Every parent knows the fight. Autism parent. It starts as soon as the children wake – if they slept – and it continues until the moment you collapse on the sofa, breathing a sigh of relief. It’s “Please eat some breakfast!” and “Where are your shoes?” and “No, don’t push your sister!” It’s remembering the… Read More
I am afraid it is going to be a very quick one today. I have lots of news with Biggest’s Child Development Review arriving last week, but as I type this I have to leave for London in about two hours and I haven’t started packing yet! I am off to Blogfest 2016 with Mumsnet… Read More
Gorgeous boy, you don’t yet understand stereotypes. But people are already judging you by them, stereotypes like these – People with autism have limited imaginations. Autistic children do not play and pretend like others their age. They are trapped in a literal world where the nuances of fantasy and imagery escape them. People with autism… Read More
A post in support of the Changing Places Campaign. My son is above average size. The last time we took him to be measured he was on the 90th percentile for weight and height. At four years of age, he is too hard to lift for more than a few minutes. And he still wears… Read More
On the 26th of October, I received this comment on one of my blog posts: As I am sure many of my blogging colleagues, and, in fact, anyone with a social media account can understand, seeing an unexpectedly cruel and pejorative comment from an anonymous internet commenter can knock you for six. It did me.… Read More
Buying gifts for autistic children can be quite a difficult task, particularly if you are a family member that doesn’t see the child every day. Biggest recently celebrated his fourth birthday and we knew right away that traditional presents may not be the right choices. Children on the autism spectrum differ greatly, and so generalising… Read More
Hello, and welcome to another Spectrum Sunday – the linky for all autism, special needs and disability posts. I am linking two posts this week. The first has a slightly misleading title – Autism? More like bad parenting – but is actually a call for people to show less judgement and more compassion. My second… Read More
I am a good parent. There, I said it. Sometimes, admitting that you are actually doing a good job can be as hard as admitting you need help. Don’t get me wrong – I am not perfect. I have felt so exhausted that I have given in and handed over that cake, or turned on… Read More
In just under a year, you will go to school. Three hundred and fifty-eight days. Eight thousand, five hundred and ninety-two hours. But right now you are huddled on my lap, legs horizontal across mine, head buried in my chest. I can see a drop of wetness glistening on your collarbone, catching the morning light.… Read More
Our son was recently granted the mid-rate of disability living allowance. We have known that he qualifies for it for some time and yet when it came to applying for it…. we delayed. Not because we thought he didn’t meet the criteria but because we didn’t need the money while I was at work and,… Read More
When was the last time that you felt truly overwhelmed by an emotion? Fear? Sorrow? Anger? Confusion? When was the last time you felt like there was honestly no one to turn to, no way to make it better, no path back to a place where life made sense and the world kept turning? For… Read More
To most parents, the words tantrum and meltdown are interchangeable – a way to describe a frustrated and uncontrollable child – the name for those moments when strangers stare and you wish you could shrink into yourself. Every parent knows them. To the parents of autistic children, and parents of children with sensory processing issues,… Read More