It can be hard to know where to start. The paint sets get knocked over, the music is too loud, the instructions feel vague — and suddenly art time becomes stress time. But for parents of children with special needs, the arts aren’t just nice-to-have activities. They’re lifelines. Creative expression offers structure without rigidity, emotion without pressure, and joy without preconditions. If your child struggles with communication, sensory integration, or focus, art might become their clearest and safest language. What matters is that you’re looking for a way in.
Tag: Parenting
How FaceTime Keeps Us Close to Our Nonverbal Daughter Jess
Are you snowed in this morning? Here’s a heartWARMING blog to warm YOUR Hearts!
FaceTime with Jess: Staying Connected with our Nonverbal Daughter: A Very Short Story
How Parents of Children with Disabilities Can Recognize and Manage Emotional Spillover
Parenting a child with disabilities brings unique stress. Learn tools to manage anxiety, find support, and build resilience.
Seizures and Bravery
Bravery isn’t always loud—it’s Mitch’s calm, my panic-to-strength, and Jessica facing the unimaginable every time
Two Years for a Teeth Cleaning: A Dental Story with a Happy Ending
After 2 years of waiting, a confusing policy, a last-minute call, and one amazing doctor, Jessica finally made it to the OR— A Dental Story
A Surreal Moment as an Author– My 3 Minutes of Fame
(This Author Had A TYPO (Thanks for nothing, the Autocorrect! 😂) and needed to fix the title – sorry if you receive it twice! This is a first – Never Have I Ever had somebody come up to me and ask this question.
UNIQUE Little Red Book: Our Daughter, with a Severe Intellectual Disability, Story in an International Book 📕
A rare genetic diagnosis gave us a name, a global community—and a spot in the not-so-little UNIQUE Red Book.
From the Block to Book ~Thank you, Randy, Memories of Westbury Childhood
“Three years, many lessons, and a marketing struggle later—Randy’s note reminds me why I keep sharing Raising Jess!”
Jessica and Medicaid
Many ask, ‘How are proposed Medicaid cuts going to affect your daughter Jessica?’ I don’t mind the question, but I wish I had an answer.
#Medicaid #DisabilityRights #Healthcare #MedicaidCuts #RaisingJess #NYS #OPWDD #Parenting #Mothering #Disability
Caring for the Caregiver: 7 Essential Self-Care Strategies for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Strategies to guide parents of children with special needs integrate self-care into your routine, ensuring you remain balanced and energized.
Thankful for Superhero Healthcare Folks: Bones, Scopes & Hopes
An essay about scopes and Jessica’s colonoscopy? EWWW – Don’t despair; no details are given other than a heartwarming story about healthcare providers’ unique kindness and compassion. And we are talking about Jessica, our daughter was severe, intellectual disabilities , and things are never how you expect with our Jess.
Jessica’s Friend Network
Facing life’s curveballs is easier with friends. These women embraced Jessica into their circle, turning it into her very own Friend Network! #RaisingJess #Friends #Disability #Inspiring #Rare Disease #Family
#RaisingJess #Friends #Disability #Inspiring #Rare Disease #Family
Retirement Does Not Mean Retiring from Life (& OMG! I’m on PBS!)
Thank you for the 2-min. interview, PBS – Retirement does not mean retiring from life. It’s an opportunity to rediscover forgotten interests.
NYT Quiz
“Ah, Friday – the day when I question my entire week’s worth of news intake, hoping it’s enough to secure victory in the family NYT quiz showdown.
Jessica’s First and Last Hip Surgery: A Lesson in Advocacy
Jessica’s risky hip surgery led to severe blood loss. Our parental instincts showed the need to fiercely advocate for our daughter.
I’m Not A Whippet -A Tail of IGGY Misidentification!
I am Not a Whippet! I am an IGGY. But the worst inDOGnation, is my dog stroller. Oh, paw-lease! How did I succumb to this?
Signed Copy – FREE FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY
TODAY ONLY! Get a signed copy of Raising Jess A Story of Hope by Vickie Rubin for FREE. I will pick three winners by Friday! Fill in entry form below for your chance:
Letting Go: The Group Home Decision
This is our group home story. A decision woven with uncertainty, love, and, ultimately, acceptance. Was the group home decision also a decision of Letting Go? These are frequent questions I receive from families and podcast hosts, and a story worth sharing. How we went from It’s Never Happening to a Leap of Faith. An […]
Music Therapy Becomes A Love Language
Music is our daughter Jessica’s love language. She speaks it fluently. Jess is 41 years old, nonverbal, and has a rare genetic deletion (1Q 43-44). She lives in a group home with five other women who have become family. (Article in Today’s My View ) Jacob is Jessica’s music therapist and part of a local […]
Developmental Disability Awareness Day- Four Key Moments
Join me on a heartfelt journey from curious parent and new professional to author and Keynote speaker. 4 Key moments from DDDAY 35.
Finding the Right Fit, From Inclusion and Beyond: A New Day Program for Jessica
After All That Inclusion in school – Adult Life and A New Day Program for Jessica. We embrace hope as Jessica starts a new chapter.
A Mother’s Journey of Hope and Advocacy
University of Miami Alumni – In a world where compassion can make all the difference, alumna Vickie Rubin is a ray of hope for families raising children w/ special needs.
Inclusion for Jess: After 21
Inclusion for Jess in public school – What was it all for? Jess needed a change- She started a new program last week – And we have Hope #RaisingJess #Hope #DayHab #Inclusion #Disability
My article is in NEWSWEEK!!!
Newsweek Article by Vickie – In September 2022, Vickie was able to drive Jessica’s group home van for the first time.
#RaisingJess #Newsweek #MyTurn #advocate #daughters #wheelchairvan
How Would you Cope if Told Your Child has Severe Multiple Disabilities?
How Would you Cope if Told Your Child has Severe Multiple Disabilities? New podcast. An upbeat conversation about a family changed forever.