Amber Bobnar

Originally from Hawaii, Amber and her family moved to Massachusetts to be closer to Boston Children’s Hospital where her son, Ivan, now receives medical care.

 

She has a Master’s degree in English from Tufts University and spends most of her “free time” writing about being a parent of a disabled child on WonderBaby.org. But really most of her time is spent caring for and playing with her son.

Madilyn at Build-a-Bear

Play, Sensory Activities

Build-a-Bear Workshop: A Multi-Sensory Experience!

Ivan went to Build-a-Bear with his friend Madilyn and they had a great time building bears! This is a perfect activity for kids with special needs.

closeup of animals book

Giveaways

DK Braille Books Giveaway

Enter to win two braille books with tactile images from DK publishing. Contest ends March 31, 2016.

scientist in the lab

Health & Nutrition

Gene Therapy: What is it and how does it work?

With so much in the news these days about gene therapy, you may be wondering if there really is a treatment on the horizon to benefit inherited eye diseases. The...

Parenting, Special Needs

What I wish people understood about raising a medically complex child

Here's something I've learned in the last 10 years: Raising a special needs child is hard, but raising a special needs child who is medically complex is much harder.

Ivan sleeping in his new bed

Sleep, Special Needs

Getting a Special Needs Bed Funded Through Insurance

Does your child need a special bed in order to be safe at night? Special needs beds can be prohibitively expensive, so most of us require our insurance to cover...

Ivan reading braille

Braille and Literacy, Visual Impairment

Our Favorite Tactile Books for Blind Kids

The best tactile books for blind kids. Find books that provide some nice feedback for kids reading with their fingers!

retinal implant

Eye Conditions and Syndromes

My child was just diagnosed with a retinal disorder, are there any treatments? Is there a cure?

Blindness due to a retinal disorder is no longer completely untreatable. There are devices that can restore or augment sight as well as some serious movement in the world of...

Holly and her daughters

Visual Impairment

Blind Motherhood

Holly Bonner writes about being a mother to two beautiful little girls. What makes her blog different than most mommy blogs is that Holly is blind. She blogs about life...

genetic codes in colorful test tubes

Eye Conditions and Syndromes

Genetic Testing for Retinal Diseases: Your Questions Answered!

Do you have questions about the genetics behind an inherited retinal disorder? How do you do genetic testing... and what do you do with the test results?

Just Popping Through with a Valentine for You

Giveaways

Braille Valentines Giveaway!

Enter to win a pack of braille Valentine's Cards from National Braille Press! The new design features the text "Just Popping Through with a Valentine for You." Contest ends February...

The best resources for parents of visually impaired kids

Support, Visual Impairment

Most Popular Shared Resources for Parents of Blind Children

Each year, we see lots of really interesting and exciting resources for parents of blind children shared on WonderBaby.org. Here are the 20 most popular resources shared in 2015!

Ivan asleep in his travel bed

Sleep, Special Needs

The Perfect Special Needs Travel Bed

Traveling with a special needs child can be difficult for many reasons, but the biggest issue for us has been finding a safe way for our child to sleep while...

Finn and his new family

Adoption and Foster Care

Finn’s Adoption Day

Watch this video documenting Finn's adoption day when he first meets his new family. Bethel China helps families adopt visually impaired children in China.

Z-Vibe Spoon

Feeding and Eating

Z-Vibe Spoon

The Z-Vibe is a vibrating sensory tool often used in oral-motor stimulation to help kids learn to use their mouths for chewing and eating. The basic Z-Vibe comes with a...

holiday giveaways

Giveaways

Holiday Giveaways for Visually Impaired Kids!

Our holiday giveaways this year are better then ever! Enter to win over a dozen amazing books, toys, apps and more for blind babies and children!