There is a lot of parenting buzz about letting your kids be bored because only then will they tap into their imaginations and learn to be self-reliant. Childhood boredom can lead to many wonderful things like invented games, improvised plays and backyard expeditions. Then again, many children with special needs need structure. Some get very anxious when they are unsure where to go and what to do. Others...
My child is now on a soccer team. That seems like such a mundane statement, and the driving to and from games and the extra strain to find time to do homework and make dinner is wearing me out. But in the middle of it all I try to take a moment to remember that the fact that she is on a soccer team is not mundane at all – in fact, it is almost miraculous! Doctors told us she might never walk...
As our kids go back to school, I thought I would remind you to look back and appreciate all the struggles and victories you and your special needs child have faced. As I have mentioned, my child was never supposed to walk or talk but she does all that and more. Even if she had never made those strides (pun intended) we would love her and be proud of her, because the end result is not important –...
The search for 9 year-old Mikaela Lynch ended in tragedy when her body was found in a creek near her family’s vacation home in Northern California. Mikaela had autism and tended to wander off. She loved water but was unable to swim. According to The National Autism Association, in cases of children with autism who died after wandering off, accidental drowning was the cause of death for 71%, followed...
Back in 2010 when I first wrote about the Sensitive Santa visiting time at some malls in Southern California, it was a very new idea. I am so happy to report that now these experiences are becoming widely available around the world. Along with Sensory Friendly Films by AMC as well as concerts and plays, individuals with autism can now begin to expand their social experiences in a comfortable setting. Gentle...
Every day of the school year as I crept along in my car in Los Angeles traffic, I passed an elementary school. There were always many children walking with adults, but one boy caught my attention. He was incredibly overweight, and he didn’t walk as much as waddle. His feet barely fit in his sneakers. When I first started seeing him and his mother I got a little judgy – how could his mother let...
