Posts tagged spirit of autism
When Connections Are Made
Mar 6th
One of the most perplexing characteristics of Autism that manifests in my son is his lack of ability to put together cause-and-effect connections. Because he is so ridiculously brilliant and advanced academically, it is easy for me to overlook typical actions such as burning his hand on the stove and then touching it again without pause, or messing with the dogs, getting snapped at (or even bit), and then repeating the behavior minutes later. He is perpetually surprised by a repeat consequence and often has no idea that he caused it.
Here is a normal evening scene in my house: I’m More >
Product Review Part II: Step Ahead of Autism
Feb 19th
Click Image to Order from Amazon
After reading Step Ahead of Autism by Anne Moore Burnett, I felt that the stories and tools provided were so thorough and practical that I had to break up my review into two segments.
This is Part II of my review.
Steps Six through EightIn each step Anne shares a part of her story and then turns her experience into practical tips and exercises for us to practice immediately.
Step six is ADVOCATE. Here is where we journey with Anne into her first IEP meeting experience, which wasn’t smooth by any means. She openly and courageously shared how she was More >
It’s My Birthday!
Jan 26th
It‘s my Birthday!!
And guess what…
today I’m giving YOU the gift!
In celebration of turning… um… 21+ and the upcoming release of my new eBook, 30 Ways to Get Your Child with Autism to Go To Sleep, I’m giving you a F.REE copy of my mini-book!
Click the photo to download Aut-spirations, a collection of inspiring thoughts, quotes, tips, and perspectives from Spirit of Autism’s Debi Taylor. It’s guaranteed to uplift you about parenting a special needs child.
Full of little nuggets and observations, you’ll find sections on:
Gratitude…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Wisdom ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Tips…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Inspiration ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14 Humor……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17 Perspective ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..21
Enjoy this gift, and please feel free to pass it on More >
You’ve Heard of Gluten Free for Autism, but What the Heck is Casein?
Jan 19th
Many children on the Autism Spectrum have benefited greatly from a gluten free diet. Gluten and gluten-like proteins are found in wheat and other grains as well as foods made from those grains. They are also found in food starches, semolina, couscous, malt, some vinegars, soy sauce, flavorings, and artificial colors.
What is Casein?
Casein (from the Latin word for cheese) is a protein found in milk and dairy products. Four types of casein protein make up about 80% of all proteins in cow’s milk.
Casein can be broken down into casomorphin, a peptide fragment with opiate qualities, which may increase the release More >
Is Your Child With Autism Oversensitive to Touch?
Sep 20th
Many children on the Autism Spectrum experience Sensory Processing issues. The best way to describe SPD is from Wikipedia: a neurological disorder causing difficulties with taking in, processing and responding to sensory information about the environment and from within the own body (visual, auditory, tactile, olfaction, gustatory, vestibular and proprioception).
Being oversensitive to touch is a tactile disorder – specifically dealing with input from touch, pressure, temperature, and pain receptors.
Although my son can simultaneously exhibit over- and under sensitivity to all things regarding touch (example: laying a hand on his shoulder to comfort him will cause him to recoil in pain, yet More >
Autism + Puberty = Oh, Crap!
Sep 1st
We’ve been in a great rhythm for a while now, and it’s been glorious. Rituals and routines: check. Handy sensory tools to take to outings: check. Restricted diet: check. Digestive enzymes: check. Pre-meltdown signs identified and used to head him off at the pass: check.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the pants my 9 year-old son was wearing just a few days earlier were suddenly three inches too short. Did I use the wrong drier setting…? Then I saw acne. Then peach fuzz above his lip.
“Honey? Your voice sounds funny – are you coming More >
Bad Behavior or Shedding Old Skin?
Jul 14th
Have you experienced some exciting, big changes in your child with Autism after an intensive therapy program? Did you find that shortly after you noticed great progress you were also witnessing some less than desirable behaviors?
When you start to “retrain” the brain, It’s like peeling layers of an onion and getting your child closer to their true self. Being previously veiled by sensory overload and expending most of their energy simply trying to navigate through day-to-day experiences, your child is most likely now starting to take interest in people rather than objects, become curious, and feel many emotions for the More >
How to Celebrate the Child You Have
Jul 7th
“Motherhood (and Fatherhood) is about raising – and celebrating – the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It’s about understanding that s/he is exactly the person s/he is supposed to be. And that, if you’re lucky, s/he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.” ~The Water Giver*
I saw this posted on the Facebook page of one of my favorite mentors, Janice Masters, and it inspired me to delve a bit further
and reflect on the quote as it relates to my own life.
After experiencing your child’s More >
Are You Addicted to the Struggle?
Jun 22nd
This is a little different than my normal posts… I’m going to be really transparent today. I seem to be stuck in overwhelm and exhaustion. Again. It made me start to wonder… am I addicted to struggle? In my mind, is there something noble about life being hard? Does it make me think I’m a better person when people constantly exclaim, “I don’t know how you do it all!” What exactly does this perpetuate for me?
The struggle.
I hang on to self-talk phrases such as “It’s so hard being a single parent!”, “I have to work multiple jobs just to make More >
