What I Wish You Knew About Parenting a Non-verbal Autistic Child

What I Wish You Knew About Parenting a Non-verbal Autistic Child

Parenting is not easy, that much is true. Add in the additional challenges of parenting an autistic child, and you may be stretched to your limits. But there are a few things that I would love for you to know about parenting a nonverbal autistic child. Our story is just one of many. There are ups and downs, there are good times and there are some pretty crappy times. Nothing could have ever prepared me for this. But I wouldn’t change a thing. My Reality as a Parent of an Autistic Child If there’s anything that we can all agree on, it’s this: parenting is tough. We weren’t given manuals and sure, there might be books. But no amount of reading will ever fully prepare you…

The Importance of Visual Schedules for Non Verbal Autistic Children
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The Importance of Visual Schedules for Non Verbal Autistic Children

How to Help Non Speaking Autistic Children with Visual Schedules In the past, I’ve talked about the importance of having routines for autistic children. The predictability and structure is beneficial to them and it may help with their existing anxiety issues. It can also help with the transition back to school or between the school year and extended school year. But how do you go about setting up a daily routine? And how do you do this for a non-speaking autistic child? While I would love to tell you that it’s simple, sometimes it’s not. You can try printable visual schedules created from my free printables for autistic children or you can try an app. You can use something like PECS to start with or…

A Parent’s Guide to Executive Functioning and Autism

A Parent’s Guide to Executive Functioning and Autism

Have you ever heard of executive functioning? You may already be familiar with what it is but didn’t know that it had a specific term. But what about executive functioning and autism? What is the connection here? Often, an individual will have difficulties in this area. So let’s dive into this parent’s guide to executive functioning. What is executive functioning? Think of executive functioning as the epicenter of your brain. Or the place where you organize all of your thoughts. This is where you: Plan and prioritize Access working memory Problem solve Multi task (though not always well) And it’s with executive functioning that we are able to use verbal reasoning, develop time management strategies, and direct our attention where we need it to go. In…

How to Find Your Support Village as an Autism Mom

How to Find Your Support Village as an Autism Mom

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a support network as a special needs parent. I could say this until I’m blue in the face and still not have said it enough. But why? Why is it so important? And what if you don’t have that in place? We are often told that it takes a village to raise a child, but what if you don’t have that village? Here’s how to find or build your support village as an autism mom. What do I do if I can’t find my village as an autism mom? One of the things I’d wish I’d know about parenting an autistic child was just how isolating this can be. Because, let’s be honest, we talk about…

A Mom’s Guide on How to Take Control Of Your Personal Finances

A Mom’s Guide on How to Take Control Of Your Personal Finances

As a mom of an autistic child, I have often found myself in the role of stay at home mom and secondary income. While I don’t mind this in the slightest, one of the things that I’ve learned to do is to take control of my personal finances.  Why You Need to Take Control of Your Personal Finances How often do you deal with your personal finances? When we really think about it, it may be more often than we realize. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because personal finances are something that we should be thinking about. Whether it’s reducing any existing debt we might have, budgeting for the month, or repairing our credit score; personal finance issues arise daily. Face them head on….

How to Recognize The Missed Signs of Autism in Adults

How to Recognize The Missed Signs of Autism in Adults

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that is often diagnosed in childhood when you know the initial signs of autism to look for.. But, what about the missed signs of autism in adults? Would we really know what to look for? How can we also help adults on the autism spectrum?   What are the symptoms and signs of autism in adults? Autism, regardless of the age of the individual, varies widely. Some are what are called “severe” or “low-functioning” while others are considered “mild” or “high functioning.” Personally speaking, I’m not a fan of labels as they really don’t represent the individual properly. When my daughter was diagnosed, she was what you could call “low-functioning” or classic autistic. She also received early intervention services which would…