Today I was interviewed by a graduate student who was doing research on autism, parenting, and all that jazz. One of his last questions was, "What would you tell a new to autism family or just any family that maybe just needed some inspiration?" So I told him the secret of my sanity. (No, it's not wine.) It's wait three months. Three, just like Schoolhouse Rock taught us, is the magic …
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The Importance of Speech
I had a wonderful spring break, thanks for asking. This year, we went big. We took the girls to Costa Rica for a whole week. Surfing and boogie boarding, zip lining, beach hikes, horseback riding, the works. Super adventurous? Aside from the anxiety of international travel with two sub-ten year olds, not really. We were in a town called Tamarindo. Known for its beaches and howler monkeys, it’s …
Summer Camps Increasingly Popular for Speech Therapy
Summer is traditionally the time when wedding planners go into overdrive mode and parents look for summer camps for their rambunctious youngsters. Summer camps used to mean dusty cabins, trips to the lake, and marshmallow roasts. These days, summer camps are hiring therapeutic staff right along with canoeing instructors. Specialty summer camps to meet the needs of children with disabilities are …
Great Apps to Practice Speech Sounds with Your Tween
Learning and practicing how to correctly produce their “r” or “s” sound is certainly NOT what 8-12-year-olds want to be doing! Most would prefer to be playing video games or riding their bike. One way to make speech therapy and at-home practice a little easier is to use an app. These apps could be on the parent’s phone, the tween’s phone, or a family iPad. A favorite app of …
How I Successfully and Happily Fly With My Son
I travel fairly regularly and my son goes just about everywhere I do. I have learned several things along the way that help make everyone’s day (especially mine) significantly better! First, contact TSA Passenger Support according to their website. "TSA Cares is a helpline that provides travelers with disabilities, medical conditions and other special circumstances additional assistance during …
Orange Effect Foundation Expands with Addition of New Board Members
CLEVELAND - June 25, 2019 - PRLog -- The Orange Effect Foundation is proud to announce that more than $50,000 was awarded to needy children in June. Grants will send children to summer speech camp, purchase speech-generating devices, and pay for almost 500 hours of speech therapy. As depicted in the map below, the Orange Effect has spread across the United States, …
Checking Life’s Milestones Off The List
Do you do that? Do you keep a mental tally of the things you hope your child will successfully do and give yourself a pat on the back when they accomplish something? I sure did. Maybe it’s because they (doctors, society) harbor on it so much during a child’s first year. Did hold their head up, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand etc.--all within their first twelve months of life. Yikes that’s a …
Does Your Autistic Child Do That?
I love seeing the differences in my two sons. I am so blessed that they are best friends (knock on wood that sticks forever) and I know I am lucky that they do get along so well. In part, I think that is due to Joshua’s autism. He doesn’t see the value in arguing over very much except maybe iphone versus everything else. I started to wonder if his laid-back temperament was really due to his …
Communication between Children with ASD and their Typically Developing Siblings
Siblings grow up alongside one another and provide each other with friendship and support. Brothers and sisters bond in special ways that are distinct to siblings. According to some past research, siblings’ influences on children’s social development are sometimes stronger than parental influences and are as strong as peer influences. Because children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might …
Some Autism Traits May Show Up Later in Girls Than in Boys
Girls with autism traits have fewer problems with social communication than boys do early on, but their skills worsen by adolescence, a new study suggests1. The researchers looked at social traits of autism in the general population, rather than in children diagnosed with autism. Girls have fewer of these social issues than boys at age 7, but their social skills match those of boys by age …
Happy Mother’s Day. Autism Style.
Happy Mother's Day! It's your day to relax and unwind! Just kidding! You're an autism mom. You're still doing the same damn stuff you do all the other 364 days a year! Schedule to keep Moms!! Chop! Chop! And because you're an autism mom, you know that it will be a better day with the schedule even if it means doing the stuff you don't really want to do for the hundredth time. (Oh, we're …
What Moms Really Want For Mother’s Day
I truly believe that family is a top priority. Many friends will tell you stories of my “family first” mentality. For me, my family includes my girlfriends. They are my rocks. They have gotten me through so much it’s truly indescribable. I think of them as heroes. They work hard, play harder, and parent like the amazing women that they are. So, as Mother’s Day approaches they are on my mind. They …
