Welcome!

This website is a resource tool for educators and professionals alike dealing with a variety of life challenges. At Life Challenges, we focus mainly on sharing information in a convenient, accessible way in order to spread knowledge about the current state of issues and dealing with the challenging situations that life may bring.

The three areas of focus for Life Challenges include trauma, exceptional abilities, and addiction.

Trauma

Emotionally damaging experiences, violence, neglect, abuse -- all potentially traumatic events. Because of the multifaceted nature of the term, we will divide trauma into two categories -- distressing psychological experiences and physical trauma such as broken bones or wounds. For a more in depth discussion on these two categories, AfterTrauma provides further information.

Exceptional Abilities

All individuals have differences in physical traits and learning capacity -- some individuals are tall, some short; others are able to remember information easily and some need repetitions in order to ingrain it. Individuals with exceptional abilities are those who differ from the norm -- whether above or below. Children in this category require individualized programs in order to fully prosper in an educational environment. W.L. Heward provides us a definition to describe exceptional children: "The term exceptional children includes children who experience difficulties in learning as well as those whose performance is so superior that modifications in curriculum and instruction are necessary to help them fulfill their potential" (2014).

Addiction

Addiction, specifically addiction to drugs and alcohol, is defined as "a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences" according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2014). Drugs can change the way the brain operates and its structure and thus is classified as a brain disease.

Resources

Heward, W.L. (2014). Who are exceptional children? Retrieved from https://www.education.com/reference/article/who-exceptional-children/

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-abuse-addiction