Monthly Archives: January 2010

Helping Your Child Communicate: Voice4u

Parents of children with special needs know the heartache and frustration that often accompanies trying to provide their child with the services and care needed for their child to lead a healthy and productive life. Yumi Kubo is one example. Yumi Kubo, is the mother of a 15-year-old autistic son, and the founder and CEO…

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Autism and police cars in the driveway

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a police car pull into my driveway. Matthew was 13 years old, and had wandered from home to a bike trail down the street. Passersby noticed him cutting a large branch with a small but threatening pruning saw and called the police. Luckily, the officer that showed…

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To You, My Beautiful Deaf Daughter

This video from D-PAN (Deaf Professional Arts Network) says it all… Deborah can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Wednesday, and can also be found at Pipecleaner Dreams.

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How do you handle those “when?” moments?

I’m having one of those days when the “whens” are on my mind. By that I mean: When is Max going to regularly use both his hands? When is he going to pick up more words? When is Max going to toilet train? When will he feed himself more regularly? When will he dress himself?…

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Matthew Shumaker: Rock Star

Have I mentioned how much Matthew likes Roy Orbison? He is actually obsessed with him and it is all my fault. About a year ago, Matthew went through a stage where he listened to Van Halen’s version of “Pretty Woman” over and over and OVER again. I suggested that if he loved the song so…

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Getting Personal

One of the more frightening aspects for me of having a child with significant disabilities has been the hiring of personal care aides. I’m so very grateful that Ashley has aides, but finding and retaining really good people is daunting, to say the least. Personal care aides assist a person with a disability with many…

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Special Exposure Wednesday

Mal loves his Summer haircut. (Don’t worry the Mohawk will be a distant memory when he goes back to school next week) He so desperately wants to be a wrestler when he grows up. Got something to share? Why don’t you join in this Special Exposure Wednesday. Please remember your comment love at each link…

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He’s having a very different childhood than I did (and that’s OK)

When I was a little girl, I used to love making stuff—artwork, paintings, costumes, popsicle-stick birdhouses, pottery, you name it. Now, when I look at Max struggling to grasp a bulb crayon or thick paintbrush, I sometimes flash back to my own childhood and I get bummed that he is missing out. Then I snap…

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Autisic behavior and nervous laughter

I cry when I am mad, and I laugh when I am nervous. Today’s post is CHAPTER ONE of my book. I think about this chapter a lot, especially when I notice someone stifling laughter when they observe Matthew’s quirky behavior. Nervous Laughter When I was eight years old, Uncle Russell came to visit. He…

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Black and Blue

My daughter, Ashley, is blind (and deaf and has seizures and some other stuff too), and because of that, she has a tendency to bump into things. She often has bruises on her shins as a result. I understand those bruises. What I don’t understand are the bruises on her arms that look surprisingly like…

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