We aren’t who we used to be. I’m not sure when it happened. But now, we aren’t who we once were. Some wouldn’t have ever wanted to be who we were before. It wasn’t easy then either. But it was us. We knew our pits an downfalls. We knew when a storm was brewing, when to pull the car over, and when to not even leave the house. Back then we left the house. We were brave. Traversed new territory... Read more
School will soon begin around the country. During my 25 years as a teacher, the parents who used some or all of these 9 tips helped their kids with special needs start the school year on a positive note. Tip #1: Stick to the School Supply List Purchase exactly what’s on the school supply list and nothing more. Glitzy, fancy versions of items on the list often create distractions in the classroom. Plus they tend to be more expensive, and... Read more
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” When many of us heard Dory say this in Finding Nemo, it became our life motto. As we work through the pressures of the day and are caring for the additional needs of our children, it can all seem overwhelming and we struggle to just take one more step. This is partly why it drives so many of us crazy when we are told, “We could never do what you do.” Most of us... Read more
Recently, Christianity Today published an eye-opening report on how the church is ministering—or, as it seems, failing to minister—to people with disabilities. The study confirmed what those of us in and around the disability community already knew: we’re not doing very well. I am the parent of a severely autistic son, so I have a strong desire to see churches step up to the plate. But I also have a view from the other side of the desk, because I... Read more
The stats are in. Families living with special needs are anywhere from 1.15 to 1.84 times more likely not to attend church. These special needs include autism, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury, speech problems, and more. (See study results from a recent Key Ministry blog post by Steve Grcevich.) And a moderately decent number of churches are actually trying to do something about it. But behind these numbers are real people. Real church leaders. Real lay people. Real moms and... Read more
I awake early this morning to sunshine and billowing curtains, the sweet smell of summer filling the bedroom. Stumbling out of bed, I look out the window to witness corn shimmering greenly in the breeze, and daylilies nodding their heads in assent. I can’t wait to get outside with a cup of tea, to drink in all that beauty. As the mother of an adult son with autism, with all of the heaviness that can be wrapped up in that... Read more
Tornado season scared me to death when I was a kid. First, because of the scene in The Wizard of Oz when the tornado bears down on Dorothy as she pounds on the door of the storm cellar to no avail. Young as I was, I realized that though Dorothy might have survived a twister in movie world Kansas, in the real world she would have been toast. Second, because of what occurred whenever the tornado sirens sounded in our town.... Read more
In special-needs circles, we are all-too familiar with “ignorant” questions. Parents of kids on the autism spectrum, for instance, hear stuff like this all the time: “Does he have a special skill like Rain Man?” “Is it contagious?” And everyone’s favorite: “He doesn’t look autistic!” If it seems strange that such ideas could abound in the information age, it probably shouldn’t. Yes, solid information is only a click away, but so is misinformation. The fake news phenomenon ought to have... Read more
Last month I shared the story of my autistic son’s experience with The Nora Project, which is an outreach program for special-needs students to develop friendships with typical peers in a buddy classroom at a school in their community. In that piece I spoke about how we got connected with it through other families at our son’s school, his various visits at his partner school, and the wonderful relationships he developed with the students. This month, I’d like to share... Read more
At the beginning of June, I spent a long weekend at camp with forty sets of parents, their kids with special needs, and their typically-developing children, too. During three days of observing and interacting with families, I noticed several common characteristics. Whatever their children’s ages or diagnoses, these nine characteristics rang true for almost every parent at camp. They are isolated. Not by choice, but by circumstances that make getting out of the house difficult. Such as lack of understanding by... Read more
Not Alone: Special-Needs Parenting
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