A New Phase in Life–Part I

A man with moving boxes

I have moved into a new phase in life, especially my parenting life. My last child has moved out of the house. Another child visited for the summer, so we didn’t experience a true empty nest immediately. Yet it is still a new phase–the child who moved out last was our child with an alphabet […]

ATN Angel: Donald Craig Peterson

By:  Julie Beem Tireless.  That’s the word that comes to mind when describing Craig Peterson.  Those on Facebook know him as Donald Craig Peterson.  Craig is an author, an activist, an advocate, an advisor…but most importantly he’s a dad.  Parenting six he adopted as a single parent has been far from easy.  His children have […]

Developmental Trauma Disorder

In 2009, professionals researching and treating Complex Trauma in children proposed a new diagnosis of Developmental Trauma Disorder be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual to capture the dysfunctions experienced by children and adolescents exposed to chronic traumatic stress. Some of these children did not meet the criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the disorder […]

What’s in a Name? Part 2 – To Label or Not to Label

By: Julie Beem

“You don’t want her labeled for life.” This sentence is usually spoken by your child’s grandparent (out of sheer concern for you and your family) or by a school official (who may be trying to block access to special education services). Either way, crossing the threshold into “labeling” your child is a difficult thing for many.