Special needs

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of Kindering, a not-for-profit neurodevelopmental center founded in 1962 by five Eastside mothers of preschoolers with disabilities.  In the five decades Kindering has been providing early intervention services and support, the number of children helped has g

Jesse Gillman is a 21-year-old who grew up in Bellevue with his parents, Marcy and Jeff, twin brother, Adam, and older sister, Talya. Born at 26 weeks and weighing a little more than 1.5 pounds, Jesse suffered a brain hemorrhage, lost vision in one eye and was on a ventilator for seven months. He ca

Imagine a group of kids on a snowy slope, laughing and yelling as they hurtle downhill on skis or snowboards. Those of us who ski don’t think twice about the effort it takes to gear up and go with our kids, from plopping down in the snow to fastening a snowboard binding to riding the lift. But for

Step into Seattle art therapist Mineko Takada-Dill’s studio and you’ll find an array of paints, clay, pastels, charcoal and textured papers. She uses these materials to help her clients let their guard down and experience the therapeutic benefits of art. Who hasn’t felt relaxation, focus and a sens

Eleven-year-old Maya hates life. The Seattle resident began an emotional downward spiral after a school playground incident two years ago. Since then, she’s been sad about most things, anxious, hates school and doesn’t like activities she used to enjoy. Maya suffers from childhood depression. Almos

Parents are their children’s first teachers. We help them learn their first words, take their first steps and ride their first bike. We cheer our children on and celebrate their triumphs as we watch them learn and grow. We can also be the first to notice a problem with their learning. When children

Seven-month-old Eva Sternoff of Bellevue has alert blue eyes and an infant-size hearing aid that fits on her right ear. It is neatly held in place by a pink headband. Eva was born with stage 3 microtia, a deformity of the outer ear that left her with hearing loss in one ear. Since Eva started weari

Not long after Rachel Trindle’s twin son Daniel was born with cerebral palsy, she noticed the friendships she’d cultivated with other parents just “withered up and died away.” After all, her life as a mom had changed dramatically. No longer could she connect with parents of typical children as she