TAPA Mom, Samantha Sosnik, put up an annual post in May of 2016, during Williams Syndrome Awareness month. In the funny way that social media works, someone recently saw that post from more than a year ago, commented on it, and within minutes it had skyrocketed to 300 likes with dozens upon dozens of comments. Samantha’s message is… Read More »
Posts Categorized: TAPA Parents
Family Comes First: Featuring one of our own
On Monday, October 19, 2015 members of our TAPA family, Edith Heinsohn, Linda Landon and Susan Russo were featured on the Telly Award winning show, Family Comes First™. The show’s mission is to highlight challenges that families face in their daily lives and provide them, and you, with hope by suggesting resources to help get… Read More »
The Misunderstood Child
I am the child that looks healthy and fine. I was born with ten fingers and toes. But something is different, somewhere in my mind. And what it is, nobody knows. I am the child who struggles in school. Though they say I’m perfectly smart. They tell me I’m lazy – can learn if I… Read More »
Bedtime Blues
By Susan S. Russo How many times can one read “Goodnight Moon”, “Brown Bear” or “The Cat in the Hat”? If you are a parent you know that the answer is probably close to a “gazillion”. When my four were tiny I resorted to reading all of their favorites using different accents…….Reading a la Fran… Read More »
Oh, Christmas Tree
THE THERESA FOUNDATION and Theresa Academy of Performing Arts had so much to be thankful for this year! On Thanksgiving weekend, United Cerebral Palsy Nassau County hosted their 24th Annual Festival of the Trees at the Cradle of Aviation. The Theresa Academy donated a tree to UCPN that was called “Mix It Up”! Much like our art show, the… Read More »
Winter Recess Respite
For the first time ever, TAPA held respite classes over February Break. On Thursday, “Girls Ruled” TAPA as it was the first day in TAPA’s history that we had all female students, volunteers, and teachers. We made snowflake chains with glitter glue and sparkles, and read the book “Snowmen at Night” to inspire our… Read More »
TAPA’s Little Helpers
By Miss Amy: TAPA is not just for special needs. My son, Matthew, has been coming to work since before age 2. In addition to meeting so many wonderful students, he has taken dance, music, drumming and been my conscientious assistant. His experience has fostered a compassionate and understanding aspect of his personality that I… Read More »
“Typical”
By: Cindi Valenti As a mother of two special needs children, I sometimes find it hard to understand “typical” mothers and their wants and needs. I want my kids to be happy, socialize like “typical” kids do, succeed in the future and be taken care of. I encourage any activity they want to try or… Read More »
5 Fun Things to do this Summer…
Summer is here and school is out! Here are five “TAPA-approved” unique things to do with your kids this summer. 1. Attend a Long Island Ducks Game www.liducks.com You can get tickets to this baseball game in Central Islip for $11 a ticket! Take the whole family and support Long Island’s team. They are… Read More »
A Dance Mom’s Dream
I’m proud and honored to be a Mom of a daughter with special needs who just happened to be TAPA’s first student. So if that’s my claim to fame and the reason why I’m sitting here writing this little blog then I’ll take it and run with it. I don’t think any parent initially wants… Read More »