Bear has a fall birthday, so we get to do her IEP in a couple of weeks. This is the third review of the current plan. She is in her third year of preschool. It works well. Our goal meetings take hours. We have four specialists and at least 25 pages to cover. I am…
“Ewwww, he drooled on me”
That’s my four-year-old talking about her big brother, Max. Sometimes, when they’re playing together, Max accidentally drools on her. And she thinks it’s gross. “Honey, he didn’t do it on purpose,” I’ll tell her. “It just happens sometime. Maybe you can help wipe his mouth next time.” Max drools pretty regularly throughout the day. He’s…
Magic Marker Monday — Halloween Fun
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” ~Pablo Picasso Welcome to Magic Marker Monday! If you haven’t heard about Magic Marker Monday yet, click here and then hurry right back… I saw these cute little spiders made out of paper egg cartons and tea lights…
Adolescence
Where have the last years gone? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was sitting at my dining room table talking to a social worker about the safety features of my house? I know where it has gone. To therapy. And hospitals. And detention. It has gone to struggle and success and soccer. It has vanished…
And the Oscar goes to…
Our family was having dinner one Sunday evening when Matthew , who has autism, became distressed because his potatoes were touching his meat. My husband, Peter, who was tired after pruning trees all day, told Matthew in a loud voice “Don’t be ridiculous, just eat your dinner.” Matthew yelled no, that he was the boss…
We Need Black Jello
Comedian George Carlin said, “You know what we need – black Jello.” Think of the fun you could have if you served black Jello for dessert one evening! Something totally unexpected can add a special brightness to a day. In fact, as human beings, even though we seem to fight change, we also seem to…
Special Exposure Wednesday.
According to Ivy: When you’re feeling a little under the weather, Barbie will make everything better. Got a photo to share? Why don’t you join in this Special Exposure Wednesday. Please remember your comment love at each link you visit. Also blogging at Three Ring Circus
Playtime troubles and my friendly little boy
Back in June, I wrote about getting other kids to play with your child, an issue that a lot of parents of kids with special needs grapple with. It is still plaguing me, and it’s stressful. Max is a superfriendly, curious kid. But he scares other kids. Yesterday, two neighborhood kids came over to the…
An Autism Veteran’s Take on the New Statistics
The number of children receiving a diagnosis of autism is spiking once again. But what do these numbers really mean? Parents like me, whose children are over the age of 20, have a good idea. When our toddlers were losing language and exhibiting peculiar behavior in the late eighties, it was very difficult to get…
The Locker
They sit in rows, one on top of the other, spanning the length of the hallway. They break apart only to make room for a door into a classroom, or maybe a closet. When we first went to a school that had lockers in the hallways, I remember Spiff running his hands over them, almost…