Tag Archives: autism

See Amazing in all Children: Sesame Street’s New Initiative

Today the online autism world blew up with the news of the launch of Sesame Street’s newest program: Sesame Street & Autism: See Amazing In All Children. Why is this so exciting? Because Sesame Street is taking it upon themselves to introduce autism and differences to our youngest population.  They’re teaching children from the cradle, […]

Ten ways to fill your own cup

Last night, on my facebook page I shared an image that read: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.  Take care of yourself first.” How many times have you been told that, in some form or another, as a special needs parents?  Probably countless of times.  It sounds so good and so true but I […]

Do people with autism have emotions and relationships?

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with a new nephew.  With seven younger siblings, you can imagine that a new niece or nephew is actually a pretty common occurrence but all jokes aside, still a very blessed occurrence- each and every single time. My boys love getting new cousins and seem to really enjoy […]

The Rookie Mistakes of a Veteran Mother

Brian started his first day of school on Monday.  First day of school with new staff, new programming, and a new school. We did all the pre-school work such as visits to the classroom, working with the new staff during ESY (Extended School Year) to acclimate to them, updating my “Brian Manual” that I pass […]

Are You Guilty of Promoting Learned Helplessness?

In the field of special needs and occupational therapy we hear the term, “learned helplessness” a lot. Learned helplessness happens when parents or caregivers assume that their child can not be successful at something so they help them, because they love them and they care for them and they want life to be easy for […]

We go to Nature to have our Senses Put in Order

A couple of weeks ago, my little family of four ventured out for a day-long expedition to Reid State Park. Like any outing, we do a lot of planning and preparing to ensure to the best of our abilities that Brian will have a fantastic time.  Because, we all find it easier to have a fantastic […]

Truth of the Matter: Change is Harder on Mom.

Individuals with autism do not like change.  It can take a lot of effort to make their way through our sensory-rich environment, without having to navigate change. We use tools to help them, things like visual timers, visual schedules, social stories, and chaining. Last Friday, Brian graduated from the fourth grade.  Next year, he’ll be heading […]

Meltdown Vs. Temper Tantrum

Here’s the thing about meltdowns. They are not a tantrum.  They are not manipulative feats to get what they want.  The individual with autism can not control it.  And they are not about you. I’ve been told: “Well, he’s getting too old for that.” “It wasn’t fair to (insert adult name here).  He didn’t do anything […]

How Do You Do It?

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “How do you do it?”, I’m pretty sure our house would be pretty close to being paid off. No joke. I get asked this question ALL the time. It’s a well-meaning question but it’s a tricky question. How do I not do it? I love my child, so we do it. Simple as that. I’m guessing most of the people that ask me that question would do the same if they were in our shoes. But here, here’s how we do it….