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Be the seesaw.
Hello! It’s been a while, and it’s been busy. I wanted to share something I recently learned. It’s about being a seesaw. (Yes, I’m referring to the piece of playground equipment that many children love.) The seesaw concept originated from a seminar I attended about autism and behaviors. As a parent of children with Autism, Continue reading
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Taking Action in Times of Uncertainty
Hi! How are you? How are things going? Trying to make sense of what is going on in the world? You are not alone. I don’t have the answer, but I know we’re not in Kansas anymore! That’s for damn sure. The amount of change that has occurred since January 20th is profound, astonishing, and Continue reading
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Experiencing the Holidays as a parent to Autistic children.
Hello! It’s been a while. My youngest and I have gone through a challenging season. We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, hurray!! Just as things seem to be getting back to normal, here come the holidays! Ack!! The holidays, what can I say? They are naturally very stressful Continue reading
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Spontaneous
Life has settled a little bit and I just wanted to share with you something that I almost never do. I did something spontaneous!!! That’s right, last minute, no real planning, go with the flow spontaneity. And let me tell you, it felt good. I have never been one to be super spontaneous but that Continue reading
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The lull is gone
Oh my goodness. We are in the thick of it! The lull I mentioned a few months back (https://thisautismjourney.com/2024/04/26/enjoying-the-lull-and-being-intentional/ has been obliterated. It is all hands on deck, gird your loins, breathe through your nose and out of your mouth, find the joy in the grind, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose” (see below) type Continue reading
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IEP? What is that?
It’s the end of the school year and how is your child’s IEP looking? Feeling good or not so great about it? IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is a detailed plan of how the school will implement supports, accommodations, and services for your child to access the curriculum that is necessary for success in the classroom. Continue reading
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When gratitude is not enough
As I was struggling parenting my Autistic children when they were younger I was often told by well-meaning people to express gratitude for the situation. The sentiment was expressing gratitude will help me focus on the positives and not dwell on the negatives which will improve the situation. Except it didn’t. I got to a Continue reading
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Sensory Beast
I did not recognize how much the inability to process sensory information dominated my child’s life. Have you heard the statement, “If it’s a tantrum it’s behavior but if it’s a meltdown it’s sensory.”? I thought all tantrums and meltdowns were behavior related but I was wrong. In my experience, a tantrum is usually due Continue reading
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Mother’s Day
Ahh, it’s almost Mother’s Day. That one time of the year where Mothers are singled out and noticed. Some mother’s celebrate the big day with their loved ones. Some mothers just want to be left alone. For me, I have no plans. Actually, I did have plans but it didn’t work out. I wanted to Continue reading
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Enjoying the lull and being intentional
I realized the other day that our family is in a lull. I love lulls. I consider a lull to be a time when everyone and everything seems perfectly balanced. For so long we were just going from one behavioral issue to the next, but now both kids seem to be steady. We used to Continue reading
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Take down the clock
I was listening to a program on NPR called “Here and Now”, and the guests were Kara Goucher and Des Linden. They were discussing the Boston Marathon, which they both have run and won – no small feat! It was an inspiring discussion, and one thing that stood out to me was when they mentioned Continue reading
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The more I learn the less I know
I have been trying to educate myself more about Autism, how it presents, and how Autistic people perceive the world. Through this education I have found that I know nothing. I thought I knew a lot but I don’t. I rested on my laurels of being a parent to 2 Autistic kids as being the Continue reading
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First Concert
When my son was younger, he never seemed to latch on to any toys or take an interest in kid stuff. This made parenting him extra difficult because I always had to be the one to show him how to play with a toy or to introduce him to superheroes or kids’ TV shows. It Continue reading
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Have you gone silent?
Have you ever experienced something where you couldn’t find the words but when someone does find the words it just rings true? I recently had that experience, and I can’t tell you how much I finally feel seen. The words that stopped me in my tracks are “Going Silent”. Megan Champion (https://www.instagram.com/on.the.hard.days/) did a Live Continue reading
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Feeling Overwhelmed
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. I just have too much on my mind. I am tired of the daily grind of life, all the appointments, IEP meetings, and school-related activities for my kids, and my own life. It all piles up. Feeling this way is subtle but manifests in physical ways. For example, I spent Continue reading
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A Plan for Summer
It’s March so it’s time to plan for Summer! If you dread Summer Break you are not alone. I start my plans in September but usually put more effort into it around this time of year. Summer presents the greatest challenge to keep a schedule and create as much structure while leaving room for more Continue reading
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Unbothered
Unbothered (adjective): “Not feeling or showing agitation, worry or annoyance: not bothered.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as such, but I define it as this: “Not giving two shits about what others think.” It’s taken me a long time to be unbothered. Experience and age have taught me well. It is not an easy state Continue reading
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Anxiety: Mine and Everyone Else’s
Major anxiety here this week. I have had anxiety about this blog ever since I started it. As you can see, I have changed a few things. I’m not tech savvy and so I had to go with what my skill set would allow. I’m sure there will be more changes in the future as Continue reading
This Autism Journey 