Finding Where You Belong as a Special Needs Mom
I remember exactly where I was the day "it" happened -- the first time someone referred to me as a "special needs mom." I had just walked over to a group of women who were chatting in a semicircle when one of them casually introduced me to the others. "This is Ali," she said, "She's a special needs mom." I paused for a moment. My chest tightened. I forced a smile. Maybe it was the easy way her words seemed to float out into the air around me, or maybe it was the way in which
Ever Wonder How Kids with Autism See the World? That's All It may Take to Understand Them.
If autism is a lock on the human mind, maybe empathy on an ultimate level is a kind of key. . . . . . . . At one of the worst points, she was banging her head on the floor and the walls of her bedroom, raging and crying. And I was doing the same because I just didn't know what else to do anymore. Something had triggered a full-on, pupil-dilated tantrum for my then-3-year-old, Emma, complete wiht hair-pulling and biting -- both herself and me. Feeling just as helpless as I had
4 Jedi Mind(fulness) Tricks to Help an Anxious Child
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power," says Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker. "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together." My favorite movies of all time come from the original Star Wars trilogy. Growing up, I often played with Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader action figures, pretending I too was a Jedi Knight. It's not surprising that, when I entered seventh grade and faced adversity, I turned to the
When I Realized What I Say Isn't Always What my Son with ADHD Hears
It's one of those days. A day seemingly like any other, where I wake and go through my normal routine of breakfast, packing lunches, yelling about getting socks on and to stop sitting on each other's heads -- a day where everything seems "normal" until it's not. My son asked me to come watch a video with him. He's been talking about these videos all weekend and asking me to watch. I haven't been paying attention but have managed to successfully nod and murmur at appropriate t
Finding the Sweet Spot this Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day with Kids - The Sweet Spot between Cheap Cards and Pinterest Nightmares Valentine's Day is designed for lovers and suitors to declare their romantic feelings for each other in shiny, sparkling, and dazzling fashion. Yet, since the invention of crafting havens like Pinterest, pressure is being placed on parents to extend the holiday to include their children as well. When I was a child my mom would drive me to the store on Feb. 13 to choose a box of paper valen
Why I Let my 12-Year-Old Son Watch Sesame Street
On the stage Elmo and Grover are dancing, singing a song about being kind and loving your friends, and beside me, in the balcony, my son is smiling. He is waving his hands wildly along with the beat, closing his eyes and rocking back and forth. He is the happiest I have seen him in months, overcome with joy, watching his favorite characters sing and dance. He is watching the lights make their way across the floor, across the walls, over his own hands. It is his birthday, toda
Identifying ADHD Strengths: What is Your Child's Superpower?
As a parent, one of your jobs is to help your child identify his strengths -- or as we like to call them, his "superpowers"! What is your superpower? I don't mean the ability to crush steel with your bare hands or to leap tall buildings. I'm talking about a gift you were born with, something you do better than just about everyone else. That is your superpower. Each of us has at least one, maybe even a few. Identifying your superpower(s) is essential, because superpowers can e
Teen with Autism Didn't Think He Could be a Barista; Then He Started Dancing
[Video available to view at the link below.] Sam thought he'd never be able to get a job as a barista. The Toronto teen has autism wiht a movement disorder, and feared he wouldn't be able to work behind a coffee counter because of the sudden movements he sometimes makes. But the manager at a local Starbucks believed in him and gave him a chance. Sam is now thriving at his new job thanks to an unexpected medium: dance. In a viral video posted on YouTube this week by Carly Flei