foods for people with Sjogren's syndrome from processed foods to sugary drinks and much more.

Image found here . Too often, uninformed health care providers assume that Sjogren's Syndrome is simply a disease that affects tears and s...

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Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. It destroys the glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands.

What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome? “Traditionally, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) was considered a rare disease generally focusing on the mast cell mediators tryptase and histamine …