Special Needs Mini-Sessions Part 2 | Naperville Photographer

I’ve finished editing the afternoon sessions from our April 11th special needs mini’s.  It was seriously a great day.  Thank you to all of the families who came out!

I met these two identical twin girls last year.  One of the best things about having these families come back year after year is to watch their growth.  Both of these girls have autism.  Last year, the one with shorter hair could barely speak, and the other displayed many more aspects of ASD.  This year, both were talking away.  And man, have they grown!  I’m only like a half inch taller than them now.

 

 

Next up was this adorable seven month old.  Seriously, I had to restrain myself from taking a bite out of those cheeks!  He was so very sweet. Jaxon  was born with Down Syndrome and Atrioventricular (AV) Canal,  which is a hole in his heart.  He had heart surgery in October with a PA Banding and will have his AV repair in May.  He is one strong Cardiac Warrior.  Mom and Jax try to spread awareness about infant heart issues – 1 in 100 babies are born with a heart condition.  More lives can be easily saved by ensuring every baby gets their oxygen level  tested before they leave the hospital.  In addition to these struggles, little Jax has not developed his strength, yet and cannot sit or really lift his head when on his belly.  A tip to photographers – you can lay a baby on their belly and prop their head up on their arms to help it look like they can hold their heads up.

 

 

Next up is a familiar face.  I’ve been photographing this darling girl for the past three years, and seeing her grow has been awesome. Makenzie has autism.  The first time she came to me, she cried and had a meltdown and was very stressed to be at the studio.  Last year, she still wasn’t happy about being here, but with some spinning help from mom, I was able to capture a couple of smiles.  This year, while she started out a little stressed, she quickly was smiling and dancing.  This year, I also got to meet her little brother, Will, who is five.  Will obviously loves to kiss, hug and make Makenzie laugh.  Although Makenzie doesn’t have full typical conversations, her loving mom knows her inside and out, and her amazing smile tells her everything she needs to know.  She loves music and dancing!

 

 

Lastly was a new family to me.  Their youngest son has Autism.  And they haven’t had a family picture since he was a baby!  I’m honored to help them get some great pictures of their beautiful family.  The boys were fun, and big brother was so calm and cool, obviously a great role model for his younger brother.

 

 

Firefly Nights Photography loves working with special needs children.  If you have a special needs child, we would love to work with you to give you wonderful portraits, and a positive experience.  We have worked with children of all abilities, including Autism, Down Syndrom, Angelman Syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, Trisomy, Willi Prader syndrome, and rare chromosomal disorders.  We have both personal and professional experience in this realm and welcome families of all abilities.