where the abuse of Autistic people begins

You may have seen it in the news, a teen was talked into the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, but, instead of ice, peers doused him with urine, feces, cigarette butts, and spit. This enrages me. Part of me can’t believe people would behave this way, but then I have not lived the secluded, naive life,…

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Autism Birthdays

Jeremiah turned five today. So, here’s the birthday deal. Jeremiah doesn’t like many foods (like, um, two at the moment) and doesn’t like cake, but this year I wanted cake. (I apologize to my sweet boy for the piddly cupcake, it’s your Dads fault.) I get tired of not being able to celebrate my sons…

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life before and after seizures (Autism)

Autism + seizures = parents on edge, constant concern, and questions, questions, questions. When Jeremiah was an infant he had seizures, he’s adopted and after he came to us we never saw more evidence of seizure activity. That was until he was about two-years-old. One night we woke up to this frightened cry, when we…

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why adopted and foster children have sleep issues (sleep issues part 1)

A big obstacle adoptive and foster parents face is their child’s lack of sleep (aka: refusal to sleep or rest, inability to sleep). Many adopted and foster children have a difficult time falling and staying asleep. Sleep issues can wreak havoc on the whole family, and when everyone’s tired, everyone’s grouchy (at least in our…

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my adopted/foster child is never satisfied. what can I do?

Caleb was never satisfied, it didn’t matter what his parents did for him. They took him to Chuck-E-Cheese on Friday night, just because, not for a special event. After they left, he asked, “What are we doing tomorrow?” It happened every time, whether it was an amusement park, a golf game with dad, or simply…

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do vaccines cause Autism? the debate returns

The ongoing debate…Do vaccines cause Autism? I think parents are scared to admit that vaccines affected their child because they’ll be ostracized. I think parents are afraid if they consider that vaccines cause Autism then their faith in our government and medical professionals would fall to pieces. Before continuing, I must tell you that both…

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every child is worth it: adopting an older child

I came across this heartwarming video on Facebook and just had to share it with you. It’s a must see. The girl in this video breaks my heart. She’s overwhelmed by the news that this family’s adopting her. She’s waited years, and now she has a forever family. I can’t imagine being a teen and…

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rocking: a simple first step to bonding, and it doesn’t just apply to infants (review – adoption/foster care)

(This post originally appeared on Lovin’ Adoptin’ in May 2013. I feel with all the new visitors I’d share again, plus a little reminder never hurt any of us, right?) Have you found that discipline and having consequences for negative behavior doesn’t work with your hurting child? As one mom phrased it, “They don’t care.”…

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inclusion vs exclusion: special needs in the classroom

You can listen to a recorded version by scrolling to the end of the post. Are there benefits to having special needs children in the mainstream classroom? Are there benefits for the typical students? Are there benefits for the special needs students? Should children with special needs be secluded in their own rooms? If you’re…

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will they adopt me? adoption from a childs perspective

She’s so sweet. Oh, he’s so adorable. I just love his smile. The first day I visited the orphanage, she ran to me and gave me a hug.  These qualities are what draws adoptive and foster parents. It makes sense, but it breaks my heart. It wrecks me to think that children aren’t worthy of…

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