I'm looking forward to the opportunity to writing about some of the aspects of foster parenting on this blog. However, I don't have a lot of experience with foster children or the foster care system yet. So while I'm confident that I can accurately relate what research is showing us and how you can apply it in your home or your life, it's also useful to hear personal accounts. Below is a link to a page that has some "top foster blogs" listed.
http://www.onlineschools.org/top_fostering/
All of these authors are experiencing the special needs that accompany a child moving through the foster world and are trying to best meet those needs and the daily events that accompany them. I also think it's neat how varied foster parents can be, there is no mold. Many are couples who have struggled with infertility, some are same-sex couples, some are single, and some are traditional couples. This variety is great because the children are so varied.
Anyway, I'll have more posts to come, but if you'd like to read some personal experiences, the above link provides access to a great variety of blogs. I especially like "Sunshine Girl on a Rainy Day" because it's written by a woman who went through the fostercare system herself:
http://www.blogger.com/goog_1167709163arainyday.com/Site/Welcome.html
This is a Blog I like, that is what Crystal likes.
1-Autism Blog: www.theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org
2- I selected this blog because of the professional authors. There are doctors and therapists who write on differing topics in relation to Autism. I was able to locate this blog through a simple Google search. Then I looked through the search results to find a more professional site on Autism.
3-The target audience is the parents and caregivers of children and adults with Autism. That would include a wide range of parents who are just getting the diagnosis to parents who have had an Autistic child who has grown into an adult. The professionals write the blog from a caregiver’s perspective and have many different ways to accomplish the same thing. That enables parents to find the right method for them.
4-I like the overall design, it is simple and easy to find different topics. They have soothing colors of blue and green. Also lists on the sides of that offer options to find out about the blog, overview, and where there are classes and events relating to Autism.
5-Then they have a list of topics or categories of different blog posts on multiple topics, a very wide range. They cover so much areas of worry or curiosity for parents of Autistic children. With each topic they have there is a class or lecture recommendation to learn methods of coping, discipline, or numerous other skills. They post about once a week. There are a few reader comments on each of the blog posts. When the topic is more controversial there seems to be quite a bit more. You can tell there is a larger group reading this blog because of the “like button” which has about 20-40 on each post and the more recent ones so far and it has only been about a week.
6-Since there are multiple authors they have each one listed next to the topic of the posts. You can tell they are qualified since their qualifications are listed next to their names. They cycle through doctors and therapists and parents as writers. So they all seem extremely qualified due to are of study and personal experience.
7- From the posts I have read I noticed already a great deal of use of theories. They used a theory on punishment and reinforcement, then proceeded to describe the elements involved are positive or negative.
8- They frequently use research in their article. They have prepared references and alluded to them for further understanding. They also have research button that allows you to look specifically at the research itself. I feel the writings a based on quality information to back up any personal opinions that may be used.
9- I love this blog it was simple to use for a parent and was full of information I would be interested in. I would definitely recommend this blog to parents of children with Autism. Because it has the perfect layout for answers and lots of professional people to advise along with great research. They also have programs they offer to help apply the research and advice offered. For its purpose I do not see how it could get any better.
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