Autism Family Life Archives

Autism can be difficult to explain or understand. Here are 20 books about autism just for kids.

20 Books About Autism for Kids

We are a family of readers and we absolutely love having books in our house. I have a bookshelf in practically every room of the house and books are located nearly everywhere. To help my neurotypical child understand, we turned to books about autism. It’s also given me some thought about eventually writing my own book about autism. But, not just yet. For now, we will rely on this list and supplement as we go. I’ve posted my Top 10 Books for Parents of Autistic Children and I’m working on a post specifically for parents of girls on the spectrum. But today I wanted to share a list of books about autism for kids. If you have children who are not on the spectrum, they may not…

Parenting an Autistic Child | Autism Calming Strategies

Self Calming Strategies and Techniques for Kids with Autism

ByKori

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Learning calming strategies and techniques for autism meltdowns is necessary as a parent and caregiver. It helps us help our children in any given situation. Over time, you will learn and implement many calming strategies. Some may be beneficial for a shorter period of time and others will be used throughout the lifespan. We certainly have our tried and true techniques that have served our family very well. Then there are others that we have tried that just didn’t work. It’s all about being willing to try and to see what will help. As my daughter grew older, we started to incorporate more self calming strategies for autism. Why teach Self Calming Strategies and Self Calming Techniques for Autism? In the past, I’ve shared calming strategies…

Parenting an Autistic Child

Addressing Autism and Divorce: What To Do When Your Marriage Crumbles

ByKori

29 Comments

Why do people divorce when they have children with special needs? How do I divorce my spouse when we have an autistic child? How do I learn to parent an autistic child on my own? Dear friend, these were just some of the things I struggled with when I realized that my marriage was falling apart. This is my story, just one of many, when it comes to divorce with an autistic child. Is the divorce rate higher for parents of autistic children? I would be highly inclined to tell you, yes- it is. Sweet B’s father and I were married for 12 years. As of 2016, we were legally separated and as of 2018, our divorce was finalized. At the time, neither one of…

Parenting an Autistic Child

How to Ditch the Special Needs Mom Guilt

ByKori

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How often do you struggle with guilt as a mom of a special needs child? This seems to be one of those on-going struggles for so many of us. And I want to tell you that yes, it is possible to ditch the special needs mom guilt. And yes, that means you, autism mom. Ditch the autism mom guilt. Dear Mom of a Special Needs Child, First and foremost, I want to inform you of something: you are enough. Got it? Remember this when the going gets tough. Because we know that there are going to be days where we’re more than ready to throw in the towel and walk away. But we can’t. Because we’re moms and someone has to be there. Second, let’s talk about…

Parenting an Autistic Child

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…

Parenting an Autistic Child

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…