Proprietors:

Dan Coulter started Coulter Video with his wife, Julie, in 2000.

Business Description:

"We're a video publishing company specializing in programs about special needs," Coulter explains. "Most of our videos focus on Asperger syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders, but we also sell a manners video that's appropriate for all kids. We write and produce original videos, then market and distribute them.

We have a growing international business, and routinely sell videos to customers in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia."

Parenting Connection:

The Coulters have two children with special needs. "We discovered that our daughter, Jessie, had cystic fibrosis when she was three," Dan Coulter recalls. "We discovered our son had a challenge when he was in preschool. We actually got a series of diagnoses -- communication handicapped, mildly autistic, pervasive developmental delay, ADHD and more -- before we got a diagnosis of Asperger's when Drew was 14. This diagnosis fit him like a glove and we've been working under it ever since."

Time Investment:

The couple started Coulter Video as a part-time endeavor, but in 2003, Dan Coulter left his corporate job as a public relations manager for a telecommunications company to make it a full-time business. "It was a risk to start a business while we had two kids in college, but our business is profitable and growing steadily," says Coulter.

Family Pride:

"Both kids support our business wholeheartedly," Coulter reports. "Drew has narrated two of our videos and appeared in two more. Jessie has narrated two videos and appeared in two more. Making videos is hard work, but also a lot of fun. Being able to use our creativity is a big plus. Using our kids in the videos is a big plus."

Professional Advice:

Special-needs parents should consider going into business "if they have the expertise and temperament," Coulter advises. "It's not right for everyone. I was lucky to get training in my previous jobs that enabled me to write, shoot, produce, narrate, edit and market. I'd recommend that anyone planning to start a business related to their child's special needs do a lot of planning and gain the needed skills before launching their venture. This includes business skills."

Highs and Lows:

The best thing about having the business, according to Coulter, is "being able to select the programs we think will do the most good and make them. We listen to our customers, but ultimately, we make the decisions. Being our own bosses is great." The hardest thing? "Doing both sides of the business -- that is, running a business (marketing, ordering supplies, selling products, fulfillment, managing a website, bookkeeping, taxes) while we're also producing videos."

Starting Out:

The Coulters' son was the inspiration for their first video. "Drew was attending school in mainstream classrooms and we discovered we had to educate his teachers every year about how to teach a child with AS and make it a good experience for him and the rest of the class. We produced our first program, 'Asperger Syndrome: Success in the Mainstream Classroom.' We then set up a site where schools, parents and teachers could buy the video online."

Looking Ahead:

"We plan to produce new videos and make more people aware of them," Coulter reveals. "We recently started producing a monthly internet radio show, 'Life in the Asperger Lane,' on the Autism One Radio website. We plan more speaking engagements. We're investigating selling our products over Amazon.com. We've had a number of our products favorably reviewed in The School Library Journal and other publications and we plan to contact more media outlets to offer our products for their review."

More Inspiration and Advice from Dan Coulter:

Have you had any contact from other parents commenting on your business?

We have a lot of contact with parents, often speaking with them on the phone when they call to order our products. We also receive wonderful customer testimonials. One of our most memorable was from a mom who bought one of our "Intricate Minds" videos that help students understand and accept classmates who have Asperger syndrome. A psychologist made a presentation to an assembly at her son's school and showed our video. Her son wasn't mentioned by name, but after the assembly, a number of kids who had given him a rough time came up and apologized. For the first time, kids invited him to sit with them at lunch and included him in playground games, making accommodations for his lack of athletic skill. Her son's school life made a dramatic change for the better after the assembly.

How did your children's special needs affect your family?

Having two kids with special needs was challenging, but it meant that each child got a share of special attention from mom and dad. Drew and Jessie each had their own needs. Drew is very bright but doesn't pick up social skills intuitively. Jessie does a daily regimen of medicine and respiratory therapy. This was highly stressful at times for Mom and Dad, but luckily, both kids were a lot of fun so we had great times together when they were growing up.

What advice would you give to other parents about raising a child with special needs?
Learn as much as you can about your child's special needs and do your best to give him what he (or she) requires. Try to see things from your child's point of view. Treat them as children first, not as patients first. Find and nuture their strengths. If you try something with your kids and it doesn't work, try something else. Find support groups where you can network, either in person or online. Positive reinforcement is magic, criticism usually backfires. Cultivate patience, and plenty of it.
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