I Wouldn't Change a Thing about How We Celebrated Halloween with my Son with Autism
If I could do my life over, I'd be a party planner. There are few things I enjoy more than preparing a celebration, like the Halloween party for children with special needs I led for our township last weekend. I spent weeks arranging details for crafts, games, decorations and snacks so the event would run with ease. Thanks to a host of generous volunteers, I think it did. Celebrations with my own family, however, didn't always turn out as planned. The blueprints for gaiety in
Me, My Autistic Son, and Meltdowns in Public
Alex is a sweet boy. He’s happy all the time, and he’s rarely ever sad or unhappy. He has a glowing report at school, and if we were to write a report at home for him, it’d be a superior, glowing one too. Chances are, we’d not have much to say bad about him, because he does as he’s told, behaves most of the time and tries to please us as well as try and get his own way. His relationship with us as parents is really good. He receives kisses and hugs from both Mummy and Daddy r
Why I Didn't Need a crystal Ball as my Son with Autism Built his Future
Don't you sometimes wish you had the crystal ball, an assurance that the future will be OK? I know I sure did. When my son Alex was diagnosed with autism at age 2, I wanted to know that when he was an adult, everything would be OK. I thought I’d be able to get through whatever was necessary if I could peek at the ending. But the truth is, I was better off not knowing. I could not have appreciated the outcome if I hadn't been on the journey. Alex is an adult now, and I think h
Hair Pulling! Skin Picking! Nail Biting! Oh, My!
Body-focused repetitive behaviors upset and mystify many of us. Here, learn about causes, the ADHD-link, and treatment options. Most of us know that depression, anxiety, and oppositional defiant disorder frequently come along with a diagnosis of ADHD. Not many realize that something called body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) do as well. Jane^ is concerned about her son Kevin, who pulls his hair while watching television and plucks out his eyelashes in the bathroom. Sere
Down's Syndrome: A Disaster?
When I was 12 weeks pregnant, I was given a one in five chance of our baby having Down's Syndrome, and then I "just knew." My first reaction was joy that my baby was alive, the second relief he didn't have any life limiting conditions, or conditions incompatible with life. My third was that life was going to be a big different from now on, and secretly that was both a little bit daunting and a little bit exciting. Then the doctor spoke: his voice apologetic and careful, he as
Surviving the Supermarket with Kids
Dear Mom In the Supermarket, I saw you last week, with a big pregnant belly, pushing your shopping cart and smiling. You must be exhausted! And your little boy sitting on top of the wagon, he was so cute. He couldn't have been more than 18-months old, right? Remember when you were feeling the avocados and he picked one up and just threw it on the floor? That little old lady passing by giggled and called him a real firecracker. Then you both laughed a bit. It was a very sweet