The initial investment in Education is a long-term game changer for everyone!
I read today another school is losing government funding for their special education programs because individuals in power are seeing the now and not the future. So I wanted to share my thoughts with you all on how looking to the future is a win-win for everyone! Supporting the education of children with additional needs […]
Failing to See What They See
He’s the child found dead-center in this photo, almost crouched down. A girl in a sky blue wheel chair sits to his left. Another girl with a navy blue towel around her shoulders sits to his right. He’s the shirtless one with orange hair. He was nine the first time I met him. He was […]
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 […]
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, […]