The federal government enforces Section 504 in all programs or entities that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education. If your child has a disability, understanding the federal government’s definition of disability will help you know about and exercise the rights afforded to disabled students under federal law. Section 504 Definition of Disability As defined by Section 504, a student is understood to have a disability if they have a mental or physical impairment (or a record of impairment)....

When this doesn’t happen—or hCG levels actually decrease—it may mean a miscarriage is taking place. Learn more about low hCG levels in early pregnancy. How hCG Is Measured Following conception, hCG can be detected in the blood as early as day 11 using a test known as the quantitative serial beta-hCG assay, which measures the volume of hCG in a milliliter of blood. A single hCG test may be used to see if levels are within the normal range expected at that point in pregnancy....

While these are all possible signs and symptoms of pregnancy, they may not add up to a positive pregnancy test. This quiz is designed with possible and probable symptoms of pregnancy in mind. While it can’t tell you for sure that you are pregnant, the higher your score on the quiz, the more likely you are to be pregnant. This should prompt you to take a pregnancy test to get a more definitive answer....

Other than that, there’s really not that much about having a car that’s so great. They’re expensive to buy and to maintain. They break down occasionally, leaving you sitting by the side of the road in a thunderstorm. They require time and attention, and by the time you pay for them, they’re hardly worth the metal they’re made of. But most of us still can’t imagine life without our wheels....

Fetal kick counts are simple, free, and easy to do with no special equipment. This method is about monitoring the movement of your baby. While all babies move in different amounts and different times, most healthy babies will move frequently in the uterus. How to Do a Fetal Kick Count The first thing you want to do is pick your baby’s most active time of the day to begin. After you’ve eaten may be a good time to try....

Loyalty Issues and the Kids The kids are not stupid. Actually, they are very sensitive. The rivalry between you and the ex, spoken or unspoken, has a strong effect on them. Whether or not you express it verbally, kids will recognize the conflict of loyalties from day one. This can (and often does, in fact) lead to some real schizo behavior on the part of the stepchild. One day he may really seem to like you a lot....

Between 2006 and 2010 an estimated 700,000 women between the ages of 25-44 underwent insemination procedures. However, the actual insemination rate is likely much higher. In the United States, donor insemination is not tracked, which makes getting the exact number of procedures and resulting births currently impossible. Donor insemination may be the pathway you choose to build your family. Here’s what you need to know. Who Needs Donor Insemination to Get Pregnant?...

Effort: Quick and easy – no sewing required Materials: Yellow baseball hat (if your pajamas don’t have a hood) Yellow pajamas with feet One 9" x 12" inch orange felt square Two 1-½" white pom-poms Two small, oval wiggle eyes White or yellow feather boa Scissors Glue gun and glue sticks Orange slipper socks Instructions: Cut the brim of the baseball hat into a duck-bill shape. Cut the orange felt in half and glue it to the top and bottom of the brim....

Why Do Premature Babies Need Early Intervention? Not all children who were born early will need early intervention, but premature babies are at risk for many conditions that make them eligible for early intervention. Conditions such as IVH and other health problems of prematurity may leave premature babies with developmental delays, cognitive or emotional disorders, speech or feeding problems, social concerns, or other issues. Services Because states design different early intervention programs, services offered may vary....

Repurposed Earth Day Crayons Materials needed: Blue, green, and white crayon fragments Muffin tin Instructions: Collect your child’s used blue, green, and white crayon fragments. Arrange the crayon fragments in the cups of a muffin tin, starting with a few pieces of white, then layering on pieces of blue and green. Bake the muffin tin in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until the crayons are melted....

Energy-Efficiency Tool 10 Surefire Ways to Save Energy Top 10 Home Maintenance Projects 10 Summertime Energy Savers

This idea is adapted from 365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do with Your Child by Steve and Ruth Bennett. Materials Page dividers Three-ring binder Loose-leaf paper Markers or crayons Directions

Unfortunately, many things do not work this way. Planning to have a family is one of them. You might have decided to wait two or three years before having a child, but became pregnant even when using birth control. Or you might be trying to become pregnant and are disappointed month after month. But, within reason, it’s important to think through when to start a family. While we hope you find the following ideas helpful, we caution you against thinking you can plan exactly when you will have a child....

What makes a good preschool? What is “Montessori” school? Should your child be learning her letters at age three, or is that pushing it? Choosing a preschool is often the first education decision a parent makes, beyond the teaching and learning that occurs at home. To help you make the best choice for your child, FamilyEducation.com asked three preschool authorities for a checklist of things you should when visiting preschools in your area....

Effort: Easy – no sewing required Materials: Sweatshirt (larger than your child’s usual size) Turtleneck (in the same color as the sweat shirt) Two mannequin arms Scissors Black and orange nail polish (optional) Black and orange costume jewelry (optional) Instructions: Put the turtleneck and the sweatshirt on your child. Cut two circles out of the sweatshirt just below the armholes. Have her poke her arms out of the cut-out holes....

Effort: Quick and easy – no sewing required Materials: Orange T-shirt Brown T-shirt Black felt Fabric glue Scissors Brown pants (2 pairs) Stuffed dinosaur toy (optional) Instructions: Cut a jagged edge on the bottom of both T-shirts. Cut out jagged armholes. Next, cut a tie and diamond shapes out of the black felt. Glue the diamond shapes onto both shirts, and glue the tie onto the orange shirt. Note: Fred wears the orange shirt; Barney gets the brown!...