Enterprising Parent Creates Educational DVDs

What do you do when the school makes it clear that your child can't get the sort of program or placement that you know would make all the difference? Educators blame everything but the school for the problems, but you're sure that a different approach would do the trick.

That's the situation Lucile Hooton Lynch (right) found herself in when one of her twin sons was struggling in first grade. And though she was worn-out from his medical treatments and therapies, she took up the task of tailoring teaching tools for him.

"He could focus on TV, video games, and computer," she recalls, "so I tried to use the medium and visuals that he liked. I also spent hours researching different learning models and studies on video modeling once I realized he was such a visual learner. Because he enjoyed the DVDs and began to learn so quickly, our homework experiences became very fun and positive. I showed his prior private OT the changes in his handwriting after only a week, and we joined forces to focus on video production and customization of video products."

That was the start of Steps4Kids, the latest company to be featured in my series of profiles of Enterprising Parents. Read more about this parent-run business, and think about how you might translate your own solutions to your kids' problems into an entrepreneurial opportunity.

Do you have an online business related to your child's special needs? Tell us about it in the comments.