“Who needs caffeine when I can have adrenaline-fueled adventures all day and all night?” That’s what I used to say when my son was little. By 1 or 2 pm on most days, my hands started trembling from the constant stream of adrenaline. My mind was always on alert because my hyperactive son was an [...]
A friend asked me, “How can I help a perfectionist whose physical skills or sensory issues limit his abilities to perform as he wishes?” Perfectionism is not a term usually associated with disabilities. But it can be a major obstacle to learning new developmental skills. It’s confusing and demoralizing to struggle at something while everyone [...]
This is part one of a two part series on Positive Behavioral Support (read part one here). Positive behavior support: that phrase got your attention, didn’t it? It sounds like a great idea, but most people don’t actually want to put in the effort for it. Unfortunately, punishment and negative attention – comments such as [...]
This is part one of a two part series on Positive Behavioral Support. Positive behavior support: that phrase got your attention, didn’t it? It sounds like a great idea, but most people don’t actually want to put in the effort for it. Unfortunately, punishment and negative attention – comments such as “Stop it!” and “No!” [...]
I’ve been asked what the Friendship Circle means to me and my family. When my family joined Friendship Circle in January 2010, our plan was just to visit the building for open play on the days when school was closed. My 8 year old son, who has autism, was too anxious about separation to participate [...]
“If you found out your child with special needs was being bullied on the school bus, what would you do?” Many parents respond angrily to this question with thoughts of violence or revenge. But that creates new problems without solving the original problem. Some suggest riding the bus with the child to figure out how [...]
Playdates are an emotional topic for all parents – not just for those of us who have children with special needs. Some parents don’t want anything to do with scheduled time for kids to play with peers; while others, who may live far away from extended family, depend on playdates for a healthy social life [...]
What is bedtime like at your house? It’s serious business at my house. Lockdown starts at 7pm, and the lights are usually out by 9pm. Both of my children have problems with falling asleep and staying asleep – for different reasons. And when I say “problems,” I’m talking about extreme hyperactivity, meltdowns lasting 90 to [...]
Sooner or later, almost all parents have to deal with a child’s separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is defined as a developmental stage in which a child suffers distress when apart from a primary caregiver, usually starting around 8 months of age when the child comprehends object permanence. For some parents of children with special needs, [...]
10 hurtful comments from relatives about your child with special needs
One of the painful parts of parenting a child with special needs is dealing with comments and questions from concerned family members. Most of the time, these remarks arise from love for the child and consideration for the well-being of the whole family. But the questions and comments don’t always come out that way, and [...]