Have a safe and wonder holiday! Remember, many children and adults with special needs may have sensory issues that inhibit their ability to take part in the festivities. With that in mind, please be sensitive when it comes to triggers such as:
1. Fireworks
2. Heat
3. Crowds
4. New, unfamiliar settings
5. Changes in routine
6. Food preferences
Check out the new blog site IheartMatka (matkalife.wordpress.com), created for women who are mommying children with special needs. Have questions, comments or blog ideas? Email them to iheartmatka@gmail.com. All moms are special, but mothers of children with special needs ROCK!
All moms are awesome...but I just wanted to celebrate those of us who parent children with special needs. Our lives are never dull and we have to be ready for whatever whenever, literally changing into super woman ( Autism Mom is my personal alter-ego)at the drop of a dime! So to all moms of children who have special needs, you ROCK!
The stories shared about parents of children with disabilities are often grim, heartbreaking, sorrowful and a dozen other negative adjectives. True, life can be difficult when a child has special needs but it can also be extremely rewarding. We need to share more of our positive stories so that other parents know that it's going to be okay. There is light at the end of the tunnel even if we don't always see it.
When I tell people that both of my sons have autism, I usually hear the same sympathetic phrase uttered: "Oh I'm so sorry. " I used to smile politely, knowing that they meant well but one day I realized that I was contributing to negative perceptions by not responding.
So now when people say how sorry they are that my sons have autism, I tell them "There's nothing to be sorry about." I share with them how amazingly well my kids are doing and how proud I am of their accomplishments.
Even if my boys have setbacks or bad days, so do "typically" developing kids. It's a normal part of childhood. I want people to walk away with a sense that having a child with a disability is NOT a tragedy.
#children #disabilities #parenting #perspective
Are we accommodating our children who have special needs or are we merely spoiling them? I don't have a clear answer for this. All I know is that I do what I have to do in order to get through the day. If my son is having a tantrum/meltdown in public and I can calm him quickly by getting him a drink or snack or whatever--sorry, but I'm doing it! It may not be the best solution but the alternatives are far more disruptive.
Of course there have been plenty of times when I haven't given in/accommodated his behavior but no one wants to give credit for progress. They'd rather point their finger in disapproval. All I know is if there's a better way, I am always open for SUGGESTIONS. Until them, call it what you want...
