Month: June 2013

  • Loving Our Children and Living in Fear

    Having James as my child has been an adventure. Our kids teach us new things and make us rediscover or see our world differently.

    I've learned many lessons from both my kids - patience I never suspected I had, unconditional love I hoped I had, and how to be strong and not live in fear.  Continue reading →

  • He asked for seconds

    I am sure that many, if not all of you special needs parents can relate to this. Our children are so hard to feed. Liam only eats about 10 things, and just like his obsessions with certain toys or movies, his food list will change like that. He will be on a cheerios kick one week, so I see a good sale and stock up. All of sudden he will change and be on a peanut butter kick. It drives me batty!  Continue reading →

  • Be a Good Man

    As you read this, I'm likely either sitting in Jack's annual IEP meeting or I'm actively trying to keep the chunks from rising in my throat as I think about it.  Why?  Because anxiety is a funny beast.  Even though I have nothing to fear, I still do so.

    Continue reading →

  • From an intervention worker's perspective

    I work with Autistic children as what they call, "Behavioral Interventionist".
    I entered the field because I really enjoyed working with children, and believed in research behind behavioral science that it could make a difference for an autistic child.

    When I first entered this community, I was warned that being a BI is a very tiring and challenging job, and the burn-out rates are very high. I thought to myself, I'll give it the best shot I can possibly do. If I can't last, at least I tried.

    Today, it is a little bit less than 1 year since I started working.
    And I realized, the children are not the most challenging ones to work with.  Continue reading →

  • Thoughts on Autism in Primary School

    Recently I had the pleasure to be a part of the audience during an interview with Prof. Cheryl Dissanayake at La Trobe University.

    Prof. Dissanayake is the director of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) and also leads the School’s Child Development Unit… the same Child Development Unit (CDU) we’ve visited several times with Heidi. I was fascinated to hear what Prof. Dissanayake had to say, a video of the interview will be available at OTARC’s blog soon.  Continue reading →

  • Time is Slipping By

    My oldest boy graduates in just a few weeks and his prom  is Friday. I have such a hard time wrapping my head around all of this. I have never felt quite so emotional about anything in my life.  Continue reading →

  • What to Tell Those Who Say Your Child "Can't"

    I want every parent who reads this blog to know that your child can do anything they set their mind to. Well even if they don't set their minds to it, you just need to keep pushing them in the right direction so that they meet their potential.
    Continue reading →

  • Autism Light: David Niemeijer


    David Niemeijer is from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He is the founder and CEO of AssistiveWare, a company that develops software and apps for mobile devices that meet the needs of disabled people. While the apps developed by his company serve people with a variety of disabilities, they are widely used in the autism community for assisting with communication. David Niemeijer is an Autism Light for operating a business that creates apps that open up the world of communication to people with autism.
    Continue reading →

  • Rough Night of Bad Dreams


    James and I had a rough night last night. Both kiddos got me up with bad dream trauma. The first time, around 3am, they both woke up at the same time. There were huggings and calmings. James asked me to sing the lullabye from Tarzan to him. I could hear his innards churning, but he calmed down enough to ask to go back down to sleep.  Continue reading →

  • Sometimes You Cry Over Spilled Milk


    They say when you have kids you learn to pick your battles. You decide if something you once thought of as a big deal, is really that big of a deal. You realize that some things just arent going to happen, and that’s ok. You learn to adapt. You change. You prioritize. Things that were once big deals, no longer are. And things that once didn’t even register on your radar – are now major parts of your life. Its just how it is, they say. When you become a parent you learn to make certain things count – and other things you brush off. You don’t cry over spilled milk anymore. You cant. Because if you did – you would be crying all day long.  Continue reading →