I find it so frustrating when you take the time to build a team of doctors specialists etc and then you have to spend all of your time chasing them. I love the saying “it takes an army” but these days our army is exhausting me. I have spent years researching things that are good/helpful for our children. Each of them have different needs and I find that over the years some work and some don’t. It really is a…
I talk about teams a lot here because it always takes a village to help our children. I have spent some time trying to find the best way to organize everyone who works with our kids and have not found a lot that fits. I have tried to find a good mobile app because then it is always with you and one that could share would be even better. I have found great apps for certain things but not one…
You have read it all. Put your child on a gluten free diet. Take away coloring or sugar or carbs. All of these are well intended options but there is no medical evidence behind them. The real thing we as parents of autistic children that realize is our child normally are picky eaters. This, in my mind means how do we get them to eat – not what they cannot eat. We need to work with their pediatricians. First find…
I have never researched the effects of vaccines on autism primarily because both my children were adopted and my son, who is diagnosed with autism has shown signs in my opinion since he came to live with us at 2 even though he was not diagnosed until 10. So what I am writing about here I understand is confrontational and also could be completely untrue. I am not a doctor but I do want to share what I researched with…
10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Trichotillomania Trichotillomania (TTM) is hair pulling, resulting in hair loss. I pull my hair when I am worried or concentrating. I mostly pull from my head but sometimes I pull from my arms and legs. I have read that TTM affects an estimated one in every 25 people yet struggles with gaining significant awareness. TTM causes a great deal of embarrassment, which makes it difficult for people to come forward. I wear a hat in school…
This topic has been on my mind a lot this week so I wanted to share some scary statistics I learned about with all of you. Researchers found that the percentage of children with autism contemplating or attempting suicide was 28 times greater than that of typical children. They also found that a history of bullying was also very much associated with thoughts of suicide. What’s interesting about this group of findings is that they suggest that the chances for…
Your Food Impacts What you Do We all recognize that the food we eat impacts how our bodies behave. I wrote about coloring impacts on ADHD and how it can make children more hyper. From the beginning one thing my blog has talked about the relationship of food to common disorders that are prevalent today like ADHD, Autism, and Allergies and how we spend more than $80 billion each year to treat neuro-developmental disorders. Diagnoses of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)…
I personally love massages. I try to get a minimum of 2 per month if I can. I am very fortunate living in Delaware and having found an amazing massage company called A Balanced Life Massage. Their massages are so reasonable that I do not feel guilty when I go. As a mother of two children with special needs, I use it to help with my relaxation and to release some of the tension in my body that comes from…
I find as I get older I need to do more and more work for my own heath and my children’s. I am not sure if it is the insurance headaches or the fact that doctors book appointments too close together; but if I don’t come in informed, I typically leave disappointed. You have to be your own advocate and the advocate for your children. It is a tough job; it takes time and it is hard work. Sometimes though…