Autism: A Mixed Bag of Humor and Help

01/20/2022

Lovely 🥰

A perfect word :-)

09/27/2021

Tylenol Ad should read: When your child discovers Alexa will make a "farting" noise if you ask her too 🙄
A: mom, why did you yell?
Me: because I've been listening to her "fart" for over an hour and I just can't take it anymore!
(We have one in my bedroom and one in the living room. There was no escape. Oh, and A. alternated between the noises and putting her just washed ice cold hands on my back to hear me scream! Sensory seeking that directly affects me! 😆
Alexa people, I hate you. Rant over.

06/19/2019

And they say people with Autism have a hard time with perspective taking?? 🤦🏻‍♀️. Btw, the disciplinary action that was taken included the firing of the principal and notice that 3 of the teachers’ contracts would not be renewed. I think that was appropriate. Thoughts?
https://time.com/5600738/indiana-school-annoying-male-award-autism/

The trophy was presented at a luncheon attended by students, parents and faculty

02/27/2019

Look at the child. One distinction I always make to people is between a temper tantrum and a meltdown. They may look similar but they are hugely different. My child is melting down due to the frustration of the constant:
1. pressure to do things she is unable to do
2. reminders that her best isn’t good enough which translates to “she” isn’t good enough.
3. inability to mute some senses to focus on others.
4. Inability to express herself

There are a myriad of reasons a child with special needs could meltdown. There are only a few reasons for a neural typical child. Don’t judge.

Remember this is NOT the same as saying “no” to a neural typical child’s request to ice cream. This does not mean a child with Autism won’t meltdown to a “no” for ice cream but the real reason could be entirely different. Look at the child.

02/18/2019

“... and make the point that if you align people to their strengths then given the chance, they excel,"

For every weakness there is a strength. I believe that whole heartedly. We just have to wait for the business world to catch up!

A few weeks into her legal career, she has already seen how some of her strengths and struggles affect her work.

12/30/2018

Yes, she just can’t. Accept her for who she is and we’ll be there! ❤️

Jamie 🌼

12/04/2018

12/04/2018

The service dog industry still does not have any oversight. Here is a story about two women who did not get away with it. https://www.pressreader.com/usa/marysville-appeal-democrat/20170323/281496456109281

The for­mer owner of a Yuba-Sut­ter char­ity who said it trained ser­vice dogs for spe­cial needs chil­dren spent thou­sands of dollars in char­i­ta­ble do­na­tions on movie tickets, white­wa­ter raft­ing, mas­sages, a home se­cu­rity sys­tem and other ex­penses,...

06/12/2018

I saw this comment on “Humans of New York”. I love it!
“When someone said, years ago: 'you have a difficult child' I responded: 'No, my child has a difficult time'. People judge, but you know your child best.”

01/29/2018

What do you do when your language delayed child misunderstands something you're doing and believes the worst about you...

I'm listening to "Mein Kampf" on Audiobook. My girl does not understand why I would listen to a book written by such an evil man. I have explained to her why it's important to learn the most we can about such a horrific time in our history, that we need to be able to recognize it should something like this begin again. She doesn't understand. She thinks I'm listening to the book because I admire Hi**er. She thinks I'm listening because I'm a N**i sympathizer. I'm trying to be patient and not let it get to me but there isn't anything much worse than being a N**i sympathizer in my opinion. For now, it helps to focus on her empathy, knowing right from wrong, and for calling me out for what she believes I'm doing and hope the rest will follow.

* if anyone has a similar story I'd really appreciate a comment. Is it still ongoing or did it resolve itself?

09/28/2017

This.

06/07/2017

A very interesting study on the effects of reading and brain connectivity. An especially important finding for ASD children.

Murdaugh, D. L., J. O. Maximo, and R. K. Kana. 2015. 'Changes in intrinsic connectivity of the brain's reading network following intervention in children with autism.' Human Brain Mapping. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22821.

05/16/2017

Story Time!
Battle of Wills: The new home saga continues... Part 2 of 3

Unable to acquire a new home for herself our girl has decided that perhaps I would have better luck. Yesterday, as I finish setting up the rabbit pen in the backyard, I hear a click and turn to see my pajama'd girl looking at me through the sliding glass door. I realize in hidden horror that my usual escape route (through our bedroom sliding glass door is locked as well). I calmly busy myself with the pen as I strategize my next move. The battle has begun...
I hear my girl kick the wooden stick into the door groove for good measure. Perhaps I didn't hear the click she must be thinking. I calmly ignore her and trudge in my bare feet and "Miss Perigrine" themed pajamas to the wooden gate leading to our driveway. I'm screwed. I know this but I can't let her know I know this or I'll never get back into the house!
What will my next move be? I'm hidden from her view as I debate my options. My car doors are locked, damn it! My feet are getting cold on the cement. Hmmm... I can call the babysitter. SHE has a key! UGH! My phone is in the house. I could use the neighbor's phone, I glance towards their driveway, sigh... no one is home. I am really screwed! I know she will be watching from the living room window to see what I'll do next. I spy the bright yellow tire swing out of the corner of my eye. YES! I'll pretend I'm having a great time outside. I did this with my mom when I was a kid. It irritated her so much she would yell "you could irritate a rock!". It always worked. Heh. Here's hoping! I nix the idea of skipping to the swing as overkill. Besides, I'm in my forties and the sound of cracking joints will just upset me further.
I walk to the swing. I hear the sound of the chain being used on the front door. REALLY?? Am I really going to ask the babysitter to bring bolt cutters too?? I can feel her stare as I sit on her swing. I ignore her, smile, and pump my legs. I throw my head back for effect. Ignoring the sound of the my neck cracking, I am now looking at the big branch holding the swing. The chain has worn through the doormat that was protecting the branch. "If the branch breaks, it's heavy enough to kill a person" I remember my dad saying. Double Frick! I swing a little less enthusiastically. How am I going to get back in the house?? I slip off the swing and with as much dignity as I can muster I walk to the side of the house, let myself in through the gate, and wait. My girl also has ADHD. She has no patience. She can't see me from where I'm standing I know she will open the door to try and figure out where I am.

The dog brings me his ball. No. Just no!

I hear the sliding glass door open. I resist the urge to run and wrestle my way in. She would have time to shut the door again and there is just no recovering from that. I see her run out out (yes!), she turns and looks at me. She has tears in her eyes.

Sigh... I swallow my anger and give her a hug as we walk back to the sliding glass door.

A: I didn't know where you were!

She was scared. As we walk back in I tell her... Lock me out of the house again and you will NOT know where I am. I'm not going to wait around for you to unlock the door. I'm going to go have coffee with a neighbor, go for walk... (Yeah right, in my bare feet and pajamas!). You can go to your room now. And don't you EVER do that again or you will really be in trouble (oh god! I'm using my mom's lines👩🏻🔫)!

You think it's over don't you? No. To be continued...

04/10/2017

What an great inexpensive coping tool. There is no reason every school can't have one of these readily available for kids with sensory issues, not just Autism.

04/02/2017

I am a member of an IEP assistance page and saw this disturbing post by a Special Education teacher. She received numerous responses. Mine is below hers...

"A while back (maybe a different page, can't remember) there was a post about things not to say to the parents of a special needs kid. One of those things was to not say "A lot of kids his age are like that". I'm a teacher and had an IEP last week where the parents brought in a two page typed list of concerns for their ASD son who will be going to kindergarten in the fall. About 90% of their concerns were the same things most other kindergarteners may struggle with. Like remembering to bring home his backpack. Needing reminders to use the bathroom. Help zipping his coat. Making sure he gets on the right bus. The general ed K teacher addressed all these issues (she was so patient). How the class spends a lot of time at the beginning of the school year teaching routines regarding backpacks, etc. That they are always on the lookout for kids doing the PP dance, that a lot of K kids can't zip their coats yet, etc. The parents seemed kinda upset that we were reassuring them that their child would get the help he needs - most of it's built into the K routine. They seemed upset at finding out their boy has so much in common with kids his age. Wouldn't that be a relief? "Hey, my ASD is gaining the skills he needs to be more like his peers! Yay!" Right?"
----
Dear Special Ed teacher,
I understand why this seems confusing to you. I urge you to try their perspective again after reading this. I guarantee you the parents are upset because there is something the school isn't understanding. For example, neural typical kindergarteners may have trouble zipping but they will likely be able to hold the the zipper tag to try, an ASD child may not. The neural typical children may do the "pp dance" when they have to go, prompting a reminder, an ASD child may just go. So no, it is not a "yay" moment for us parents. It's a "they don't get it and I'm going to have to work harder to make them understand" moment. It's exhausting. What struck me most about your comment was your assertion that the Gen Ed K teacher was being so patient. Again, change your perspective to the parents and think of the the number of times they have likely had to explain the same thing over and over to family, friends, and even strangers. Perhaps it was they who were being "so patient". If you are in an IEP it's because that child is not typical and while their struggles may look typical, look harder, they are more complex than they seem. That complexity is what is missing from your comment, missing not because you omitted it but missing because you didn't get it. So, no, it wouldn't make me happy. It would make me worry. It would sap my already waning energy in trying to figure out a way to make yet another person understand. It's not a "yay" moment, it's a sad one.

08/14/2016

Truth!

The FIGHT