How I Learned to Become My Child’s Advocate

How I Learned to Become My Child’s Advocate

ByKori
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Over the years, I have worn many hats and told many stories. This story is perhaps one of the most important. It’s the story of how I learned to become my child’s advocate. And it was part of my own journey in special needs advocacy. I was 16 when my oldest was born in 1998. I was 17 when I attended his first coordination meeting for his early intervention services. I was 18 when I attended my first IFSP meeting. Needless to say, I felt a bit out of my element. I was a teenager, still in high school. I should have been planning for prom. Or what I was going to do that weekend. Or, let’s be honest, what I was going to after I…

Top Tips to Prepare Your Autistic Toddler for Preschool

Top Tips to Prepare Your Autistic Toddler for Preschool

ByKori
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If you received an early diagnosis of autism, chances are likely that you’ve gone through Early Intervention services. At least that’s how it went for my family, but your situation may be different. Still, if you’re starting to think about what happens with your autistic toddler and preschool, read on. You are just about to embark on a special needs advocacy journey. Is preschool right for my autistic toddler? Maybe you’ve received therapy services in-home to this point, but what happens next? Sure, there’s nothing wrong with receiving in-home services or going to a clinic to receive these services. But your child may need more support. For us, that meant setting up a meeting with our local Committee on Preschool Special Education to decide what would…

The world of special education can be downright confusing for parents. Here's a new parent's guide on how to understand special education terms.

A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Special Education Terminology

ByKori
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In the beginning of a special needs diagnosis, you’ll come across a lot of terms that may seem like a foreign language. Among them are terms related to the (sometimes) overwhelming world of special education terminology. Because of that, I wanted to make a list of frequently used terms that you may come across as you progress through this world of special needs parenting and into special needs advocacy. That’s why I want to share this parent’s guide on how to understand special education terms. Some of the terms listed are autism related or autism specific, but I’ve also tried to include many general terms in this post. I would also like to say: I’m not an expert, just a mom trying to help out….

Why Parents Might Feel Grief After a Child’s Autism Diagnosis

Why Parents Might Feel Grief After a Child’s Autism Diagnosis

ByKori
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After receiving an autism diagnosis for your child, you may experience many things. Some, for that matter, you may feel over and over again. Or long after the initial diagnosis. But why do we, as parents, grieve their child’s autism diagnosis? For that matter, is grief an appropriate reaction? Honestly, that all depends on the individual. I’m not going to tell you that there’s a right way or a wrong way to react. Because on one hand you have a diagnosis and that’s a great starting point. On the other hand, this newfound diagnosis brings about a whole new world that you may just be unprepared for. What I felt after my daughter’s autism diagnosis was disenfranchised grief along with a whole heap of parental…

For me, an Easter egg hunt was always one of the more memorable parts of Easter. Here's how to plan an Easter egg hunt.

How to Plan an Easter Egg Hunt for Multiple Age Groups

ByKori
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One of the most memorable parts of Easter, for me, was having an Easter egg hunt. Usually that meant having one at my grandmother’s backyard and one year I went to a larger Easter egg hunt when we were visiting family in Los Angeles. I still remember my younger cousin finding a golden egg, and being quite proud of herself. Squeaker does not quite understand the concept of Easter egg hunting though we will likely dye eggs this year. Next year, however, we will probably do an Easter egg hunt at home or participate in one at church. Here are some tips and advice for how to plan an Easter egg hunt for different age groups. Hiding Easter eggs is something families and many communities…

A Parent’s Guide to Helping an Autistic Child with Anxiety

A Parent’s Guide to Helping an Autistic Child with Anxiety

ByKori
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Autism A to Z is winding down and today’s post is going to follow up on something that was mentioned in the comorbidity and autism post. For the letter X, I wanted to cover helping an autistic child with anxiety. Yes, I realize that it’s not a word that starts with x , but cut me a little a slack, okay? The reason that I chose to use anxiety is because it’s one of the more prevalent co-morbid (or co-occuring) conditions with children with autism. Another reason I chose anxiety is because May is Mental Health Awareness month and I wanted to use this post to tie-in with the upcoming posts that I’ll have on anxiety and depression. While this is not something that all…