Growing Up At Camp Woodchuck
When her newborn son Carlos was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Ana cried for 4 months. Her husband, Othon had been in an accident and was unable to work and she was completely overwhelmed. “I cried every day,” she said. “I kept asking, Why Me? Then I said to myself, Carlos is here, and I have […]
Is this just a stage?
Raising a child can be challenging. Even under the best circumstances, their behaviors and emotions can change frequently and rapidly. All children are sad, anxious, irritable, or aggressive at times, or they can occasionally find it challenging to sit still, pay attention, or interact with others. In most cases, they are just typical developmental phases. […]
Festive and Bittersweet
Who doesn’t love a taco?! The graduating class of 2023 at Rainbows United helped us to celebrate all things taco and festive (including sombreros, taco pinatas and churro bars) with “Taco ‘bout a Future” as this year’s theme. We had hoped to have the ceremony outside as in years past, but the Kansas weather did […]
Tribe Helps Shape Littles
Five-year-old Baylor has graduated from Rainbows’ Pre-Kindergarten Program! Baylor started with Rainbows in the infant room and has grown up with Rainbows. “It’s extremely difficult dropping off your precious little one with “strangers” for the day,” said Stacy, Baylor’s mother. “I struggled. But so quickly, those “strangers” become your support system, your tribe in shaping […]
Pre-K Teacher Shares Love of Music With Children
When MacKenzie Tilma, Lead Teacher, is in the classroom, you are likely to hear the happy notes of…A UKELELE? “I always like when the children get excited when I bring my ukulele to play songs for them,” said MacKenzie. “They are always suggesting songs I need to learn to play. We keep multiple toy ukuleles […]
Don’t Worry, Call Rainbows!
Leer en Español May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, and as a speech language pathologist with Rainbows United, I am so excited to share my mantra with you: Don’t worry, Call Rainbows! This is what I say to parents who approach me and tell me they are worried about their child’s speech development. “Does […]
How to Protect Your Child’s Hearing
Rainbows’ Audiologist Ellen Quinn answers the second most common question she is asked, usually from parents of tweens and teens. “Can loud music damage my child’s hearing? I can hear the music coming through my child’s earbuds and I keep telling them to turn the music down!” The short answer is YES…excessively loud sounds can […]
My Child may have ADHD; Now what?
Does your child struggle with staying focused on a task, easily distracted, and/or unable to compete the task to completion? Does your child get into trouble frequently at home or school, forgets things, or struggles with building positive relationships with his/her peers? If so, please know that you are not alone! Although all the above […]
Volunteering Lifts Up Community and SCHEELS Team
At Rainbows, we know the value of volunteers and appreciate the impact they have on the lives of our children with special needs. On this second day of Volunteer Appreciation Week, we asked Tasha McKeever, Events Coordinator for Wichita SCHEELS, to share why volunteering is meaningful for this new company in Wichita. The Wichita SCHEELS […]
Never Give Up
Born weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces, Theron is a former “23 Weeker” who wasn’t given much hope on making it to his first birthday. He spent 144 days in the NICU and had a total of 5 brain surgeries plus 2 eye surgeries. Theron has hydrocephalus as well as cerebral palsy. His parents, Raven and […]
