If you spend any time scrolling parent blogs or social media, you’ll inevitably come across anecdotes of toddlers having tantrums over their toast being cut the wrong way or leaving a favorite park. Tantrums are a big burst in anger or frustration in young children. They are typical and expected part of toddler development, and…
Is Teletherapy Right for You? It Was for Our Family!
It all started in March 2020. When the pandemic hit, the Governor issued a stay-at-home order, and what started out as a novelty became the new norm. Being a mom to an adult son with autism, I knew the change was going to affect Eric, but I am forever grateful for the benefits teletherapy continues…
Supporting children with autism in foster care and post-adoption
Supporting children with autism in foster care and post-adoption contexts–on a personal note, I don’t have a child with autism, but this topic holds a most special place for me because two of my own children are adopted. Addressing this topic represents the intersection of my professional and personal heart. Here in North Carolina, there…
Parent to Parent, Part 2: Practical Considerations for End-of-Life Planning
In part one of this two-part series, we addressed the fact that parents and caregivers for loved ones with disabilities such as autism will need to plan in advance for their eventual death to ensure the appropriate steps are taken for their loved one in their absence. In abstract terms, this process includes envisioning the…
Parent to Parent, Part 1: Addressing the Hardest Questions of All
Often, parents and/or caregivers of individuals with autism are told by friends and family how resilient we are. While others may see the daily struggles we face, they are probably not aware of the anxiety we may have when we think of the inevitable: the time when we will no longer be here to care…