I’m not a limelight sort of gal. I usually shy away from building myself up unnecessarily, that’s just me. The other day someone asked me for 5 words to describe my job as Austin’s mom. Before I knew it a list was developing, a list that could be used to describe many parents, but especially…
Category Archives: Advocacy
More 6 word memoirs from wise autism moms…
Autism, you’ve taught me a lot! ecstatic/miserable, affectionate/distant, needy/defiant Connect with your child (repeat indefinitely) That shirt is way to scratchy “It’s a little, you know, weird” “I have Autism, I can help.” Sleep? It is for other people. Child doesn’t sleep; mother loses mind. “No splashy my head wif water” “I’ll NEVER let you…
That trip to Idaho that got me on this whole “help Matthew find a girlfriend” campaign
A while back I told you that Matthew wanted to go to Spokane, Washington and Idaho. I never told you how the trip went. Here goes: As soon as our plane landed at the Spokane Airport, we picked up our rental car and started our journey, listening to Roy Orbison, the Beatles and Jimmy Buffett…
Sending up an S.O.S.
So often we are focused on our own children and their struggles that we forget about the struggles of others. Guilty. And most often, we forget about keeping our own lives balanced. I came across this video by one of my favorite motivational speakers, Renee Bondi, and I wanted to share it. Here is a…
Who do you trust to care for your child?
As it is, it’s difficult to leave my son with “just anyone” because his tracheostomy and g-tube care require training. But what happens when the person trained cannot be trusted? I would like to believe that because someone is licensed, trained and “seems” like a good fit that they can be trusted with my child’s life. I would like to believe that the nursing agency has hired and screened candidates thoroughly.
Last week I found out the hard way that that is just not always true.
Burning
He sat across from me giggling like he was getting away with something. I just watched over the top of my menu. I knew he was up to something, but I wasn’t sure what. And what he didn’t know, is that I decided not to let ANYTHING bother me that day. I just woke up…
Learning to tackle challenging situations
Last summer I called a few tumbling/gym type places to see if Austin would “possibly” be able to go to learn how to safely tumble. I called them because, I have to admit that occasionally I am guilty of not challenging Austin enough in certain situations. There are some things that scary the beejeebees out…
Do Unto Others
While I was fortunate enough to have people seek me out and offer me a helping hand; there is no shame in seeking out help for yourself or your family. Organizations looking to help Special Needs families are out there, you just have to look for them. I have found a handful of resources that you might be interested in checking out for yourself or someone you know that may be in need.
A *special* Special Exposure Wednesday.
In February, Mal rushed up to me with a Big W catalogue in his arms. He rustled through the pages until his hand came to rest on a picture. It was of an inflatable boat. “See this, Aunty Tiff, see,” he gestured. “This ‘scout boat’ – I want it for my birthday”. Today Mal turned…
10 ways to celebrate autism awareness month
If you are the parent of a child with autism, you have no doubt been getting a lot of well meaning phone calls from family and friends today. “Hi, turn on CNN quick! They’re doing story on autism.” “Did you watch the Today Show today? There was a girl on with her mother. She was…