It feels like we've been here before. The meltdowns, medicines, medical issues, doctor appointments; they are starting again. It's a familiar sinking feeling I get in my head and gut. This time, at least I know some of the warning signs of the coming storm. I see the look in my son's eyes; a shaking of his head. Quick, get him away from the multitude of public stares. A family member said to me, … [Read more...]
Evolution and Hard Decisions
Parenting is synonymous with change. Our children grow and learn; they achieve and alter. And when they are special needs children, their bodies and abilities are in constant evolution. Change is rarely comfortable. Jesse’s original diagnoses include PDD-NOS, ODD, OCD, and ADHD. Some of those acronyms will change as he grows. Some – if God sees fit – might disappear. New ones could be added. … [Read more...]
God Has Not Wired Us To Quit
It was quiet. Finally. I had no reason to trust that it would last. Max was in his bed, sleeping perhaps, sweat still on his brow. I was sure the house was moving, or maybe I just couldn’t get my sea legs. There is a part of me that goes numb on nights like this, weeks like this one. My tired brain just can’t yawn open wide enough to let it all in. My precious son; he is gentle of … [Read more...]
My perseveration, God’s rescue
What Is It? In an autism household, I get a lot of practice dealing with perseveration. What's that, you ask? Here's the verdict from Mr. Webster: perseveration: "continuation of something (as repetition of a word) usually to an exceptional degree or beyond a desired point". That can look like the endless buttoning and unbuttoning a shirt, repeating a word over and over, requiring an activity … [Read more...]
Paradigm Shift in the ER
Paradigm shift: “A time when the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something changes completely” (The Cambridge English Dictionary). I don’t know about you, but God often shifts my paradigm of disability when I least expect it. It was a Sunday morning. I’d been laid flat with a flu-like virus for four days. I woke up that morning determined to get up and go to church with my … [Read more...]
Are You “Ghosting” Your Child?
"Mom! Mommy! Mama! MAAAAA!" On top of that, it does something terrible to my child. It shouts right back, “You AREN’T important to me.” I am telling my child that her needs aren’t a priority. Her concerns are insignificant. I don’t care. Epiphany My eldest child, now in college, unwittingly brought this to my attention recently. She described what she is learning in one of her communications … [Read more...]