What is your breaking point? It was the middle of the night and it was pitch black out. The heat was oppressive and all I could hear was the whir of the ceiling fan. I woke up and could barely suck in a shallow breath of air. My chest was constricted and I was having sharp chest pains. A sense of panic came over me. After time, my breathing returned to normal, the chest pain went away and the panicked... Read more
I regularly meet with a group of special needs dads about once a month at a sports bar near my home. While this is not a faith based group, I take a lot of motivation from it as we are all fathers who love our children despite our various challenges, and I consider every guy to be loving and caring. During one of our first meetings, one of the dads asked a very profound, but familiar question for us: “Do... Read more
My son James and his cousin Conner were born less than two weeks apart. For the first two years of their lives, it was fun to compare milestones and achievements. James’s first word was book and Conner’s was ball. Their first steps came right around their first birthday parties. We talked about what good friends they would be as they got older. But as they grew, James stopped hitting the typical milestones. Soon after his third birthday he was diagnosed... Read more
“What if Jack needs me?” That is what Sam, my nine year old son, said to me when I pulled him out of his room and away from his older brother. His eyes were red and his chin was tight. Jack, who has severe autism, had been screaming every night, and even though Sam was usually adept at sleeping through Jack’s meltdowns, we decided it was time to separate them. Sam wasn’t getting enough sleep, and it showed. He wasn’t... Read more
This is an excerpt from our newly-released devotion book for special-needs parents! Click below to receive a free copy! God is our refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV) Inside a two-story concrete home in 2008 in Indonesia, I felt the ground move for the first time. My ears plugged as the... Read more
Have you seen it on Facebook? The image of the “special-needs parent” who has just survived a battle, and when asked how things are going, gives two thumbs ups? I smiled a little when I saw it the first time. It is summer break after all. And my son with level 3 (non-verbal) autism is not a fan of summer time. The lack of structure gives him anxiety. He doesn’t know what to expect, and he can’t control his schedule.... Read more
June is PTSD Awareness Month, and though I sometimes feel there’s nothing more for me to write on post traumatic stress disorder, here I am blogging about it again. Specifically about PTSD in children, also known as childhood developmental trauma. Here are 5 reasons this topic is worth writing about year after year. Reason #1: Too Many Children Suffer from PTSD Exact numbers are hard to pin down, but as this report from the National Center on PTSD indicates, more children... Read more
I don’t know about you, but raising kids who have chronic illnesses and special needs has made too many of my summers start with good intentions, but end with disappointment. Summer time is pregnant with possibility as the balmy temperatures move in, parades and picnics usher in celebration, relatives and friends relax together, and the relentless work of the school year slows down. Our family has always had dreams of getaways during these months, hoping to camp or sight-see. At... Read more
Already wondering how you’re going to fill those long summer days? We’ve got 100 fun ideas to keep you and the kids (or grandkids) busy! Plant a garden Find a pen pal Start a new collection Climb a tree Make crock-pot apple sauce Play in the sprinkler (affiliate link) Pick strawberries Water balloon toss Try essential oils (tips on using lavender from My Blessed Life) Start a new therapy (We’re starting feeding therapy this summer. It’s pretty intense so summer is a... Read more
My daughter, Katie, flung the game pieces across the room as she lost her temper during a board game. A lower tolerance for frustration accompanied her diagnosis of autism, but we were trying to work through it to enjoy a family game night. Unfortunately, the only “togetherness” that night was my husband (Bryan) grabbing Katie’s hands before she swept the game board clean. As summer nears, our family, like yours, would like to plan and spend some fun time together.... Read more
Not Alone: Special-Needs Parenting
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