World Autism Day

By Sandy on April 2, 2012

Have you heard? It’s World Autism Day. For those of us living with a child on the spectrum, every day is Autism day. It affects our world, all the time.

For everybody else, today is a day to stop and take notice; to be aware Autism exists, to understand the incidence of Autism is on the rise.

The latest statistics from the Center for Disease Control are that Autism affects 1 in 88. Think about that. Most likely that means you know of someone who has a child or a sibling or a relative or a neighbor with Autism. So, you are aware of Autism. I think most of the world knows Autism exists.

If They Only Knew

By Sandy on March 30, 2012

Parents of children with challenges have it rough. The road we walk isn’t pretty. Yet, it’s a road we find ourselves on, without choice. Others looking in, see the struggle, feel the anguish and may think they understand the pain.

But, unless you walk in these shoes, I don’t know if it’s possible. I hope to share a little. I hope to open some eyes. I hope to open some doors. With permission, it is my desire to sit with these saints, these mothers and fathers who are daily warring for their children and to talk with them.

Skweezers

By Sandy on March 28, 2012

A friend just sent a link to an amazing product. The instant I clicked on the website I knew right away, Josiah was getting some Skweezers.

Skweezers are sheets made of lycra. According to the website, ‘Skweezers’ are great for children who need to relax and calm down at bed time. They work especially well for kids with Autism, PDD, Aspergers, ADD/ADHD, and other neurological disorders. Some of the therapeutic benefits include spatial awareness and deep-pressure input. Some autistic children seek deep-pressure sensory stimulation and need deep pressure to soothe an over-stimulated, disorganized nervous system. This sheet can help children relax faster.

If Only

By Sandy on March 27, 2012

You’ve gotta just love Jesse, Chandler and Josiah’s pediatrician. We’ve known him for many years. He is so great with the kids. He is very kind and gentle. He makes sure each child knows he is there for him/her and addresses them, not the parents when asking how they are feeling.

He’s also very funny. He makes the kids laugh. He makes me laugh.

Yesterday, I asked him if he had a ‘Frequent Visitor’ card. I felt sure we would be eligible for a prize by now. Without skipping a beat, he said, “Oh you are. You get FREE medical attention for 4 years and your own parking space out front”. He heard me mumbling about Bora Bora. He quickly added . . . “AND a cruise for 7”, as I interjected, “for 2“.

Fly on the Wall

By Sandy on March 26, 2012

If you were a fly on the wall in my house today, you would notice a very tired mom. Here’s why. Chandler woke up well after midnight last night, in horrific pain. Her ear was throbbing. She was crying. She couldn’t sleep. I gave her Motrin and a warm compress for her ear. I sat on the couch with her, rubbing her head and scratching her back til she fell asleep, around 2 am.

Josiah was up, full of energy, bouncing around us as we sat on the couch, until almost 1 am. He fell asleep at 1:30. I carried him to his room and plopped him in his tent. As soon as Chandler nodded off, I covered her with a blanket, left her sleeping soundly on the couch and went to bed myself.