Category Archives: Skill Development

On Our Tweens and (Not) Letting Them Flounder

“You must be so busy, with four kids!” People say when I introduce my family. And I look at them, thinking, “Well, no, not really.” (Minus the doctor and specialist appointments). You see, until this year, there haven’t been extracurricular activities. It was enough to take two older girls to the park 3 days a…

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The Social Pendulum

All of these subtle social skills that seem to just fall into place for other children. So many ideas and concepts that I hadn’t even thought about before, and now have to figure out how to teach them to someone to whom they really just don’t make sense. First we’re explaining this side and then we’re explaining the other, and back and forth we go

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The (Not So) Fine Art of Negotiating With My Tween’s Bipolar

We’re getting ready to go to the beach. It’s New Year’s Day. (Yes, I know I’m lucky. Truly grateful!) While I’m packing, my daughter with anxiety disorder and Bipolar is escalating. She follows me around the house as I collect towels, bathing suits, beach shoes. “You threw out my old swim suit?!” She accuses, screaming…

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Don’t Over-Think! Just Do It!

With J’s ‘improvements’ rapidly sliding down hill with the more time that passes between his last IVIG treatment and the present, we’re headed back down the road of massive meltdowns. Some of these are from our own doing. Case in point: We headed to a local large store for FREE Santa photos. We left early…

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Santa Visit

Usually some friend invites us to a Santa event sponsored by their employer or business and we go to that. We didn’t get any invitations this year, so I figured we could just not mention it and move along. Not so fast there. The child insisted that we needed to go – all of us – to see Santa and make sure he knew which presents to bring.

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Giving and Receiving

I know I will love it no matter what it is, because it will be from the child, her way of telling me, “I love you, Mama.”

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Treading Two Paths

I was so hoping this year to focus on building social scaffolding for the child at school. I’m dreaming of setting up a circle of friends who will know, understand, and advocate on her behalf as her differences become more apparent to her peers. I am just beginning the process of working out what that…

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Special Exposure Wednesday – Dance Class

The boy attended Therapeutic Movement classes. This was the part he liked best: That and the cute little girl in the class, 😉 Share what you managed to capture this week. Please spread the comment love around. Thank you.

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Don’t Forget An Important Part of Your “Thankful For” List

A Day to remember why you’re thankful. What you’re thankful for. Thankful for partners, the few (or more) supporters that surround you, jobs / careers, friends, insurance, making it this far in your journey. This year, this time, I encourage you to reach within, look within – to you. Inward to your strength, your drive…

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Bullying and Special Needs

Last week Grandma visited us. This week we’re visiting Grandma. Things are still going well (hooray for new medicine!) but this will be short and sweet if only because our computer access here is limited, and any minute now five people will be asking me for their breakfast. I wanted to let you all know…

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