As the proud mother of my delicious son and hero Luke, I have the privilege of a lifetime. Since there is no preparation or handbook for the journey of raising a Special Needs child we have lived our lives the only way we know how: with humor, love, enthusiasm and the commitment that Luke would have a full and wonderful life.

We live by the code that each of us has Special Needs and some of us have a few extra ones, or as we say - Extra Special Needs - and well, this is part of life – ordinary and extraordinary at once.

In our family we believe that labels are for jars, so when we describe Luke, we boast among other things, about his compassion, his sense of humor, his love of politics, computers and horseback riding.

Like many of you, the fixed threads of our lives have included: navigating diagnosis, potential treatment, early intervention, medical options, therapeutic services, and insurance, legal, education and academic issues. To insure that Luke receives the services he deserves, he resides within the rubric of Developmentally Delayed.

Although Luke will require assistance throughout his life (he insists that he'll need a driver because he refuses to get his license), he has many talents, gifts, goals and dreams that we celebrate in every way that we can.

While we have been finding our way, so too, has Luke. His brother Dylan is his best friend and when they are together, all is right with the world. Recently, Luke's circle of great friends has grown to include his classmates, neighborhood buddies, horseback riding pals and others who he chooses to include in his inner circle. After years of isolation his joy is obvious and infectious which fills our hearts with infinite happiness.

The cornerstone of my life has been that it takes a large village to raise a child with Extra Special Needs and I thought, why not build an even larger village?

It is with that spirit that I created Lambdoodle where those with and without disabilities live harmoniously. Lambdoodle is for all of us who, for too long, have felt isolated and alone.

A former teacher, Special Needs Educator and Marketing and Sales Executive, I've focused my life on my passion: the community of Special Needs. I know first-hand the raw journey of parenting a child with disabilities.

One in four families are impacted by Special Needs and I have no doubt that our experience will resonate with many. The truth is that we are not alone in this journey: rather we are all in this together.

With that in mind, Lambdoodle was created to provide emotional and social support for everyone: Special Needs Individuals, Parents, Siblings, and Family members, Caregivers, Buddies, Educators and Friends.

My dream was to create a community to reflect the way that we believe the world should be; a world where connection and experience transcends individual issues, labels and diagnoses. A place where each of us is valued for who we are and that paramount to being happy is having fun!

Our village is your village. We invite you to share your stories, dreams and wishes, as well as your talents, knowledge, comments and suggestions.

We mean what we say; we'd really love to hear from you. As the Lambdoodle Village grows, we'll continue to expand based on your participation and feedback; the more members, the happier we are.

You can share in as many areas as you'd like. When you click on your designated area, look for the About Page, which will provide specific information about that area as well as submission instructions. It's our way of welcoming you to feel right at home!

Thank you for taking the time to share. You never know whom your story will inspire, whom you will help or whose heart you will touch.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to explore, experience, engage and enjoy!

Welcome Home!