Feature Special Siblings William Ballinger, 9, hugs his brother Robert 'Trey' Ballinger, 12, who has autism. Though having a sibling with special needs can be hard, it has many benefits. William Ballinger, 9, knows all too well that having a brother with special needs can be hard. For one thing, if Robert "Trey" Ballinger, 12, has a test in school, the whole family has to pitch in and help him prepare. And if William wants to play a board game, and Trey wants to watch a DVD, Trey usually gets his way. "I get really frustrated when he says no to the things I want to do," says William of his brother, who has autism. "And sometimes I get angry when Trey seems to get all the attention." But, like millions of children who have siblings with special needs, William has ... [Read full story] The Write Stuff Christine Gray has graded her fair share of sloppy essays over the years. After 25 years as a college English professor, she's deciphered the scribbled, the excessively loopy, the cramped, the slanted and more. Forget content and style. What Gray sees in terms of penmanship alone is cause for concern. "I've seen it all, since 1983," Gray, an English professor at The Community College of Baltimore County, said of analyzing her students' penmanship. On the first day of class, she routinely asks students to compose a writing sample. Although the exercise is intended to gauge the ... [Read full story] First Blush Liza Varhaftik, 13, samples lip gloss at Sephora with input from her mother, Julie. Many women recall their first forays into makeup. Maybe it was big sis' seashell-pink blush and powder-blue eye shadow, or mom's fiery red lipstick. Whatever the palette, chances are it didn't look just right on the first try. Teens and preteens today are no less drawn to experiment with makeup. And the array of cosmetics available to them is mind-boggling, with products like bronzers, eye shimmers, lash lengtheners, lip plumpers and cheek stains. A girl hardly knows where to start. And mom's often in the same boat -- reluctant to give the go-ahead for her daughter to dip into the ... [Read full story]   Checkup Check-up check list If your 7-year-old isn't coughing and your toddler is eating vegetables (this week), it could be easy not to fully appreciate the importance of your children's well checkup. But in the time it takes a parent to calculate how many diapers an infant wets each day, a pediatrician can examine the newborn's spleen, scan her circulatory system and listen for heart murmurs. "Not only will we be able to detect problems, but we'll also be going over what changes to anticipate in the child," says Dr. Scott Strahlman, a pediatrician with Columbia Medical Practice. "Well visits are very ... [Read full story]   Camp Guide Camp Guide '09 Roxann Owen, 12, climbs the 'Stairway to Heaven' -- part of the ropes course at YMCA Camp Letts in Edgewater. There are scores of camps and summer programs for children and teens in the Baltimore - Washington area. The list that follows represents a sampling of what's available. Camp programs offering primarily recreational activities or those with a substantial outdoor recreational component require certification by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. State-certified camps must comply with staffing and medical requirements in accordance with the Maryland Youth Camp Act. In addition to being certified, many camps are accredited by the American Camp Association, which evaluates ... [Read full story]   [Local news archives]		Editor's Note Balancing the needs of everyone     Events Get Up & Go   Get Up & Go Howard County     Hot Dates Hot Dates for February     Checkup What's Up, Doc?