the friend-ship

my son craig was born with a rare genetic disorder called ectodermal dysplasia. this disorder is so rare that outside of family he has never met another child like him. one evening after a therapy session he asked me if he could develop an app for children. having no real understanding of what facebook is, he began to pitch a proposal to me. he said being different sucks. nobody understands what it is like to be me. i want to make an app where kids can meet each other and make friends. and if there was a kid who didn't have enough friends i would share mine. he began to pitch an idea based on the major apps available on the market already. myspace-- where everybody would start out with a friend right away and you can customize the site with pictures and wallpapers that describe you and your interests. this would be very beneficial because many children are visual and this is a quick way they can bond with one another. facebook-- there would be pages available based on community interests such as kids who play soccer. and pages based on your disorder which will also help form a support community for the parents to connect with other parents who are experiencing the same ups and downs of raising a child with a specific disorder or issue. my harmony-- this app would use statistics to help suggest possible friends for the children based on the demographic information obtained : age, gender, location, disorder, and interests. now with a site like this safety is a major concern. cyberpredation, cyber bullying, are a major concern. unlike other sites... this one will be based on parental-control. this site is actually monitored 100% by the parents. meaning no post or request or article of communication is allowed to be posted by the child without first being viewed by the parent. this may seem tedious... however nothing is more important than the safety of our children. this will also help the parents teach safe cyber habits to their children. skype. & youtube-- one on one visual play dates will be incorporated. as well as a share time where kids can make videos to share with friends. from a simple video on how to make a fun craft, or how to get past a video game level, to video diaries and tutorials. for instance, my son craig wears dentures, which is not something a typical child experiences. having him do a video diary on what that feels like to a tutorial on how they look and how to wear them. this simple video can help build his self-esteem, self-image, and confidence because somewhere there is a child uncertain on how to wear dentures, embarrassed, feeling like he's the only child going through this... yet he has just made a friend and probably changed a life all because he shared a video. sponsors-- to help cover operating system costs, companies, physicians, medical facilities, as well as outreach organizations like juvenile diabetes association, st jude, make a wish foundation, and children's miracle network can purchase advertising banners to help support the cause and also link their own communities with the friend-ship. children are highly adaptable. the technological age brings with it such possibilities as well as pitfalls. rising a child does take a community, especially when you are raising a child with special needs. the friend-ship is designed to build personal relationships, a strong self esteem, and a safe community.