West End Mom Launches Online Community for Special Needs Families

“I wanted to create a space where these extraordinary families could find the resources they need and create a sense of community amongst one another.”

December 12, 2014; 10:34 AM • by Richard Hayes

From the Press Release.

The mother of a special needs child in Richmond’s West End has launched a new website to serve as a community resource for families like hers in Central Virginia. Carissa Garabedian this month launched KnowDifferent.net, an online community where parents can find helpful content from community professionals on raising children with special needs, fun events accessible to their families, and a growing directory of community resources geared towards children across the special needs spectrum.

Garabedian, the publisher of award-winning family publication Richmond Macaroni Kid for almost 5 years, is passionate about not only providing a resource to families raising children with developmental and physical disabilities, but also making them feel no–or ‘know’–different than anyone else.

“There are a lot of great online family-oriented resources in Richmond, but none that were really geared towards the parents and families of special needs children,” said Garabedian. “I wanted to create a space where these extraordinary families could find the resources they need and create a sense of community amongst one another. While each family’s situation is different, there are many shared experiences between special needs families.”

In addition to the website, KnowDifferent.net offers a monthly email newsletter which allows subscribers to have the site’s monthly content delivered to their inboxes.

For more information, visit http://www.knowdifferent.net.