Weblog » Archives » January 2010
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Do People with Autism Have Feelings?
I bet you’ve noticed that people with autism don’t display their feelings too easily. I used to cry at the front door when Jonny went off to school and didn’t even turn back to say goodbye to me as he walked out the do… -
Gotta Love the Zone!
A lot can be said for working in your child's zone of development. You work in that zone while pushing your child just a little bit past it. Just a little bit. Enough to make the child have to stretch to achieve thu… -
Big Shoes (Paws) to Fill - New Service Dog
This is Tonka (yellow lab, named because he is the biggest and most fun of the litter), who is 9 weeks old. He is going to become Billy Ray's service dog when he is about six months old. We are going to visit him this… -
An Asperger Appetite and Dinner Planning
"Can I have pizza?" is a question I hear on an almost daily basis. On the days pizza is not being requested, my son is asking for Burger King. I cannot believe with the amount of times I tell him no, he continues to a… -
Taking Care of Yourself - Making the Parent a Priority
One of the most important subjects concerning your child is you. You must take care of yourself. It was the first thing the therapist said to me when my oldest was diagnosed. You will do your child no good if you are un… -
One Pink Puzzle Piece - Having a Girl on the Autism Spectrum
Boring statistics number 1: 1 in 110 babies will have an autism spectrum disorder. Boring statistic number 2: It is four times more likely to happen to a boy. My life doesn’t go by statistics. Maybe that is… -
Holland, Idaho, The Road Less Traveled, Amen
While reading sfgate.com, I came across a link to a great piece by Emily Perl Kingsley titled "Welcome to Holland." As Laura Shumaker notes in her online article "Autism & Parenting, Drive By Phone Calls," it's… -
Broadening Food Interest - using an ABA Method
Although I have many sensory issues with food and thus a limited diet, Lawrence, the boy I TSS for, has the most intense food issues. When I began working with him this summer, he had two foods: Shoe-string fren… -
"I Can Imagine Raising an Autistic Child"
When I am told by someone that they "can imagine" what it is like to have autistic children, the temptation to scream at them is one that I have learnt to quell. It has taken time and practice, and a great deal of i… -
Autism and Sleeping Through the Night
My son slept through the night last night…in his own bed. He also slept in his own bed the night before and the night before that and a whole six nights before that. That’s now TEN nights in a row that Connor has sle… -
To Fight or Not to Fight for an IEP
I'm trying to be more like Jonathan, whose only goal in life is to have fun. I'm going to start this post with a Jonathanism. Jonathan: Mom, there is a letter in my folder for you. Me: I know. I found it. Jonathan: Wha… -
When Is Behavior More than Just Behavior?
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. And I've come to the realization that conventional wisdom isn't always so wise. Especially when it comes to some conventional thoughts on parenting. In the beginning,… -
School Trying to Sweep Autistic Child 'Under the Rug' - Need help
My little guy Sky is a gifted, autistic six-year-old. He can read at a third grade level and his math knowledge is above average for his age. Sky's mainstream and special ed teachers are unhappy with his behaviors . Th… -
An Open Letter to My Son's Teacher
Dear Nigel’s Teacher, At the Scout meeting on Saturday, I know that you were laughing good-naturedly when Nigel worded something in an awkward way, and that you didn’t mean any harm, but I wanted to clarify for you w… -
The Artist is In
One look at the vibrant primary colors and intricate marker strokes and you immediately know that these are the work of a master color by number artist. Nick lives for his art, and a book about mammals, but that is ano… -
To HBOT or To Not HBOT?
From: Dr. Chun Wong How beneficial is HBOT in treatment of Autism symptoms? (via) The Hyperbaric Chamber is something that we often hear about athletes and high-profile celebrities using. The chamber has proven benefit… -
My Dyscalculia Discovery
I had never heard of dyscalculia until two days ago at a reading center for dyslexia that my boys are attending and it was a word that would give me the answer to a lifelong problem, and change the way I look at myself… -
He Acts As If He’s On Truth Serum
We were in an elevator and my son, Brandon, who was standing next to an obese woman, began to point and shout, “Mom, why is that lady so fat?” There we were, stuck between floors, and I felt like crawling into a hole a… -
A Culture of Blaming Parent's for their Special Needs Kids
It is hard to say just when it was that parents started to blame themselves for the things that go wrong with their children. Parents of special needs children are particularly prone to blame themselves if their child… -
GFCF Sugar Cookies
Here is a Sugar Cookie Recipe that has had much trial and error in the test kitchen... This is so yummy that NO ONE will know they contain no wheat or dairy!! Enjoy!! -
Worried about vaccination dangers?
I ran across a very well-reasoned article written by a homeschooling mother who happens to be a naturopathic doctor. She decided not to vaccinate, and wrote about her reasons. Here's the link: LINK Danielle J. Emel, N… -
Xavi's 1 year check up - No MMR shot
First off, for those that don't know, we call Xavier Xavi (pronounced Zavey). There is a whole story about why his name is pronounced Zavier and not "x"avier, but that is for a different day since it involves my hus… -
Some Autism Treatments Can do More Harm Than Good
I read a great article about how certain therapies and experimental treatments for autism can actually hurt your child. As a mother of a 10 year old autistic boy, I have tried a lot of different therapies and treatmen… -
Was I Adopted?
Anybody ever ask their parents, "was I adopted?" Maybe one day in your childhood you looked to your left, then to your right and thought, I'm nothing like them, nothing like them at all. Having 6 sisters and 3 brothe… -
Switching Words - Autism & Echolalia
Anyway, so a little backdrop - I've posted a lot about echolalia and Bitty's slow progress with learning to speak by repeating what we say. This means he speaks with his "you" and "I / me" pronouns reversed. "Yoo-wah… -
I Am What I Am - Reaction to the diagnosis of Asperger's
Recently it was put to my wife that it must have been hard living with someone with Asperger's to which she replied, "I wasn't living with someone with Asperger's, I was living with Rory". She is right for 30 years of… -
The System - Re-Integration and Asperger's
Once again, I’ve been let down by ‘the system’ (I feel like describing what a system is but I will refrain). Hospital and Outreach is supposedly a place to help re-integrate students back into mainstream education. And… -
Little Boy with Autism is Lost
Sky is a flight risk in the autistic diagnoses realm. These kids will take off in a heartbeat. The other day we were leaving Chic-fil-A. I put Sky's coat on and Papa went to get some more drink. I turned and Sky was g… -
Battle Royale! - Parenting, Errands and Autism.
On Monday (I'm a little behind the ball!), Nathan had therapy. His usual appointmnt is on early Thursday afternoons, but that involves taking him out of school. The school has been accomodating, considering that I wo… -
Our Journey Through Autism
My reason for starting this chronicle of what our family has been going through for the last 10 years is to help others see what we have found helpful in dealing with Autism - High functioning, Asperger's Syndrome. The… -
A Movie Helped Me Learn About My Son
Recently, over at Stark Raving Bibliophile, Laughing at Stars reviewed the movie Mozart and the Whale. This movie had an incredible impact upon me and became a significant memory for me. You can use her link to see he… -
Autism and Motor-Planning
Last Month I published my article on the effects motor-planning deficits have for those with autism at my column on Examiner.com. I used Brandon, my son, as an example again. I tried to be "objective" at reporting th… -
ADD Meds and Autism
I spent some time reviewing this blog the other day, and it reminded me that we started out talking about autism. A couple of years ago, the topic was a huge part of our daily lives, with all the therapies and educatio… -
A Normal Man
Sometimes, as a mom blogger, I get the feeling that my kids somehow tap into the wavelength of a post I’ve written - before I even post it. And then they come to me and totally disprove whatever I’ve written about them… -
Autism (Savor Each Syllable, Part 2)
Slightly apraxic (low muscle tone around the mouth) and with his two front teeth missing, my son (diagnosed as on the autism spectrum with PDD-NOS) makes an observation: [son] "Mom. Sssssnakes sssslither in the rrri… -
A new name for what we are treating: mitochondrial disease
The Journal of Child Neurology published an article a week ago linking autism to the combination of mitochondrial disease and fever. Among other things, the abstract says, “Autistic spectrum disorders encompass … many… -
Trying to understand my Asperger son
How easy it would be to just let my almost 14 year old son just sit quiety and read his books, play his video games and leave him alone. He would like that. But I can't do that. He is growing up. He has to learn how to… -
You did what?!
Last night's conversation between me and Bearhug: BH: Hey, Mom, you know what? yesterday I found a cockroach in our bafroom. me: (gag) Uh... is it still there? BH: (with a proud grin) No! I squished it. me: Oh, go… -
Unconventionally Speaking
I've never been one to take the easy way out. My path has not been a straight one. And irreverence is in my bones. That's why when it comes to convention, I've always been a little out of step. Now it looks like I'… -
Bureaucrats, Pharmacists and Dumb and Dumber on the Hill
I have a new one for everyone, something I can honestly say has never happened before. After visiting the neurologist and being given the usual scripts for medication for the boys, I took them to my pharmacy to get fi… -
Life 101 - Please Don't Do It For Me
This was especially written for parents who have children/adults with autism and special needs. We all remember as we were growing up that our parents told us what to do. They taught us what was dangerous, what to sta… -
Autism Therapy: Numbers and Division
So, the CDC finally weighed in with their numbers last week. 1 in 110 children in this county with autism. That’s actually lower than previously announced (1 in 91), but considering that it’s the CDC (sorry, had to t… -
A Special Message from the Editors
When Autisable launched last year, no one knew how many lives we'd touch. Special messages from around the world to our staff, sharing with us via twitter, facebook, and e-mail - how seeing the stories on this site ha… -
Do Parents or Researchers Know Best About Autism and Autism Diets?
If you’re a parents of a special needs child, chances are you’ve researched your child’s diagnosis(s) completely, knowing it almost as well as the professionals you consult. You’ve sought various treatments, both mains… -
My Stimming, Ticks, Quirks and More.
I had an appointment today to go see the women that first diagnosed me with asperger’s to get another assessment and documentation stating her findings, but we had to reschedule to next late next week. I almost immedia… -
Let's Talk About Autism
This is a very pertinent and personal topic for me, being the mom of a child with Asperger's Syndrome. Here is a very good, succinct summary of Asperger's Syndrome (AS) from Web MD: Asperger's Syndrome - Symptoms… -
Where Have You Gone?
I want to surround myself with people who want to be part of my life. It seems like a pretty simple and basic concept. If you don't really want to be part of my life and all that comes with it then it seems like a char… -
Neurotherapy and Autism
From: Dr. Chun Wong When the devastating news is delivered to a parent that their child has Autism, one of the first questions asked is “what do we do?”. One of the first things some doctors do is write a prescription… -
The Sincerity in Autism
The other day I was driving with my younger brother, Max, on our way to visit my grandma. We had a nice drive. We went through the Starbucks drive through and I bought him a Vanilla Bean Frappachino, we had my… -
Nirvana: different strokes for different folks
The end of the week spelled happiness for our household, but in such a variety of ways: The Captain got to stare at cartoons for a whole morning when I was in court and couldn’t monitor. The Cabana Boy continued work o… -
Art in Autism--Learning Autism
While pondering my next question for learning autism, my brain slipped over to the artistic side. It made me wonder, does anyone use art in teaching autism or even in calming an autistic child? Are there autistic child… -
Thinking - a Parent recalls the struggles and joy's
A few months ago, when I was working at a different place, a customer came in with her kid. Who was in the habit of repeating herself. Every so often the kids eyes would light up and she would say “I have a green jacke… -
Does Someone Have to Die For Us to Take a Second Look?
"However, the risk of causing serious harm or death is extremely small" This is a quote from an article about the recent report of a young child having an extreme and potentially deadly allergic reaction to the H1N1… -
Is it possible to prevent autism?
A reader, Theresa, writes in “Is it possible to prevent Autism? My sister has a kid with it and I heard it might be genetic.”The short answer is no, you cannot prevent it. Since there is no medical test for Autism Sp… -
Just Need to Think Out Loud - Preparing for IEP's
Tomorrow is the meeting to review Jonathan's reevaluations to determine if he re-qualifies for an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)based upon the criteria outlined in the federal law Individuals with Disabilities E… -
Metaphors and Parenting a Teenager with Autism
The Scene: Teenage boy’s bedroom. The occupant has autism and, although he eventually learned to talk, he is characteristically literal-minded and often has difficulty understanding various figures of speech. Those close… -
I am my father's daughter
Last Thursday, I went to my Aunt's wake. She had been struggling with Alzheimer's for about 2 years. I have had 4 deaths in my family this year, two in the same family. It's been a very difficult time for my Greenwood… -
Autism Therapy: ABA
So many therapies, so little time. There are new types of therapies for autism popping up all over the country. Some seem quite promising. Some…I will politely say, it makes me think of the days of leeches and “magi… -
Who Knew Families with 'trained parents' did better?
I just saw an article, Autistic kids do better with "trained" parents. The article describes a study out of Yale that compared autistic children treated with medications alone to families with children treated with med… -
Inanity, Irony and Sarcasm: Yep They Get Funny
I just received some e-mails that had been sent to me by highschoolboy from a comedy website that he likes to read. They were sarcastic, bombastic and just plain old-fashioned fun. These e-mails linked to pages that… -
Fitness for those on the Autism Spectrum
Getting kids to move and bend their knees to gain strength can be very challenging. Okay, try getting kids on the autism spectrum to exercise. “Ha!”, as Isabel would say in Mozart and the Whale (I can hear her now!) Well… -
"Can he talk?"
Bitty has made so much progress, and yet as he gets older the divide between his development in some areas and those of his peers seems to only widen. One of those areas is communication. Not long ago, the boys had a… -
Truth, Honesty & Aspergers
Recently I reminded my wife of the problems I once caused in the ticket office of Glasgow Charing Cross Station. She suggested that honesty would be a good topic for a blog. I had travelled back from Dumbarton but the… -
Goodbye, Rain Man
Laurence Kim Peek Nov. 11, 1951 - Dec. 19, 2009 Kim Peek is best known as the inspiration for the character Raymond in the 1988 movie "Rain Man". Although the character in Rain Man is autistic, it was later determined K… -
Managing Sensory Issues
Sensory issues can be really difficult to deal with. Over the years I’ve picked up ways to cope with some of them. Things that work for me might not work for others so you may need to adapt my solutions to suit your ne… -
Aspergers and Loneliness
From January 4th through the 6th, PBS aired a three-part series, "This Emotional Life," about certain emotional and mental health issues. Among other topics, the series profiled Jason Ross, a 29-year-old Aspie, as he di… -
With Garlic Comes new Behaviors!
In my last post, "the haircutting post", I spoke about a new regimen of garlic and aloe to address candida. She no longer takes the aloe but has kept on with the garlic. I've also added some oil oregano capsules and gr… -
Autelligent Laboratories - Autism Business Models
Ladies and Gentlemen, This is what I’m talking about! Isaac Dealey at Autelligent Laboratories is, as I like to say, “Handling His Business“! Autelligent Laboratories is working to create jobs for 40 million… -
Keeping Silent
One must never speak of IT. To speak of IT is to run the risk that IT might not be real, that IT might not be permanent, that IT will leave and not return. IT used to be spoken of freely as if it were a foregone co… -
Autism, Epilepsy and Living with Uncertainty
To All the Moms along the Trail, My thirty-six year old son, Brandon has had to learn how to live with uncertainty. He has untreatable epilepsy, and never knows when his next seizure will occur. He has no warning a… -
Echolalia and Autism
A symptom of many kids with Autism is echolalia. It was the only way my son used to verbalize. Just repeated everything back to us. It often helped him to process what was being said. But from the age of 2 to abou… -
Missing the Obvious
We’ve been having a noise issue in our house for the past two years. Like everyone else in the family, my brother has a deaf ear. Unlike everyone else, he compensates by playing everything exceptionally loud. This woul… -
Trying N.A.E.T. for Shannon
Hey, I’m up for trying new stuff, don’t know about you. My criterion for new treatments of my children is this: can it hurt them? If the answer is no, and the price is right, I’ll consider it. So a friend of mine is a… -
Counting My Chickens & Learning to Self-regulate Behavior
So you know how when you blog about how well your child has been doing lately, very soon after that something happens just to keep you in check? Just to tell you don’t-be-counting-your-chickens and such? Yeah, that’s wh… -
The Asperger Siblings
While going through my second son's folders while he was in second grade I came across a worksheet that as usual was a bit crumbled and folded. I opened and read it. It brought tears to my eyes. It was titled "Wish Upo… -
Autism (Savor Each Syllable)
Upon returning to school this week, many comments about how much my son had grown made their way back home. I didn't think much of it until we tried on a pair of jeans that were WAY to small. While getting ready for… -
Autism and Hand-Writing
Many parents of children with autism may have noticed that his or her child has difficulty with the task of handwriting, among other tasks that require motor planning. A study published in November, 2009 in the Journal… -
My Bipolar Meltdown
This is my first confession of the events surrounding Christmas 2009. I want to write this out because I am forgetting the details and my family doesn't want to talk about it. So I guess it started when I sent som… -
Knowing The Signs of Autism
Oh, what a wonderful thing--the Joy of Christmas Bling. A whole lot of Rockin' went on.... Photo & post, copyright: Leisa A. Hammett Zooming home. Highway 100. The car in front of us. Shiny black Lexus. The pa… -
Asperger's and Friendship.
Prompted by the season and a book I was reading I have been considering what friendship means. During my assessment I was asked if I had friends, I said yes, after all I am in a quiz team. It was only when I was aske… -
5 Tips for Traveling with an Autistic Child
Vacationing with an autistic child doesn’t have to be difficult. If you are a parent of an autistic child, the most important thing you need to remember is that your child needs routine and structure. Since vacationi… -
Is Age More Than A Number In Autism?
From: Dr. Chun Wong People are diagnosed with autism at a variety of different ages. Autism diagnosis ranges from toddlers to teenagers to adults, Autism does not discriminate against the age of a person. This might n… -
Hyperbaric Therapy in the Real World
I have talked with several people who have had Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), or know of others who have had this type of therapy. This type of therapy has been known to show promising results in the treatment of a… -
All Schools Have Asperger's
While recent findings indicate that the prevalence of autism is now up to 1 in 91, I personally think its much, much higher. In particular, it seems to have infiltrated one of our nation's oldest institutions, the publ… -
Special Needs Children and Travel
Recently, a special child was denied to board Cebu Pacific by its cabin crew because the child was said to be "mentally ill" and the airline apparently has rules that discriminates special kids (link to news here). An… -
My Estate - Friends Found and Kept
My friends are my estate. - Emily Dickinson Where would we be without our friends? I know that I would certainly be in a far less positive state of mind without mine, at any point in my life. Everything - from walking… -
Autism and Food for Thought
They say, you are what you eat. If I had to single out the best thing that has happened in 2009, that would be helping my thirty-six year old son, Brandon continue to develop and grow. He has reached many plateaus… -
Is "Autistic" the New "Retard"?
When I'm done working for the day, either because it really is all done or because I just can't focus anymore, I often go on AOL and chat in a chatroom these days. I usually visit just the same room I have been frequent… -
No Loss For Words
There was a time in Nathan's life where he did not talk. Well...he talked very little. He knew a few words. "NO!" was his favorite which was followed by 30 minutes of crying.He had speech delay, which we knew, but I wan… -
Social Skills Training, NOT just for those with Autism
There is a lot of talk regarding the unpleasant exchanges brought on by a shopping mall melt-down of an ASD child. I'm guessing here but I'd say there is an overall decrease in simple common courtesy and lack of basic… -
Should He Get Credit For Being Right? Or At Least Clever?
As I've written in previous blogs, Jonathan doesn't like to write. This has been an on-going battle since he was in pre-school. So, what can I say when his school work starts coming home with these kinds of notes from… -
With My Eyes Closed
Most of you know that I am a single parent. From mid-June to mid-August, my sons visit their father 700 miles away, and I get a much-needed break. I get some extra work done, take trips, and get a little time to mysel… -
A Comedian with Aspergers: A Possibility?
It's funny the things I can imagine when watching a stand-up comedy special.British comedian Ricky Gervais was mentioning in his comedy act that he was doing charity work once and decided he wants to take out an autits… -
To Tell or Not to Tell - With Respect to Shakespeare
To tell or not to tell that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or take arms against a sea of trouble… (Hamlet Act III, Scene I, sort of) I th… -
When Later Becomes Better
When Anea was just a baby and some of the kids I knew from my friends were growing, I'd be so envious at how they were talking so fluently in English. I'd marvel at their pronunciation and diction. I told myself my k… -
Finding Jobs and Autism
The train is on the tracks. We see the light. And it is heading our way. Adulthood. Now for most parents, that’s a wonderful thing. Thoughts of college, marriage and grandchildren come to mind, right? Well, that’… -
Just disturbing - Autistic Boy Charged with a Felony
For those of you who don't know much about me, you may not know that I have a 3.5 year old with autism. Technically, she is considered to be "on the autism spectrum", as her official diagnosis is "pervasive development… -
Working Mom - Traveling and Doctors
It has been too long since I posted, and the main reason for that is I had to go out of town for work. I work from home and I rarely have to go in, but this week I did for basically four days. Now, I love my job and I… -
Feng Shui, ADD, and the Nature of Possessions
What difference does it make how much you have? What you do not have amounts to much more. — Seneca The battle of the wills continues with some improvements. The Captain has duly been given the prescription flavor of… -
JUSTIN'S POEM
"Justin's Poem" By Miriam (Mom) As I look into your eyes, I see you are the same adorable angelic boy, Justin is your name.... You came into the world, as perfect as can be; then somewhere along… -
Gina Marie Incandela - autistic savant?
A friend sent me a clip of autistic 7-year-old Gina Marie Incadendela singing the national anthem for NBA games. It’s amazing for any 7-year-old–her voice sounds like that of someone much older, trained, so on. So, wh… -
A Neighbor's Perspective-Play Along!
“I see her running around, maybe not running so much as gliding from one child to the next; meeting their needs, kissing their bruises, softening their touches. She does this with such love and grace, with a smile abo… -
Living With Aspergers: What Is It Like, and How Can You Better Interact With Me?
For those of you who are new to my subscription and/or friends lists, you may or may not know this about me by interacting with me elsewhere on Xanga, however I do have a little something called Asperger Syndrome. For… -
The Hypothetical Cure Question....
"If I could snap my fingers and become non autistic, I would not - because then I wouldn't be me. Autism is part of who I am." Temple Grandin And that is how I see C. Autism is part of who he is. Therefore I have… -
A Rough Week
This past week has been hard. Difficult, and hard…even more so, to admit that. The not having a job, thoughts of loosing the kids, and Emmys birthday, all sort of met up together and planned revenged against me. At le… -
How Asperger's helped me to Succeed
If you have read my blog at all then you are probably painfully aware that there is no rhyme or reason to the topics I post on from day to day. I write about whatever comes to my mind that day, and if nothing comes to… -
Autistic-Like? And the Numbers
Special Post: I was invited by The Atlantic to comment on their article, "Behind the Autism Statistics": While a three-ring circus of journalists led by the blogosphere, a conglomeration of government, and medica… -
Autism Seen as An Asset to the Workplace
Ron Brix’s longtime job as a computer systems developer for Wrigley, the gum and candy maker, required intense attention to detail, single-minded focus and a willingness to work on something repetitively until perfect.… -
Glasses or Contacts for someone with Autism?
Recently, my daughter had to go for an eye exam. We'd tried contacts once before, and she hardly wore them, so we skipped the next year. This year there's a boyfriend, hence the new interest. The visit to the optic… -
The Road Less Traveled: A Parental Journey
Now that you have that diagnosis, what do you do? You have heard the words autism spectrum disorder. You may have even been given the diagnosis pervasive development disorder or asperger’s syndrome. You have known for… -
Mechanical Bull Pens
I walked into the middle of this conversation last night, I don't know what started it, but here is where I come in: Faith: What kinda store do you buy a mechanical bull from? Me: I'd probably look for one on the In… -
Disabled Children: Why are the numbers rising?
Thoughts from a parent of an asperger child: Even before my son was diagnosed with asperger sydrome 11 years ago, my colleagues and I had been discussing the rising numbers of disabled children we were seeing. As teach… -
You don't show me sympathy!
How many times has that accusation been hurdled at me? Millions. How many times has it hurt my feelings? Once. Today, as a matter of fact. Thomas and I were watching a Clean House episode where an adopted daughter felt… -
Diagnosis : A New Journey
The Lidster is now three and a half. Her speech is significantly delayed. On the emotional, social and play development scales, she is averaging 18-24 months. Her tantrums have not lessened. She has never had a bath… -
What's in a name?
Cuddlebug and Bearhug decided a few weeks ago to start calling me "Mom" instead of "Mama." I think some other kids may have given them a hard time about saying "Mama," who knows. They made the switch overnight... one… -
NAET and Autism: A Personality Change!!!
I am now fully convinced that there is a huge link between the immune system and autism. My evidence: my daughter “Shannon’s” positive response to NAET, an allergy elimination treatment that has its roots in Chinese m… -
My Message to an Autistic Curebie
Disclaimer: no, I am technically not a curebie myself, but I believe that if the shoe, the word, and the metaphor fits, you should wear it. If it hurts, then kick it for all it's worth. Difficulties? Are you capable… -
Autism Therapy/Back To School I.E.P.
Back to school today? Or if you’re like our family, that happened several months ago. Have you already had your I.E.P. meeting to discuss your child’s autism therapy for the school year? Do you even know what an I.E… -
Autism — Does Don’t Talk equal Don’t Feel?
If you don’t talk, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel. They don’t go together, but most people think they do. It’s not true! Brandon, at age thirty-six, still has a very hard time saying what he wants to say. He knows… -
My Daughter gave Herself a Haircut
...a big one too. After her chopping and my trimming and shaping, about 10 inches were taken off. All of the scissors around the house have been hidden after this. She smiled and looked at herself in the mirror with pr… -
Can't We All Just Get Along?
This is the first thing I thought of after I got the call from school today. You know the kind. The one from the principal telling you that your child (in this case Big Brother) was involved in an "incident." Bein… -
I'm Scared Of Mentally Challenged Individuals
Well, that's certainly a mouthful. Well, okay. I'm not scared of them, they make me uncomfortable. I often have a hard time interacting with people with any form of severe (sometimes not even severe) mental retardatio… -
How Well Do You Know Me?
So, I was recently told by a friend that I don't share much on face book, my blog or twitter about who SUSAN really is... Yes, we know your political and autism stance, but who is Susan? My response was that that was a… -
Polite Conversation
‘What ho!’ I said. ‘What ho!’ said Motty. ‘What ho! What ho!’ ‘What ho! What ho! What ho!’ After that it seemed rather difficult to go on with the conversation. -P.G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves (1919) ‘Jeeves and the Unb… -
Rustic Retreat
christmas holidays should be fun.....shouldn't they? the intention was there. it began as a seed of excitement. and. blossomed into an avalanche of expectation. this was going to be the best christmas yet. we had don… -
Teacher Approval
This was passed on to me by a dear friend and it brought tears to my eyes, as we kick off a new school year maybe it will bring something to some of you too.... Think back to when you were 6, 8 or 10 years old. Do you… -
The Grocery Store Diaries 7
You have your hands full: Two! Bless your heart: One! I know it! In the north! Damage Control: Lowell threw his passy once and Kenneth tried to climb out without help, but fortunately, he didn't hurt himself, the gr… -
Faith and Autism
I've always been a spiritual person,( not always in my behavior perhaps , but while my spirituality may not be as defined in religion as some, I've always had faith in God and a higher purpose to all that is. I've sen… -
Book Review: Dasha's journal: a cat reflects on life, catness and autism
Dasha’s Journal: A cat reflects on Life, Catness and Autism, written by T.O. Daria is a great read for anyone interested in autism or animals! It’s 170 plus pages long, encompassing 10 chapters, glossary and bibliogr… -
Purple Man
Once people hear Jonathan has Asperger's Syndrome, and they have some knowledge about Asperger's, they will ask, "What does he perseverate upon?" Many children with Asperger's Syndrome become experts in an area which… -
Making It Through - Finding Humor and Peace
I don’t know how I make it through sometimes. More accurately, I sometimes don’t know if I will make it through. How do any of us? I ask myself that almost each day that I wake to the playful screaming of a self-stimu… -
How to Prepare for Travel with an Autistic Child
For many families with autistic children, the thought of traveling can conjure up anxiety. However, as long as you plan and prepare for your trip very carefully, traveling with your autistic child can be a very r… -
The Earlier The Better When It Comes To Autism Diagnosis
From: Dr. Chun Wong Countless children are sent to the principal’s office or given detention for their poor behavior or lacking social skills. It’s always assumed that these are “problem children” who come from “proble… -
Team Sports & My Aspergers
I never thought I'd be envious of someone with classic autism but now I have read "The Game of My Life" by Jason "J-Mac" McElwain. I am impressed by his ability to be part of a team and to build life-long friendships t… -
My Saving Trait
Anybody ever think they were adopted? Yeah, at one time or another you looked to your left, then to your right and thought, I'm nothing like these people, nothing like them at all. Having 6 sisters and 3 brothers ther… -
Alice Through the Looking Glass: The World and Your Aspie
The other day hubby and I were having a conversation with collegeman. The topic of the conversation is not what is important but what is important is the fact that he did not understand the idioms used in the conversa… -
A Glimpse into Little Bitty's Mind...
Every now and then we get a brief glimpse into what Little Bitty is thinking about. The "inner Bitty," if you will. As I have mentioned before, truly spontaneous speech, unprompted and unscripted, is rare. On the oth… -
Jonny's Beginning
My relationship with my sister in law wasn’t great at first. She was the first to suggest that Jonny may have autism at the age of 2½. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with him, even though looking back; he did… -
Medical Marijuana to treat Austism?
For the record, I'm not sure if treating children with cannabis is acceptable, but as marijuana is widely recognized as the most useful medicinal plant in the entire world, it may be a viable option for adults.----A Rh… -
Better Ways To Defend Autism
I've always tried to be on the mature side, yet sometimes I let my anger get the best out of me. I was outside with my brother (who is diagnosed with autism) and we were were siting on the back of the car, with the gar… -
It Isn't Always Easy
When my mom first showed up, and I wrote that first post, I decided that I wasn’t going to fill every minute of the day trying to find some way to hate her all over again. I didn’t need to find ways, I had enough…and I… -
The Grocery Store Diaries 6
Dirty Looks: three, all in the parking lot on the way home. "You've got your hands full": none that I heard Damage Control: Well, the baby discovered that tic tacs shake better than maracas.... The Grocery store is t… -
Why We Are Invisible
I hope this explanation takes some of the sting out of the way we are treated by others. We are perceived as less than fully human or part of the furniture, if we are noticed at all. We lack something I call "personal… -
Bathtime & Autism
The Lid has just had a bath. Nothing so unusual in that. Apart from this one she managed to have without screaming, at such high velocity she caused my ears to bleed, throughout. In actual fact, she did not scream onc… -
2009 Wore Faith Out, How About You?
#fullpost{display:inline;} I love this photo. Scott moved to our house a few months before we even met. He'd lived in it 18 months before we were married. Being a single, never been married, naval officer nearing… -
You down with IEP?
Hello folks! We've had a crazy week here at Ninja headquarters. We had no school on Tuesday, a half day on Thursday and trying to adjust to Daylight Savings. Okay, I had a hard time adjusting to the time change. Howeve… -
Moments of Celebration and ASD.
We were at Cheesecake Factory celebrating Kyle's 26th birthday. This evening was very much a celebration of Kyle. A few years ago, I may have said this would be impossible for all concerned. A year ago, I may have said… -
Apathy and Asperger's
I have been struggling with the stereotype that all people on the spectrum are emotionless or incapable to expressing emotion. I have to admit that I am often selfish and unaware of many things that go on around me. I… -
Autism Therapy: Dolphin Therapy
I was born in Central Florida. Every time the show “Flipper” came on, I was glued to my TV set. I envied Sandy and Bud as they swam with the dolphin Flipper every day (I caught it every weekday afternoon in syndicati… -
Mainstream Medicine Continues to Debunk Autism-Vaccine Link
Medical news sources continue to debunk any link between autism and vaccines, saying there is good research that has closed the issue. For example, a recent issue of the Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, repo… -
No more resolutions
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey I have been consumed this past month with so many projects in addition to my usual work, once the madness of NaNoWriMo wrapped up: the C… -
You don't have to be a Victim
My adult son, Brandon went out by himself to have some fun over the weekend. He ran into several adults who began to tease and bully him. He has a very hard time expressing himself, and he just stood there frozen a… -
Invisible Autism
Recently I was reading the blog of someone who propounds that Autism is an epidemic. They asked the question, "Where are the adults with Autism?" To which I reply. We are here living amongst you. More of us are in you… -
Did You Ever Wonder?
Have you ever wondered what the non-verbal person with autism is thinking or have you ever been too afraid to talk to the person in the wheelchair because you don’t know what to say? Well I have! But Mr. “blunt” Jonn… -
Parental Styles: PC Run Amok
I have to tell you that I ran into political correctness run amok the other day. It’s as if you can’t tell someone they did something wrong. I post on discussion boards discussing the care and upbringing of children o… -
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo.....determining the Diagnosis
I've heard a lot of you out there talk about how you deal with Alphabet Soup -- kids handed down a variety of acronyms for multiple disorders. Well today, I'd like to introduce you to a new twist on this old favorit… -
How do I prepare for my child's IEP?
Many parents have the same question: “How should I prepare for the IEP process?” This process, requesting, obtaining and implementing an IEP, can intimidate parents. The parents are in a room with so-called “experts”…
autisable
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- Name: autisable
- Member Since: 3/26/2009
Autism Society Group Member
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Recent Weblogs
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To Medicate, or Not to Medicate
This is the question I have been ... -
Releasing the Grip
I am a problem solver. Most people who kn... -
Does Floortime Therapy Work? We're still waiting for the evidence.
I’ve been reading about Floortime/DIR Aut...
