I’ve been raising my identical twin sons — who happen to have Down syndrome — for nearly 6 years now. By all counts, they have “special needs”. We’re now in the process of confirming a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder for my 9-year-old daughter who is also in our district’s gifted program. SHE too has “special needs”….
Monthly Archives: February 2011
A Positive OT appointment!
We’ve had MANY therapists. We started with the usual suspects, early intervention physiotherapy, occupational therapy and a quick trip to speech language pathology (not to mention OTHER specialists like neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, hypertonia clinic, etc) before Jillian wanted to prove everyone wrong and say “oh wait! Yes, I was delayed with babbling, but now I’ll…
My Favourite Labels
She’s my Precious. Or Goo-Goo. Or Googles. Sweets. Cutie Pie. Cutie Patootie. For all the labels our kids with special needs are given, these are my favourite ones for my littlest girl. Beth P.S. Favourite is spelled the Canadian way as I am Canadian.
Bug Off
My sweet little boy has a list of diagnoses a mile long—most of which I could care less about, but the doctors insist on fussing over. However, there is this one thing that causes me to worry incessantly, act a fool in public, and makes my husband roll his eyes (or maybe he’s planning an…
Autism: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I’ve never been one to sugar coat it. Autism in our life brings out the good, the bad and the ugly. Sometimes we see good more than bad, sometimes we see ugly more than good. But it’s all there. Sometimes our life is fabulous. And sometimes it’s a real drag. This week has been one…
People First?
Since I’m on the subject of pet peeves I figure I’ll cover another issue that’s not really a pet peeve of mine, but something I’m curious about other’s opinion. In last week’s post, I wrote about the proper term for individuals with Trisomy 21. It was pointed out to me that in England and Canada…
Mars Needs Moms Giveaway
Florence is the winner! Walt Disney Pictures is proud to announce their newest animated feature for Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D, Mars Needs Moms. Produced by the team behind “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” “Mars Needs Moms” showcases nine-year-old Milo’s (Seth Green) quest to save his mom (Joan Cusack) from Martians—a…
Science Fair
Tomorrow is our school’s science fair. With my career background (Ph.D. in organic chemistry) I love encouraging anything with science. It is a nostalgia piece for me anyway. When and where I was a kid you were not supposed to do a science project until 5th grade. However, when I hit 4th grade and saw…
Special Exposure Wednesday
Ian spends just about every waking moment on his swing. And if he can’t swing outside, he swings on the swing we installed inside. And he swings, and swings, and swings… Grab the Special Exposure Wednesday button for your post!
Men Who Man Up
Have you ever watched a man with his special needs child and said to yourself … he is a wonderful father! I have. And I wonder, what is his secret? He seems to be just an ordinary man, doing extraordinary things. Can I learn from him?