2019. Perhaps the biggest phase of change Anjali has been through in a year. Perhaps the biggest spike in the development of this blog. Sitting here on the 31st of December, just hours away from reaching a new decade and year, all of these thoughts were passing through my head. This post will serve as a neat summary of Anjali’s journey throughout 2019, and how my documentation of her activities has played a role in our lives. 

Let’s start at the beginning. My first post in this calendar year was all the way back in April when we talked about the importance of Vacations for Anjali. I found our vacations to be such beautiful examples of how a child with behavioral and interactive obstacles could still connect with the aura and beauty of a place like Yosemite National Park just like the rest of us. This showed us how important vacations with appropriate precaution can be for a special needs child because they deserve time to unwind just like the rest of us. I then decided to share with you all the public health data about rates of Autism, ASD, Aspergers, and other such conditions rapidly rising. We discussed how being diagnosed under such conditions can be shocking for many families, as was the case for mine as well. Along with this, I shared the amendments made to the diagnostic process and why this is a possible factor in rising data. The attention of this blog once again shifted to Anjali when I had the opportunity to share her progress as a swimmer. This was another post that had an important message about how special needs children should not be treated any differently. They should still have fun in their lives through activities like swimming because at the end of the day they are children after all. 

In the latter half of this year, my content’s two categories of personal experiences and data about the special needs community started to blend together. In July I posted about the Job Opportunites our current economy offers for individuals of special needs. Hearing about a specific case sparked this idea in my mind, and I was truly invested in understanding what this big bad world has to offer for these children when they grow up. I think the conclusion of this search was that some opportunities do indeed exist, mostly from people who know a special-needs individual in their lives, but there is certainly room to improve. My next post was about State Services. The idea of government is a funny thing. We feel disconnected by it yet it affects us in every aspect of our lives. Therapy and professional help is the most important aspect of a special needs individuals life, yet so many states have failed to provide a sustainable system. I think the Job Opportunities post and State Services post asks some very important questions. How much does the world pay attention to individuals of disability? Are we recognizing their talents and why are so many of us not caring to the level we should about providing them with their needs?

  Reviewing my last two posts of this year helps me cap off this neat summary of the year. Little Einsteins served as a wonderful reminder to all of us that every child has potential in the classroom. The content simply has to be taught to them in a way that suits them, because every child is a different type of learner, especially one with special needs. Sensory Showtime also reminded us all how special needs children are no different, and as long as their needs (or sensory needs in the context of that post) are addressed, they too can partake in the wonders of life such as forms of entertainment. Those thoughts are what I would like to leave you all with as we reach a new decade and year. Thank you so much for coming all with me on this journey so far, and stay tuned for more content in the coming year! Have a great 2020 everyone!