Florida offers its residents hundreds of miles of warm sandy beaches, an abundance of oceans, lakes, and swimming pools to keep cool and thrilling theme parks. But there is a tradeoff to this lush, tropical paradise—hurricanes. And while hurricanes are stressful for anyone living within the cone of trajectory, for individuals with autism, the disruptionsContinue reading How Bendy Helped My Autistic Son Cope With Hurricane Ian
Barclay has been watching YouTubers for years, so when he asked me to help him record his first video, I was happy to help. While we have lots to learn about quality, I’m confident we will get here in time. Barclay wants all children with autism to know they can do ANYTHING!
Ever since my seven-year-old autistic son, Barclay, was able to stand on a chair and reach the counter, I’ve had him in the kitchen with me. He loves to collect the tools needed for whatever dish we are whipping up. He then selects the ingredients and places them on the counter in the order inContinue reading Lessons Learned From Making Red Velvet Cake
Even though I haven’t crossed the threshold from parent to grandparent, I’ve heard it’s one of the most rewarding roles in a person’s life. But if you are the grandparent of a child with autism spectrum disorder, your role, although equally rewarding, comes with a unique set of challenges. Challenges that you probably haven’t experienced.Continue reading 5 Tips for Grandparents of Autistic Children
A few weeks ago, my husband and our 6 1/2-year-old autistic son visited our oldest daughter and her husband for an annual family get-together. They don’t have children, which means they also don’t have a verbal filter. Do you get where this is going?Continue reading Be Careful What You Reinforce: You Just Might Get It
Every family has its own set of challenges, particularly for families impacted by exceptional needs. But experiencing joy shouldn’t be one of them. Continue reading Unlocking the Joy Within Your Exceptional Needs Family
Vacationing with an autistic child can be incredibly challenging, but focusing on what happens before, during, and after your vacation can ensure everyone has a good time. The following tips will help!
Moving to a new home can be stressful. Find out how you can make things easier for your autistic child by following these five tips by guest post author, Tilda Moore.Continue reading Five Tips For Moving With Your Child on the Autism Spectrum Guest Post by Tilda Moore
My youngest daughter and I recently attended a disability conference. Seeing her interact with the families of disabled children, as well as disabled youth really showed me the empathy and compassion she’s gained by having a sibling with special needs.Continue reading Having a Sibling With a Disability Changes You – For the Better
In this episode, I have a conversation with Meegan Winters. CEO and Co-Founder of Able Eyes, a virtual platform that offers people with disabilities access to virtual tours, of businesses, video modeling “How-To’s”, and social stories. Continue reading Pod 37: Meegan Winters of Able Eyes
I typically write about our family’s experiences in raising a child with developmental disabilities, but not always. I wrote this piece months ago when my youngest daughter was struggling. She’s overcome so much in a short time. I am so proud of her! It is my desire that this message can give you hope if you have a child struggling to find their way. And to tell you this, never give up!Continue reading The Prodigal Daughter
Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder means that if you have other children, they are likely to get less of your time. While that often makes parents feel guilty, it’s an unfortunate reality. However, your other kids need to know that while they may not get an equal share of your time, they have an equal share of your love!Continue reading To My Other Kids Not On The Autism Spectrum
I raised girls for more than a decade before I became the mother of a son. When I was pregnant with my first son I was worried I wouldn’t know how to be a good boy mom. Now I have two sons and I realize, all I needed was love. They’d teach me everything else I needed to know!Continue reading The Bathroom Always Smells Like Pee and Other Joys of Raising Boys
In this episode, I dive into why it is important for families of children with exceptional needs to spend quality time with their other children.Continue reading Podcast 19: Your Other Kids
Amy talks with Bethanne Weiss, author of Move Your Assets From the Chair Not the Bank, about the importance of self care for parents of special needs children.Continue reading Pod 09: Self Care for Parents of Children with Exceptional Needs with Bethanne Weiss
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
Every parent of a special needs child dreams about the future. What happens when your son or daughter turns 18? Who will take care of them? How will they live independently? Learn more from attorney Danielle Faller.Continue reading Pod 06: Planning for Your Special Needs Child’s Future, with Elder Law Attorney, Danielle Faller
In this episode, I share what it’s like to have a child with developmental disabilities who has ADHD or Autism. You more than likely will need to redefine normal for your family in order to accommodate them and be the best parent you can be! how having a child with a developmental disability, such as ADHD or Autism, means that you more than likely will have to redefine what normal looks like for your family.Continue reading Pod 04: Defining Your New Norm
Using real-world examples, I share tips on how to prepare for a family outing with a child who has ADHD or ASD.Continue reading Planning and Preparing for Excursions
There are many things you can do to support your loved ones who have a disabled child. Here is what parents wish others knew when their child was first diagnosed with special needs.Continue reading What Parents of Children with Special Needs Wish You Knew
A typical evening routine for my son involves an hour of roughhousing and several laps around the background. This is not your average evening routine, but parenting a child with exceptional needs is far from average!Continue reading Sixty to Zero: Our Unique Bedtime Routine
Big Abilities 