As we head toward summer's unofficial start, Memorial Day weekend, there are a slew of exciting openings to share, including a new mini-amusement park in Queens' Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the debut of a Dinosaur Safari at the Bronx Zoo and a fresh ice cream shop in Williamsburg.

We've also got the scoop on a couple of museum closures, a way to see Section 3 of the High Line before it opens to the general public and a list of hilarious parenting hacks that may inspire you—or at least put a knowing smile on your face.

As the mother of a son with special needs, we have our work cut out for us in many areas. While we’ve pretty much figured out the crazy NYC school system (at least for the moment) and explored a whole slew of extracurricular activities, there are still lots of things we need help with on a day-to-day basis.

Previously I profiled YAI NYC and NYC's Resources for Children with Special Needs, two wonderful nonprofit organizations that offer resources, advice and assistance for local special needs families. However, since many agencies have full caseloads and wait lists for in-demand services, it’s always a good idea to have a few more irons in the fire.

That's why I recently called AHRC New York City, an organization that has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their loved ones since 1950. I found out that AHRC has a special needs dental clinic located about 30 minutes from my house, which is a good hour less than we had been traveling for the last few years. But the dental clinic turned out to be just a glimpse of what AHRC has to offer.

AHRC states on its website that its goal is “to offer individuals with disabilities day to day living that is as rich, absorbing and worthwhile as possible, with an emphasis on helping individuals live up to their maximum potential in the community.” Based on what I’ve found out so far, that’s an understatement. Here are just a few of the unique events, services and resources AHRC provides to the NYC special needs community and their families.

I don’t like grocery shopping—it's one of my least favorite chores. I usually leave the supermarket feeling like I’ve spent too much money and questioning the quality of my purchases. While I've been slowly making the move to organic food, the prices at big-chain organic retailers can be dizzying plus I'd really like to shop locally. So I started looking into alternative options.

In the past, we've written about joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture groups), shopping at the city's greenmarkets and even growing your own indoor vegetable garden. But you can also consider joining a local food cooperative. There are a number of food coops in New York City (and not just the famous one in Park Slope, either). While currently all food coops are located in Manhattan and Brooklyn, there are efforts to start additional ones in other boroughs. We've got the scoop on how to find and join a NYC food coop, and how your family and your community can benefit.