Very valid question and one that's worth talking through. Our son has a very passive nature and rarely offers opinions or original thoughts or ideas. He pretty much does what he's told, which is where he gets his reputation for being such a great kid. He never rebels or gets angry, even when he should be! It's also why we are so concerned about him venturing out on his own--it makes him very vulnerable. I guess what I'm saying is that we can go over his options (after we research what the local High School, Social Security, Dept of Rehab Services and maybe Job Corps have to offer) but ultimately he'll go along with whatever we think is best. Lots of excellent advice here and it seems streamlined toward the Services mentioned above. Great advice about holding off on issuing a diploma and giving a certificate of completion instead. I had never thought it would matter. Regarding Guardianship, sometime last year, I became concerned that once our son turned 18, I would no longer be consulted or able to make decisions involving his healthcare. This is a VERY big deal because he would not understand things like risks, benefits and consents and he will likely need surgery again in the future. (He's already had 6. Can't share too much for privacy reasons.) I was advised by his neurologist that, as long as he can say, "Ask my mom" that legal guardianship would not be necessary for son's medical care. Now, when it comes to other legal contracts, car loans, etc., that may be another story.

Thank you for the replies. I noticed no one so far has mentioned Job Corps. Does anyone have any experience with them? I think the child has to leave home and live on their campus or whatever in order to participate. So that's a pretty big negative for us.

Hi all, I thought I'd give you an update on this situation. We've had our little foster guy for about 6 mos. now and my Chihuahua has really come to terms with him. We made some changes in our home routine where the child was concerned, in order to establish some boundaries for the dog's benefit. We felt that if the dog was so upset that she was becoming physically ill, we needed to respect that. First, since the dog is in the habit of crawling under our blankets in the early hours of the morning, we've made our bed off limits for the baby if the dog is in the bed. TV time at night was another area that we modified. Typically, the family watches a Netflix program in the evening and the dog sits next to me in my chair. When the baby came, we were allowing him to sit in his swing and watch TV with us but he was a major distraction for everyone. We realized that he didn't really need to watch TV, he needed to be in his crib! So the baby now goes to bed around 9pm, when we start watching our programs, and our little dog doesn't have to share her "mom" time with him. We put one of the baby's blankets in the dog's bed. That seemed to help. As many of you suggested, we bought the dog a Thunder Shirt and that also seems to help her calm down, although...she's still a Chihuahua! Enough said. She loves Pork Chomps chew sticks so we allow those when we're anticipating visitors that might trigger her anxiety issues. The baby has frequent visitors: Case workers, therapists, medical deliveries, etc. The dog is now very protective of the baby and she doesn't like it when someone waves their hands around him or they stand up too quickly. The baby is usually on the floor for therapy and the dog always goes to him and checks him out after the therapist leaves. We allow her to greet and smell the visitor before carrying her to another area of the house. So, things are looking up!

I'm a long-time mostly lurker, hoping to get some advice from anyone who might have BTDT. Our 17 year old adopted son has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and a chromosome abnormality which resulted in severe learning delays. He also has significant medical history. He has been homeschooled since the first grade. He will soon be 18 and he has just started doing 7th grade work. This is a great kid on every level, high functioning but definitely not able to make his way in the world, at least not right now. We have an appointment with the Social Security office to discuss possible disability assistance and extension of his Medicaid benefits. My question involves his education. Clearly, I can't keep him in school until he's 23, plowing through high school classes that he likely will never grasp. He could probably get a job at a basic level--he's a hard worker--but most employers will ask if he's a high school graduate. He has a specific career in mind that will require some college classes but again, obviously, college will also require a high school diploma with a transcript. It pains me that he doesn't understand that if he can't do high school, he surely can't do college. I can't in good faith issue a high school diploma to a kid who's still doing 7th grade work. What do I do with him? Coach him through a GED? Fake a diploma so he can work? He took a Stanford Achievement Test this past summer and tested solidly at the 6th grade level. This kiddo looks and acts normal and many folks are not even aware of his intellectual problems. Anyone? TIA.

My little dog is exactly the same way. Loves to be toted around, sit with me to watch a movie, go for a ride in the car. That's what little dogs are for!

Lots of good info here. Thanks for the responses. Off to research NILIF and Thundershirts!

The baby has been with us for 10 days. The vet explained the dog's condition as an inflammation of the GI tract, not really an ulceration. She suggested a couple of products from Petsmart that may help but she couldn't recall the names. She did do a fecal test for Giardia and a couple of other things. We came to the conclusion that the baby must be the source of the dog's stress because he's the only new change in her world. Plink, thanks for the link to the Thundershirts. I actually have another dog who could benefit from one of those as well. As for trusting my dog, she's an animal and I haven't forgotten that. Our dogs are never left alone with the baby. Paws, I will try the suggestion about the baby blanket. That's a very good idea. So far, the meds seem to be helping the dog's symptoms. We'll hope for continued improvement.

Thanks for the responses. I'm bumping, hoping for some more input. Surely I can't be the only person who's ever had a conflict between a much-loved pet and a new baby!

Yes, we've got some Metronidazole capsules and some Diarsanyl+ paste. I understand that the pills are for inflammation and the paste is like a protective coating for the intestinal tract. She also gave us a can of bland dog food. Recommended encouraging fluids.

Hoping someone could give us some advice. We have a new foster infant (our first placement). We also have a rather pampered Chihuahua, about 4 years old. She hasn't shown any aggression toward the baby but she is clearly uncomfortable with having him here. Yesterday we noticed the dog was passing bloody stools. After a very expensive vet visit, the vet diagnosed extreme stress, probably due to the baby. She explained it as some sort of intestinal inflammation, due to anxiety. I had no idea she was stressing to this extent. Can someone give me some advice on how to deal with this? What can I do to help the dog realize the baby is no threat to her? While the baby, of course, demands our attention, we've tried to continue to give the dog the same kind and amount of love and attention she's always had. Letting either the baby or the dog go is NOT an option. We need some help to work through this. Advice, please!

Hi, I've been a silent member for a while but I wanted to introduce myself before I post anywhere else. I've been homeschooling my 3 boys for about 10 years. I still have two boys at home, ages 11 and 17, both of whom are special needs. We are also a licensed foster home. I've enjoyed reading all the threads on these boards anonymously for quite a while but at times I've been tempted to join in the discussion, just to add my .02! So here's my intro so you all will know who I am, in case I do decide to jump in at some point. :coolgleamA: Daisy

I'm still here! Lurking. Thanks for the birthday wishes! :D

Thanks for the suggestion but I still can't find any live coverage. BBC has lots of coverage and short video clips but nothing live that I can find. I'm thinking of checking out some Canadian sites via Tunnel Bear, unless someone can direct me to a specific BBC site?

Mostly a lurker here but coming out of hiding for a few seconds... ;) I've been following the Tunnel Bear threads and finally got mine downloaded and working. Could you please describe how to access the Olympics once you're "on"? Do you just google search it or is there a specific web site? I'm using Google Chrome. Also, a question about the schedules. Are they London time or Sochi time? Thanks, Daisy

Hi, long time lurker here and I believe this is my first post. I noticed no one responded to your questions so I thought I would. Dh and I have been to the Woodlands conference for several years in a row. My kids adore the teen program and the program for the younger kids as well. The teens are part of the work force at the conference--they run errands and have assigned tasks alternating with structured lessons by interesting speakers. My teens always make new friends there. The kids' program is a lot of music and games and simple crafts. The staff keep them very busy and my kids are always disappointed when it's time to go home. If you're visiting Houston for the first time or have never been to Moody Gardens or the Space Center then it's well worth it. There are tons of vendors and lots of interesting workshops. You can still enjoy the weekend with your dh because the kids won't be with you every moment. If the conference is being held the same place as previous years (can't remember the name of it) then the Woodlands Mall is a short walking distance away. Have fun!