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Thursday, 24 May 2012

Golden Afternoon

James has less than two weeks left of First Grade. His sister's last day of Third Grade is this Friday. I am sad to see another school year / grade level / established set of routines come to an end ...

... but there is also freedom from homework. Oh. Yeah. More Here...
Sunshine and Haircuts

Sometimes I get rainbows with Sammy. It's as if the windows fly open on a warm summer morning by the ocean. The breeze comes in and calms my soul, quiets my mind and helps me to see the flowers that bloom in my life. Flowers like my precious boy, so proud of himself. He cut his hair, all by himself. More Here...
I am Officially a Children's Book Author!

I am VERY, VERY, VERY excited to announce that ON MY WAY TO THE BATH IS OFFICIALLY ON SALE TODAY!!!! (I've been waiting for this day for a year and a half!)

"Oh...wow...another kid's book...great." you think. And I understand your hesitation. After all, who wants to read another crappy kids book. Well, here are just a few of the reviews: More Here...

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

To Medicate, or Not to Medicate

This is the question I have been struggling with for the better part of two years.

When Bianca was diagnosed she was given a primary diagnosis of classic ASD and a secondary diagnosis of ADHD. We knew she was autistic long before her diagnosis and already had her in therapies, the ADHD I never really thought about, but it was not much of a surprise. Bianca was constantly moving. From the time she woke up, until the time she passed out she was on the move. She ran from point A to point B almost all day and she grabbed everything in her reach. Bianca also had a low attention span and wouldn’t sit still at a table when you were trying to teach her something.
More Here...
Releasing the Grip

I am a problem solver. Most people who know me well can attest to this. I see a problem and I become obsessed with finding a solution. It is one of my greatest qualities because it has allowed me to tackle things a lot of people wouldn't be able to face. I work tirelessly, until I find an answer that can bring me peace of mind. I chip away at each possibility: researching, feeling, thinking, asking. Always asking. I intuitively know how to look at something from all angels and the best part is- I can actually put myself in the situation and examine how each solution would make me feel. Only I don't merely imagine how it would make me feel, I take myself there. I actually become completely enveloped in it, as if that path has happened. A lot of people have similar qualities about them, but many who know me would agree that I have a certain intensity and tenacity about my approach that is fairly uncommon. More Here...
Does Floortime Therapy Work? We're still waiting for the evidence.

I’ve been reading about Floortime/DIR Autism Therapy for the last twenty years and have also written about this topic at length before. The theory behind this form of “play” therapy always sounded compelling because it appears to mesh well with a very nurturant style of child-rearing. Unfortunately, during the last two decades, there has been very little in the way of scientific testing to support the purported efficacy of this method. Although there have been many dozens of uncontrolled studies, Floortime Therapy has never been subjected to the rigor of science, much to the frustration of adherents to the scientific method. More Here...
Video: Ethan Plays 'Piano Man'

A video of Ethan, a six-year-old boy with autism, playing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" has become an internet sensation. Now Billy Joel himself has praised Ethan's performance, saying, "I think I like his intro to "Piano Man" better than mine." Watch Ethan play the song below! More Here...

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Book Review: The Optimistic Child

The Optimistic Child: A proven program to safeguard children against depression and build lifelong resilience by Martin E.P. Siligman, Ph.D.,

I’m not here to argue with the premise of this book as that kind of review is available elsewhere. Instead, I’m going to attempt to see whether the strategies contained within this book might be applicable to children such as ours. More Here...
Autism Light: Kathy Medina

Kathy Medina is from Clovis, California. She and her husband Glenn have three children, including a son with autism named Zack. Kathy was a Life Insurance Agent for 15 years with American United Life, and left that position in order to be able to home school her son Zack. She is the author of the book Finding God in Autism and has developed a fantastic website that compliments the book and offers around the clock spiritual encouragement to families living with autism. Kathy Medina is an Autism Light because of the lives that she has touched with spiritual encouragement in the face of autism through her writing and website.

More Here...
Court Declares a Vaccine Caused Autism in 1 Case

An Italian judge has sided with the parents in a case where the MMR vaccine stood trial for causing autism and 100 percent disability in a child. Apparently the child became sick the same day as taking the vaccine and never recovered.

The U.S. news media has failed to pick up on this news, while the Italian newspaper scolded the judge for encouraging measles epidemics. More Here...