Carelinks ABA Staff

Friendship Doesn't Have One Definition If you asked ten different people or children what friendship looks like or means to them, you'll likely hear ten different answers because individuals value various aspects of this type of social connection. For one child, it's laughing together while riding bikes through the neighborhood. For another, it's sitting quietly beside someone who shares the same fascination with dinosaurs, trains, or drawing. Some friendships are built through conversation,...

Independence Doesn't always Begin with Big Milestones. When people hear the word independence, they often picture major achievements, such as tying shoelaces, riding a bike, or eventually living on one's own for the first time. In reality, independence is built much earlier and in much smaller moments. It might look like choosing between two T-shirts before getting dressed, carrying a beach towel to the car, and putting a snack into a lunch bag before heading to the park. These everyday...

Being There and Belonging Are Not Always the Same Thing Summer is filled with opportunities for connection. Community festivals, playground visits, sports programs, camps, family gatherings, library events, and neighborhood celebrations bring people together throughout the season. Yet participation and inclusion are not always synonymous. A child can attend an event and still feel disconnected from what is happening around them. They can stand on the sidelines of a game, struggle to join a...