Vacationing with children on the autism spectrum can be an overwhelming and unpredictable experience. Fortunately, several vacation destinations are now getting Certified Autism Accreditation to help make it possible for those families of autistic kids to enjoy their vacations too!
Amy shares what families of children impacted by developmental disabilities, such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, wish their friends and families knew. Continue reading Podcast 23: What Parent’s of Children With Special Needs Wish You Knew
Amy shares her guest appearance on the podcast “Thriving in the Midst of Chaos” where she talks with host Jessica Temple about the importance of building a support system and how to make it happen.Continue reading Podcast 24: Guest Appearance on “Thriving the Midst of Chaos” with Jessica Temple
In my guest appearance on the podcast “Thriving in the Midst of Chaos” I talk with host Jessica Temple about how to make your family thrive when you are parenting a child with Autism or ADHD.Continue reading Guest Appearance on “Thriving in the Midst of Chaos” with Jessica Temple
Amy shares a personal experience that illustrates how even though autism is hard, loving your child is easy.Continue reading A Positive Mindset Isn’t an Option
The world of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses a large list of diagnosis-specific vocabulary. Often this jargon can be confusing to those who may not know much about ASD. Understanding these words might help you better comprehend how this condition impacts loved ones on the spectrum and provide insight into their unique needs.
Amy shares how she is learning to let go, a little, to allow her son to build his functional independence.Continue reading Letting Go: A Little
Amy shares a letter of gratitude to all of the people who are part of her son’s support system.Continue reading My Son is Going to Kindergarten! A Letter of Gratitude
For most families who have children with autism, meltdowns are a part of life. Often triggered by communication difficulties, overwhelming sensory input, changes in routine, or anxiety, meltdowns are not the same thing as tantrums.
Amy shares how she prepares her son who has ADHD and Autism for the Holidays by year-round exposure.Continue reading Preparing Children with Autism for the Holidays
Learn how you can increase compliance with your child by creating an environment where doing what you ask of them is more fun than anything else they could be doing.Continue reading Being Fun Will INcrease Compliance in Children with Autism
Today I had to drop my vehicle off for maintenance. While my car was at the dealership, I headed to a nearby shopping plaza for lunch. Walking through a parking lot, I saw two cars speed through stop signs. Then on the way home, I witnessed two drivers run red lights. That was four peopleContinue reading Autism and Rules: A Hand in Hand pair
If you want your child to develop better communication skills, try drawing simple pictures on napkins and placing them in their lunchbox each day. Then when you pick up the child at school ask them what was on that napkin!Continue reading Using Simple Drawings to Increase Communication in Children with Autism
Amy shares how her family has gone from struggling to have a social life to now adapting to a social life that works for them. Maybe her tips will help your family, too!Continue reading How to Have a Social Life When You Have a Child on the Autism Spectrum
I am honored to have the Big Abilities blog now featured on Feedspot and on their Top 50 Autism blogs list. Reaching families that have children with developmental disabilities such as autism is our number one goal. Partnering with Feedspot will help us do just that!
Children with developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, often struggle to comply with the many requests of parents and educators. This can make everyday life frustrating for all involved. Thankfully there are simple strategies that will significantly improve a child’s ability and willingness to comply so everyone has more peace in their lives.
Learn how to effectively use choices to encourage compliance and increase independence in children with special needs!Continue reading How Choices Can Increase Compliance
My 4-year-old son is on the autism spectrum. I write about autism a lot! I usually keep my pieces uplifting, resourceful, and strategy-based. But not this one.
Amy shares a summary of the Mississippi Center for Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities’ annual fundraising event.Continue reading Mississippi Center for Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities 2019 Annual Fund Raising Event
Flying on an airplane can be an overwhelming experience for children on the autism spectrum. Hopefully this video can help your child have a successful flight!Continue reading Barclay Flies in an Airplane
Minimizing autism strips away the hard work that a person with autism must go through on a daily basis.Continue reading Please Don’t Minimize My Son’s Autism
Most people with autism have a hard time just getting their thoughts out in an understandable manner. But my son has learned to script and that skill helps him communicate better than anyone would expect.Continue reading Scripting is My Son’s Super Power
Until you really NEED your insurance, it’s just kind of there. For the last several years of my adult life my insurance was just kind of simmering on the back burner. I neither loathed it or appreciated it very much. Now, as a mother of a child with autism, I do both.Continue reading To My New Insurance Company From a Mother of a Son with Autism
Amy share some practical tips in how to have a successful and stress-free birthday party for a child with autism.Continue reading How to Have a Successful Birthday Party for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
In this episode, Amy interviews Bobbi Barber, co-founder of ABC for Autism and author of the book Autism, Adolescence and Adulthood about the red flags of autism, why a diagnosis is so important and what course of action to take if your child does receive an autism diagnosis.Continue reading Podcast 07: Red Flags of Autism with Bobbi Barber
Amy shares how her fears of taking a recent family trip were eased when things went better than she expected.Continue reading Why Vacations and Time Spent With Family is So Important for Families of Children with Autism
Amy shares her attempt at trying to explain what autism is like from her son’s perspective.Continue reading My Autism Story
I jotted down on a piece of paper several odd behaviors I recently noticed in my autistic three-and-a-half-year-old son. At first glance, these behaviors didn’t seem related. He never seemed hungry, thirsty, or sleepy. He was often under-responsive to pain or physical touch and overly responsive to the temperature in food and beverages. He alsoContinue reading Interoception: The Eighth Sense and Autism
Amy shares how a holiday meltdown turned into a holiday miracle.Continue reading A Christmas Meltdown Turns Into Christmas Miracle
Amy shares a letter she wrote to thank the center where her son attends Applied Behavior Analysis therapy in hopes that parents of children with ASD will be more open to considering ABA therapy for their child.Continue reading A Letter of Thanks to My Son’s Autism Center
Big Abilities 