So this article popped up on Facebook the other day. What a great breakdown of what actually makes up “The Spectrum”. I couldn’t figure out how to just post the link, so I copied and pasted and edited the advertisements notations out. You can see the full color version with ads if you go to… Continue reading PDD/Asperger’s/Autism/The Spectrum
Perseverance is Her Greatest Strength
I’m back! I have been offline for a brief hiatus. I didn’t go anywhere, I didn’t do anything special, I simply wasn’t motivated to write. I thought about this blog most everyday and I have lots of thoughts and ideas, but I just couldn’t get myself to sit down and start. What I was motivated… Continue reading Perseverance is Her Greatest Strength
Middle School
Unfortunately where we live, Middle School starts in 6th grade. What happened to the good ‘ol days when Junior High School was that brief 2 year transition (7th and 8th grades) from elementary to high school??! To be honest the only thing I remember of Jessica’s 6th grade experience was the annual 504 meeting in… Continue reading Middle School
Life Goes On
So I moved out and my kids stayed at their school and their dad stayed at the house they had lived in for the past 4 years. A 504 plan was put in place and we struggled through 4th and 5th grade. After the Trichotillomania was diagnosed, we went to a psychiatrist and Jessica started… Continue reading Life Goes On
Divorce SUCKS!
Divorce is never something we go into marriage thinking about the first time around. We are young 20’s, thinking we know everything about relationships and ourselves and really, we know nothing. Our lives have barely gotten started. All we know is the moment in front of us. I am so reminded by this as my… Continue reading Divorce SUCKS!
And Her World Comes Tumbling Down…
Just days before 4th grade started, I had the unpleasant task of telling my children that their dad and I were getting divorced. I will say that I think I did a good job delivering the message and making sure they understood as best they could what that meant. But this wasn’t an immediate change… Continue reading And Her World Comes Tumbling Down…
Let the Testing Begin!
Thankfully Jessica had a very understanding 4th grade teacher who took my very assertive request straight to the Principal. I don’t remember how long it took for the evaluation to be completed, but it was. Jessica was 9 years old at the time and like I had mentioned before, her overall academics were not behind… Continue reading Let the Testing Begin!
Know Your Rights (part 2)
I am convinced that schools do not offer information regarding the testing and evaluations that are possible until they absolutely have to. For most parents, if your child is struggling, you don’t know any better than to just follow the process that the school leads you down. You will have at least (sometimes more) two… Continue reading Know Your Rights (part 2)
Symptom
I saw this word and thought how appropriate, especially since I just finished looking at Autism in Our Nest blog and there were all kinds of Autism Awareness snippets with symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. My work life deals with symptoms everyday. I assess symptoms, I teach strategies to reduce symptoms, I diagnose mental health… Continue reading Symptom
Being Jessica's Mom: Growing up on the Autistic Spectrum 