Wait it out!
As I write this message to you, I find that it both hurts my heart but it also warms my heart. When our children were younger, I thought was doing a really good job wearing different hats. I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a teacher, a friend, and a volunteer. As […]
The Three Legged Stool
It usually starts like this… “I was given your name and your phone number by my doctor/family member/friend to ask for advice or recommendations for my child on the autism spectrum.” I listen to their journey and wait for their questions. Sometimes, a parent doesn’t even know where to start. My strategy is to try […]
It Takes A Village
Someone once said that it “takes a village” to raise a child. Nothing could be truer than this quote when you have a child with additional needs! I was lucky enough when our daughter was diagnosed on the autism spectrum in 1993 that I knew ONE other person who had a child on the autism […]
The “Pearl” Necklace
When Hannah was three years old she was getting lots of intervention; speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, and she was also in a public school ESE (Exceptional Student Education) preschool program. So many goals to be thinking about… it was overwhelming! One day I was talking to my dear friend […]
“What you need to know about the McKay Scholarship” via Easterseals Academy Naples, Florida
The McKay scholarship is one of the main scholarships in Florida that affords many students with additional needs and their families the opportunity to make educational choices. Because of this scholarship, eligible students can attend a public school outside of their “home zone” or a private school. There is a great deal of information at Florida Department […]
Samuel, Imagine
I would like to describe an opportunity I had over 20 years ago to make a real life impact on a person that had some mental and related physical struggles since birth. This young man had a profound impact on me then and now, years later. We’ll call my neighbor friend John and his son […]
Nanor’s Tale: A Story of Unconditional Love for My Grandson with Autism
It was Father’s Day 12 years ago that our daughter and son-in-law told us we were to become grandparents for the first time, there was excitement, joy and anticipation awaiting his arrival. He was two weeks late and had a very traumatic entry into the world, being finally delivered by emergency C section. He was […]
TEACHABLE MOMENTS: Summertime
Every year as spring approached, I started to get a little bit nervous thinking about what activities and therapies Hannah would/should have during the summer months. By May 1st, I usually had a lineup of therapists and ideas of what would help Hannah for the three long months of summer. Most importantly, I would ask […]
Would you mind if I made this a teachable moment?
Yes, we have all had that moment when our child says or does something that we were completely unprepared for! As a mom who has a child with additional needs, we are given a rare “gift” that we will have these moments…many, many, many, times. So be prepared! Know that at any moment, any behavior, […]
How to Reduce Your Stress During IEP Season
It is IEP season. And for those of us with children with additional needs this is a very stressful time. It feels to some of you that it’s time to “fight” for what your child needs. I would like to share my point of view because I was recently asked to meet with relatively new […]