I was tipped off to a very fun website: Make Beliefs Comix. Another homeschooling mom reports using the site to teach her autisitic children social skills. Here’s my first attempt at really poor humor in a do-it-yourself comic.

What a cute, interesting way to teach social and behavioral lessons, as well as lighten up anyone’s day! The strips printed, or links to them online can be emailed to friends.

Bill... more

A horrendous news story out of Albany, NY yesterday: A 13-year-old severely autistic boy died while being transported from his state-run developmental center. The same boy was the subject of an abuse investigation at another state-run school facility in 2004. Jonathan Carey died after being improperly restrained by two workers in a van Thursday night.

Here’s the tragic part:

The two men drove around for 1 1/2 hours after the boy stopped breathing said Colonie Police Chief Steven Heider in an afternoon press conference. They went to a Hess... more

Research and Networking: Tell someone, tell everyone

Here’s a secret, when it comes to your special needs child, people want to help you.

Out there living in the new school district is someone who’s parenting a child with needs similar to your child’s. That person has already been through the hoops and knows the information you’re looking for. They have the right contacts and understand the local school system.

This person wants to help you find services and support for your child.

Why? Because at some point they were sitting in the same hot seat, wondering what to do and wishing someone would help them. That or they had help or information... more

Research and Networking: Finding local resources

Next do an online search for parent groups. See if there is a family or parent resource network in the area. If so give them a call.

If not, search for one that is in a nearby town. They’ll more than likely have information on who you should contact for your area.

Once you have the right groups, call and tell them about your child. Ask them specifically about schools in the area, other resource groups, and other parents parenting a child with needs similar to your own. Find out what they have to offer. Many times these groups offer support during IEP or 504 plan meetings.

If they offer that,... more

Feeling way out of my league biochemically, I waded in the research on why some doctors are prescribing Actos, a popular medication for treating Type II diabetes, to patients with autoimmune disorders. And ultimately, why our DAN! Doctor prescribed this for LuLu (and why we are seeing improvements.)

If you understand the rest of this blog, it means I’ve figured it out…or at least partially.

DAN! Doctors operate from the theory that autism (and other neurologically-based disorders – like ADHD, and perhaps Tourettes and Bipolar) are greatly... more

Research and Networking: Finding school information

Finding information about a school, its district boundaries and overall scores can be as easy as an internet search. Many school districts have their own web sites with helpful information. The ones I’ve looked at link to individual school sites as well. There was a multitude of information on school rules, dress code policy, bell schedules, after school clubs and extracurricular activities.

What there wasn’t much of was information on special education services. Of all the schools and districts I researched, only one listed its pride in meeting the needs of special kids and being pro-active on their behalf.... more

The things that don’t change

Your child’s entire world is going to change. Their town, school, friends, and house will all be different. However there are some things that won’t change.

Your child’s school records, assessments, diagnoses and need for special education will remain the same. You should have a copy of everything kept neatly in a binder and be able to provide copies as needed.

If you don’t have all the information, gather up what you can and start a binder. Also, call the school and ask for a copy of everything they have on file for your child. Do the same with the child’s doctors. (I will post at a later about keeping a binder for each... more

First ditch the guilt and fear

If you’re anything like me, you have some guilt and fear about uprooting your special needs child and replanting them.

My oldest son has high-functioning autism. Translated this means change is incredibly difficult for him. It can be almost paralyzing. Jay can shut down for months until he processes his new environment and becomes comfortable with it. Typically his shutdown behavior manifests itself the strongest at school.

My guilt revolved around forcing change onto Jay. I knew how it could affect him and spent many nights mentally obsessing over potential calamities instead of sleeping. My husband, Jimmy, and I wrote... more

Five…I’d say that’s the number of times I’ve watched the Oprah show in the last 3-4 months. So, I’m not a huge fan. I do sometimes tune in, though, if homeschool is over and I need a break in the afternoon. Or usually I catch it on at some doctor’s office as we’re waiting for an appointment.

On Friday, for some strange reason, I was watching it while working on a craft project in my basement. The topic was Little Geniuses. It was amazing to watch all that talent. But then…the story switched to a high school senior with... more

Moving with a special needs child is more complicated than moving with other school-aged children. Sure some of the challenges are the same. The kids will attend a new school and have new teachers. You’ll hope the kids make new friends easily and pray everyone will be settled soon with a minimum of turbulence.

With a special needs child you still think about all of those things, but there are extra layers of concern. Will your child’s IEP (Individual Education Plan) or 504 plan transfer? Will you find a great school district that’s proactive and supportive for your child? Is there a specialized doctor in the new city that is as great as the one your child sees now? Are there support... more