Read below for a guest post from Joan Hartley. It was a simply beautiful, sunny day in May. My husband and I were enjoying a brief respite from the cares of the world in a picnic shelter overlooking our town’s river. Just a couple weeks prior, our daughter had called us while we were on a spring boating adventure with friends. “The doctor thinks he might have Williams syndrome,” she had … [Read more...]
Fierce Trust
Do you ever wonder if you’re selling your kid short? Even though my son isn’t exactly a “kid” anymore—he’s 29-years-old—I sometimes tend to shortchange him when it comes to my expectations of his capabilities. It’s hard to tell with autism exactly what your child knows or doesn’t know. Especially when he or she doesn't have a lot of language. Even though Joel has moderate cognitive … [Read more...]
Spinning Out of Control?
Are you spinning out of control? The bills are piling up. The IEP meetings are so stressful. My child’s behaviors are getting more severe. You haven’t gone out to dinner in forever. You worry about the future of your child. Your marriage is struggling. We have to go to so many different doctor appointments. You are struggling with your job or you are … [Read more...]
When God Provides
Living with a child with special needs often means also living with expenses that you didn't plan for when you first began your family. A lot of services may be covered by insurance or through the state's government program like Medicaid. But not all services are easily accessible, if at all. What are parents supposed to do when there is a therapy treatment available that they know would help … [Read more...]
Spiritual Decluttering of the Special Needs Kind
For the past two months, I've been a woman possessed. A woman possessed by a mission to declutter every closet, cupboard, drawer, display case, basement storage cubby, and attic shelf in the roomy old farmhouse that's been our home since 1991. Why? Because if I declutter now, our anticipated move to be closer to our kids in four years when my husband retires will be much, much easier. By … [Read more...]
Rollercoaster Rides – Who Do You Hold Onto?
My son has loved rollercoasters for years. He loves to build them, loves to figure out the measurements, loves to create twists and turns, and loves to see the finished product. He is 12 now and has done this since he was about 2 or 3. He loves to create new ones over and over again. Often times our lives as special needs parents are like rollercoasters. There are ups and downs. Sometimes we can … [Read more...]