11 Ways to Declutter Your Life for Less Stress

11 Ways to Declutter Your Life for Less Stress

I have talked about decluttering and how it affects your life. But there are other types of clutter (aside from the one that we can see) and here are 11 ways to declutter your life– and believe me, they will make a difference in the amount of stress that you feel. How many times have you lost your keys, shoes or important papers because there is too much clutter in your home? Families everywhere are drowning in clutter that can cost time and money as well as cause frustration. Clearing the clutter from your home, and your life, will take some time and effort but the results will be well worth it. 11 Ways to Declutter Your Life for Less Stress  * Go through your…

Autism Calming Strategies for Meltdowns and Tantrums

Autism Calming Strategies for Meltdowns and Tantrums

As a parent of an autistic child, one of the things that you’re likely going to deal with on a daily basis are meltdowns and tantrums. But, do you know the difference between an autism meltdown or a tantrum? For that matter, would you know what an autism shutdown looks like? Learning to tell the difference and learning strategies are just the tip of the iceberg. But this is such an important thing for parents to know when it comes to understanding their autistic child. Autism meltdown or autism tantrum or autism shutdown? First, let’s get a good understanding of what these things are (and what they aren’t) so we can know how to proceed. Autism Meltdown Autism Tantrum Autism Shutdown In summary During a…

Parental Grief and Autism Diagnosis: Reconciling Your Emotions
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Parental Grief and Autism Diagnosis: Reconciling Your Emotions

Not all parents will experience disenfranchised grief following an autism diagnosis. And for those of us that do experience it, we don’t always talk about it. But I think we should. In fact, I would encourage you to talk about it. I would encourage you to acknowledge it. It’s there and it’s real. This is parental grief and the autism diagnosis. And there’s no shame in acknowledging that it happens. For me, it was part of dealing with the initial autism diagnosis. Is It Normal to Feel Parental Grief Over Autism? Honestly, I think this all depends on the individual. Some parents will experience grief and some won’t. And, for that matter, some of us will acknowledge it. Some of us won’t. For me, personally? Acknowledging that…

How to Understand the Autism Diagnosis Process
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How to Understand the Autism Diagnosis Process

If you are just pursuing an autism diagnosis for your child or you are in the beginning stages, here’s how to understand the autism diagnosis process. Be sure to take a look at more of my resources for dealing with the initial diagnosis. Tests and Evaluations for the Autism Diagnosis Process In the last ten years, there have been a multitude of new tests and evaluations for autism spectrum disorder. Some were designed to help with the screening or diagnosis while others were developed for gathering information for individuals already on the spectrum. The ones that I want to talk about are the ones that are most widely and readily available: NAME FORMAT YEAR CREATED Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (ASDS) Questionnaire 2001 Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC)…

How to Understand Behaviors in Autistic Children
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How to Understand Behaviors in Autistic Children

When it comes to understanding an autistic child, it’s important to understand their behaviors. From a parent’s perspective, this is how to understand behaviors in autistic children. For our second day of Autism A to Z: B is for Behavior. Specifically as it relates to autism since when someone usually thinks of behavior- you might think of something good or bad. Where it concerns psychology, there’s also behavior training, negative behavior, positive behavior, etc. I’m also going to talk briefly about ABA (or Applied Behavior Analysis) which is one of the top scientifically proven therapies when it comes to working individuals on the autism spectrum. I’m not a certified ABA therapist, but it has been something that’s brought success for Sweet B. That isn’t to…

How to Best Support Families with Autism
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How to Best Support Families with Autism

When my daughter got her autism diagnosis, one of the first things I needed was support. And one of the first things I did? I started looking for resources in my area on how to create and nurture a strong support system. As a parent of an autistic child, this was one of the most important things I could have done. So now, I want to share this with you. Just some of the ways to best support families with autism.  How to Best support families with autism First? Please check your judgment at the door. Don’t tell us that you’ve heard about how so-and-so “cured” their child. Don’t ask us if we’ve tried this or that.  And please? Do not pray for the autism to…