Richard Engel writes, "Kids with special needs are not OK right now. Neither are parents. Let's drop the act that this pandemic affects us all equally." I second that. Checking in my my friends who have special needs kids, it's clear that they're operating in a different stratosphere. It's one thing to keep your preschooler occupied 24-7, but it's another thing entirely to keep your special …
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6 Ways to Support Kids’ Mental Health Right Now
I am a big fan of Common Sense Media. I have always found it to be an incredibly useful tool when deciding which family movie to choose. Truth be told, I also use it to read the synopsis of a film I'm too much of a wimp to actually watch. (One word: It.) Commonsense Media is wonderful at providing realistic reviews of movies and other media. Though my kids my groan when they see me researching …
We Made It Through the Rain
14th Annual Golf for Autism Four months ago, I didn’t think our annual Orange Effect Foundation Golf for Autism was going to happen. At that time, at least in Ohio, golf courses were closed and we were all on lockdown. As we made it through May, we believed we could hold a modified event. One that would be safe for everyone. What did that mean? Instead of our normal morning and …
Keep Kids Happy? Keep Kids Safe? One Parent’s Struggle
I am a Mom. Just an average every day Mom. I have things I think I do pretty darn well and I have things that I have definitely dropped the ball on. That said, I am happy, and I think my kids are happy, and I am elated with the young men I’ve helped to shape. You’ve probably heard it yourself. Parents will say, “I just want my kids to be happy.” Deep down we want them to find love and be …
Autism In a Picture
Many years ago the kids and I walked in a 4th of July parade in our community with the early childhood PTA we belonged to. It was sincerely one of the hottest days of the year and we were all melting by the time it was done. We ended up inviting some of the other members of the PTA who had walked in the parade to come to our house because we had an above ground pool for the kids to cool off. That …
Speech Therapy Tips For Parents to Use at Home
Reid Health System recently shared some helpful advice for parents who wish to practice speech therapy at home. The full article can be read here. Some of their suggestions are: Practice. If your child has trouble saying a certain sound “f” for example encourage him or her to just make that sound all by itself. Once that comes more easily you can incorporate it into syllables like …
Communication is Essential
It has always been my belief that communication is the most essential component to life and human relationships. Communication may be conducted in various forms, i.e., via verbal expression, body language, eye contact, sign language, written message, gestures, speech generated devices, text. To express oneself is half of communicating, while the other half is receiving or understanding …
The Day I Almost Gave Up on Orange Effect Foundation
When the lockdowns started in March of this year, I thought it would be the end of Orange Effect Foundation. Like many not-for-profits, OEF relies on corporations and individuals who generously donate to the cause. Much of that stopped in March. At the same time, we weren’t sure if our biggest annual fundraiser, the Golf for Autism, could even happen. If it was cancelled, the majority of our …
Mama, Dada, Goodbye
I recently watched a new Jerry Seinfeld special in which, like many good comedians do, he covered a plethora of topics. One of his bits focused on babies. The claim made was that babies were only here to oust older folks. He has lines simulating what the baby is thinking like “who’s going to be wearing the diaper next?” To prove his point that babies are here to replace us “older” folks, …
Language Development: Everyone Needs Help
One of the things I loved the most over the past two decades as a parent is when my kids were in preschool and grade school, learning how to read and write. Most specifically, it was that window of time when they were learning phonetics and bringing home papers from school with the most hilariously misspelled words you’ve ever seen. It was cute, funny, and every single time it was phonetic …
Some Autistic People Can’t Tolerate Face Masks
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in sweeping changes to the way we live. While all of this takes considerable adjustment, change is especially challenging for individuals with autism. One challenge involves the use of face masks. For a multitude of reasons, wearing a face mask can be particularly difficult for an individual with neurology that makes them more sensitive to touch and texture. …
Choosing to Help
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always found self-worth and gratification in helping others. I blame my loving family for instilling this behavior in me. While we didn’t have the means to go on amazing vacations or have a lot of materialistic things in life, we never went without. Family gatherings had enough food to feed us, the neighbors, and their families all for months to come, and they …
