“What, Mom?”: my son’s automatic answer to almost everything I say or ask of him. Do you ever feel like you’re repeating yourself over and over again to your child? Or you have to go into incredible detail to help them accomplish an ordinary task? Every. Single. Moment. Of. Every. Single. Day. You know these … Read more
I often picture the famous Peanuts comic strip adult speech when I’m trying to communicate with my son. I know what I’m talking about, but all he seems to hear is WAH, wah, WAH . . . He’s now a teen, and over the years we as parents have ripped our hair out trying to find the best ways to communicate with … Read more
It can be intimidating for parents of children with specific needs to address school teachers and leaders in IEP meetings. Over the years, my husband and I have attended many IEP meetings together. We’ve found that mutual success occurs when good negotiation skills are learned and practiced. We hope you’ll find the following tips helpful as you … Read more
It’s the beginning of the school year, and likely you and your child have survived the first week. For many kids with autism, the first few days are overwhelming and full of fear, meltdowns, and a variety of other behaviors. With my son, who’s now in eigth grade, the transition was better this year, even … Read more
Today we have a guest blogger. Please welcome Camille Swenson, a good friend of mine and a mother to a son on the spectrum. I asked her to share her experience with a new pilot program designed to help parents with ASD children. Last January, I received a call from a neurodevelopmental specialist, Dr. Elena … Read more
Should I refer to my child as having high-functioning aspergers or high-functioning autism? Years ago, my initial response to this question was, “Does it really matter?” Today, I still don’t think the specifics matter much because the needed treatments and coping skills are largely the same for both. In a nutshell, autism has a language delay, while aspergers supposedly does … Read more
What do you do when your kid doesn’t want to celebrate their birthday the way you do? You hush your ideas, listen to them, and just roll with it. After all, it’s their birthday. That’s what I’ve finally learned over time. Fourteen years ago, my son was my birthday present–the best gift ever!! I love … Read more
This article contains some affiliate links, mainly to show you what I’m talking about. Should you choose to purchase an item through my link, I’ll earn a tiny commission, maybe enough to buy a popsicle. 🙂 Make cleaning fun? Is that even possible for kids? To some extent, yes. It’s probably more like making cleaning … Read more
For me, I feel very productive if I get four things done in a day. Of course, I have to do more than just four things to take care of my family. But the BIG four leave me feeling accomplished. Unfortunately, I haven’t done all four of them in the same day for a long time. How … Read more
Summer is the perfect time to make reading fun for kids! With a little creativity and a few games, they won’t even realize you’re teaching them schoolwork. During summer vacation, I try not to use many worksheets or flashcards unless they really are helpful to the child. Instead, I try to supplement with activities that … Read more