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I'm hoping for some help and encouragement.....I'm so discouraged. I'm a single mom of 4 kids. My oldest son, whose 9, has autism which wasn't properly diagnosed until last year. I have a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old twins (boy and girl). My oldest son is having a hard time navigating his world and is in constant turmoil. Which in turn puts all of our lives in turmoil. I feel like I'm going crazy!!! I ended up getting fired from my job because I had to leave work and go to school and pick him up as he was having a rough day. I qualify for food stamps but that's it. That doesn't help pay rent, car insurance, medications, shampoo, nothing. We live in rural vermont so a car is a neccessity and all this stressing about money is making everything worse. And christmas is coming upon us besides. And now school has told me that my son needs some special sensory stuff that could help at home like a weighted blanket and hand fidgets but I don't have the money for that either. My ex-husband refuses to pay child support to the point he quits every job when the state tries to enforce payroll deduction. I'm at a complete loss- I'm ready to give up....I can't give them what they need financially or mentally at this point. I'm exhausted with all the worrying and crying. I want to work but who's going to hire someone who has to leave every time school calls or he has a hard day and misses the bus?? So frusterating...... :-(

For families dealing with specail needs kids, I did an article on Easter Seals.  They offer child care, after-school care and many more services!  here's my article:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-16093-LA-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m7d28-Afterschool-care-for-special-needs-kids-in-Los-Angeles

HI!! My name is Jessica. I am a single mother of 2. Austin, 7 and Madison, 4. Madison has Spina Bifida and is paralyzed from the waist  down. She is having hip surgery on 4-23 and I will be unable to work for about 2 months. She is also scheduled for 2 more surgeries after that too so, I will be out of work yet again for about 1-2 mths. each time. She has had a total of 9 surgeries so far. She is the strongest person that I know. Austin is starting to have problems in school. He is acting out and not listening to his teacher. I have had to leave work because of meetings with his teachers and I am now taking him to see a child therapist. They are telling me he is ADD/ADHD but, I don't believe it. I think that he is just trying to get attention like his sister. I  am trying to spend more1 on 1 time withhim but, it's hard to do that when my daughter needs so much care. I am also a full time student. I attend Kaplan University-online classes so that I can get a better job and work from home one day. When that happens, I will be able to help others that are i n the same position that I am in now.

Our daughter has cerebral palsy and needs a special outpatient procedure a.s.a.p.  Because we adopted her before we knew she had CP, and we are self employed , no one will insure her. We also live overseas serving a small Christian mission and are only here in the USA for a short time. We are desperate to give her the treatment she needs, and we'd happily provide doctor bills and proof that the money contributed went straight to the hospital and specialist. Thank you so much. In a quandry, mom of Jasmine, three on 3/21/04--not walking yet but we've all got high hopes