Are you ever taken by surprise by something your kids say…out of the blue? Today at lunch my daughter started a conversation that surprised me on many levels. She was tuned in, took multiple appropriate turns, answered questions and absorbed complex answers. I will savor this one for a long time: The Child: “Mom, I…
Category Archives: Autism Spectrum
We’re at Camp – A Place I Never Thought We’d Be
Amid the chaos, we’re also off to camp. Today, is our second day here – third counting check in and the wine and cheese social that was planned for the first day…that was new. Camp is a relatively new experience for us. This is our second year, and we’re in the mountains of Colorado with…
Week of Lasts
Monday was the last day I could take the twins to preschool and run home for two hours of uninterrupted work at my desk. Yesterday was the last day of phonology group therapy for my boy…until the Fall. Today is the last day of preschool – a class picnic that moms and dads attend. Tomorrow…
The ThiRd Rail
I’m still trying to figure out twitter. Can’t decide if it’s really useful for me or not. I’m trying out HootSuite which makes it more accessible, but still kind of overwhelming. Anyway last night as I was scrolling through the most recent tweets two words jumped out at me. Perhaps they would have jumped out…
Managing My Girl’s Tough Bipolar Weeks
Tough week here. My 9 year old forgot to take her meds once last weekend, and she spun into a pit of moody darkness for the rest of the week. It’s just part of the job with a neuro-atypical child, these zero-to-sixty meltdowns. It’s the crappy part of the job. Here’s how I handled it…
Language is Amazing
For the most part the child’s language seems pretty typical now, but every once in a while something pops up that just highlights how differently she processes words. The exchange yesterday between the child (age 7) and her little sister (age 3) went something like this… 7 yo: “You Dare!” 3 yo: “I’m not a…
Special Exposure Wednesday: Sun And Sand
Give the boy a little sun, soil and water (and a mom who left him alone in the patio for five minutes) and this is what you get: Grab the button and share what’s happening in your world. Don’t forget to spread the comment love around. <a href=”http://www.specialneeds.5minutesformom.com/category/special-exposure-wednesday/”><img title=”specialexposurewednesday” src=”http://www.specialneeds.5minutesformom.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/specialexposurewednesday.jpg” alt=”special needs wordless wednesday” width=”286″…
Complacent?
I scrambled up the hill to my daughter’s “old school” to pick up my son from his “new class.” My daughter attended this school from Early Intervention through Kindergarten before being moved to our neighborhood school for first grade. I know most of the Early Intervention staff pretty well, and I know the IEP process…
Friendship Road
Since we’re walking through another season of learning curve, this time related to my mother-in-law’s needs, I have been realizing again the importance of friends…and not just any friends, but friends who really know what you are going through. For us, this is not just people who have taken care of an aging parent, but…
What Happens When They Grow Up?
One of the most difficult things to think about when raising a child with autism is what happens when they are no longer a child. The unknown is very scary to me. I know there are options and I’ve looked into a few things, but I’ve not actually met a real, live adult with autism….