I have neglected the forums with everything I have going on in my personal life.  However,  I mean to change this. We have 200+ members and I want to really focus on building this forum because I believe we can make a difference in each others lives. I think that it's important to have a place to go and talk with others in a similar situation. I like the idea that it's private and bully free. Starting tomorrow,  Friday,  June 1st, I will be hosting Forum Friday.  Every Friday,  we will have special topic that either I come up with or you suggest. All day long we will be exchanging our thoughts, opinions,  feelings and experiences on the special topic of the day. The topic for today will be,  #Autism…

I don't make it a habit of judging people because I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that.  However,  I simply can't take it anymore. This is a general rant and is not directed at any one person in particular. Forgive me if I offend you. I am saying this not only as a parent but as a former firefighter and paramedic.  Please,  put your kids in a friggin carseat. There is absolutely no excuse not to.  When you leave the hospital after your child is born they ask you if you need a carseat.  You could have said yes and it would have been free.  I don't want to hear you can't afford one. There are organizations in your community that will provide you…

This may seem like an ordinary door.  However,  this door is very special to me.  In a matter of minutes,  my sweet little Elliott Richard will appear in the window and wave to me as he waiting to be dismissed. I love this door because,  every weekday,  without fail,  it delivers my first born to me and I'm always so excited to see him.  It used to deliver both Elliott and Gavin but Gavin is at home now.  Hopefully next year,  Gavin will be able to walk through this door at the end of the day once again.  :-)

When you're a parent to an #Autistic child you may find yourself dealing with repetitive questions from your child. For those who aren't familiar with the joys of repetitive question asking,  let me explain. Repetitive question asking is when a person asks the very same question,  over and over again. In my son Gavin case,  sometimes it will be the exact same question over and over again or other times he'll ask the same question over and over but in different ways. Aside from literally driving me crazy,  there is another problem that I have found when trying to curb the repetitive questioning. When Gavin constantly repeating himself,  after awhile I came no longer ignore it.  I have to correct the behavior before I lose my mind. I remind him…

There is so much misconception in the world about #Autism.  There is an assumption that kids in the spectrum are somehow less intelligent than their typical peers.  This however,  couldn't be farther from the truth. Kids on the #Autism spectrum are among the smartest there are. What I think happens is that people make assumptions based on a child's behavior or ability to talk. That is a horrible mistake. While it's true that kids with #Autism can be challenging, present with major behavioral problems or maybe not be able to speak,  that it not a reflection of who they are on the inside. My kids,  while extremely challenging,  are both super smart and very creative. Today I want to share Emmett’s latest creation.  I can't remember what these blocks are…

I realized something today.  I've been a parent for far too long because I'm going around the house singing the theme songs to the kids favorite cartoons. Today,  I have been singing the theme to Phineas and Ferb. Actually,  to be more specific,  it's Perry the Platypus's entrance song. Do you ever find yourself singing or humming the songs to your kids favorite cartoons?

As the school year winds down,  the anxiety is increasing.  I don't don't mean my anxiety from knowing the kids will be home 24/7 either.  The kids are actually very anxious for the end of the school year. If you think about it,  when we were kids,  we became anxious for the end of the school year as well. Imagine how much more challenging that anxiety and anticipation is for a child on the spectrum. If your kids are anything like mine, life is much more challenging as summer break approaches. As an adult and parent,  I now see the value of year round school.  As a kid, I hated the idea but I can see the benefits of that schedule for my kids. Funny how time changes perspective. How…