The impetus for this area truly began nearly eighteen years ago, when, very early on, Luke's Special Needs began to reveal themselves. Desperately in search of information that would guide us, and at the very least help us to feel not quite so alone, I was increasingly frustrated by the outdated, incomplete, inconclusive, far flung information that would quickly become the norm rather than the exception. It was maddening. As if the emotional roller coaster on which we found ourselves wasn't enough in and of itself, routing out pertinent resources would serve as an irritant rather than a salve. Accustomed to solving problems quickly and creatively, overturning obstacles to reach identified goals, I soon found myself in deep, uncharted waters.

With my heart lodged in my throat, the enormity of what was ahead slowly beginning to sink in, stress levels rising, and no conclusive direction to follow, I remember thinking, 'there has to be a better system; if so many kids are diagnosed, how is it that there isn't a clearinghouse of sorts to house the answers we were seeking?'

My quest resulted in grinding out information the old fashioned way: word of mouth, incessant phone calls, bleary eyed middle of the night navigation around websites that usually freaked me out rather than instructed me. Eventually, I secured what Luke needed - never underestimate the brute strength and determination of a mom out to save her child. The experience was less than comforting, and as I found myself stuck in the epicenter of my personal research storm, I vowed that if ever I could, I'd create a one stop shopping center, a research mall; a destination that was warm, welcoming, comforting, supportive, tried and true based on real life experiences, information for those of us who strayed outside the parameters of a formal diagnosis, a shared pool of recommendations, information, and most of all assurance that none of us had to straddle our worlds alone.

Which brings me up to date with the debut of the initial formation of a comprehensive resource area, where there's something for everyone.

Currently the site includes:

- Lambdoodle Dictionary
- Services in your Area: i.e. Medical, OT/PT, Speech, Psychology
- Important Websites

We anticipate this resource mall to grow with the many contributions that we know you will generously want to submit. The information you have may be just what someone else has been searching for, and therefore will provide immediate assistance. With that immediacy comes a huge sense of relief that finally, the searcher is making some headway. In turn, someone else's experiences will undoubtedly help you in the same way.

Realizing my dream from years ago is most gratifying. The Lambdoodle Resource Area is a genuine information chain; a pay it forward system designed to capture valuable assets in the form of real, accessible, sought after data with the ultimate dream of creating a dynamic, comprehensive, inviting, supportive information source and network. And because we are all in this together, nobody understands our plight better than the kindred spirit who walks in our shoes.

As you begin to familiarize yourself with this area we'd appreciate your recommendations for inclusion of useful, helpful and supportive services for others in like situations.

We also welcome suggestions, additions, and enhancements that you'd like to see made and would love to review your thoughts at: Resources@Lambdoodle.com.

Once we receive your submission, we'll give it a quick road test, and then post in the respective area as soon as possible. Additionally, we'll include new postings within the 'What's New' button on the Home Page.

With that, it is my great pleasure to invite you into this rich area of resources, made only richer by your presence, participation and contributions. What a real difference we all can make in one another's lives!