Are you interested in starting an afterschool at home program for your child but unsure of where to start? Come check out this post which includes a free printable planning workbook.

How to Develop an Afterschool at Home Program

ByKori
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Autistic individuals thrive with routines, as parents we know this to be true. For Sweet B, that means having as predictable of a schedule as possible both at home and at school. So when I first had the genius, or maybe not so genius, idea to start an afterschool program at home for her; I really wasn’t sure how she would take to it. Added to that, I had no set plan which was almost setting me up for failure. Though we’ve taken a break from it this year (2015/2016), I am planning ahead for next school year. One of the most important things that I’m going to do is set a budget so I know how much I have to save. Here’s our plan…

Parenting isn't easy and being the parent of an autistic child can be downright challenging. Here are 10 lessons that I've learned.

Lessons Learned from Parenting an Autistic Child

ByKori
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In the 10+ years since Sweet B’s diagnosis, I’ve learned quite a bit about autism and about myself. There have been a lot of tears, a lot of anger, a bit of guilt and a bit of grief. There has also been a lot of joy and personal growth. I’ve shared a few things in the past, like dealing with the initial diagnosis and in the Autism A to Z series, I’ve also shared a bit of our story. This started as a personal blog, so I still like to keep some of my personal stories present. That’s why today I’m sharing 10 things that autism has taught me. If I really sat down and thought about it, I could probably write a book… but…

As moms we tend to put ourselves last even though we know we shouldn't. Here are a few self care tips and ideas for moms.

Self Care Tips and Ideas for Moms

ByKori
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlissfulMoments #CollectiveBias As moms we often tend to put our own needs last. I’m plenty guilty of this, even when I think it’s also going to be beneficial for the family in the long run. Ultimately, I know that I need to take care of myself because if I don’t, I get stressed and when I get stressed, that starts to trickle down into other aspects. It’s not fair to myself or to myself and I’m not doing anyone any favors. I want to share a few self care tips and ideas for moms though this could apply to any caregiver or individual who has a tendency to…

In need of an easy casserole idea for dinner? Try this delicious kielbasa and cauliflower casserole.

Creamy Kielbasa and Cauliflower Casserole

ByKori
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I have a fondness for easy recipes, especially ones that I can prepare and eat in less than an hour. Even better when I can sneak in something healthy and I get a triple win when they come out toddler approved. This easy, creamy kielbasa and cauliflower casserole fit the bill on all accounts. I was almost going to call it a mac and cheese, but I wasn’t sure on semantics. Even though I’m fairly certain there’s no hard set rule that a mac and cheese needs to have elbow macaroni noodles. Of course, this isn’t a homemade sauce either, so I think that’s other reason I was hesitant to classify it in the homemade mac and cheese realm. Whatever the case? This is delicious….

Parental guilt is just one of those things that we seemingly can't avoid. But how do we deal with the ongoing guilt that we face as the parent of an autistic child?

Dealing with Guilt as the Parent of an Autistic Child

ByKori
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The time that immediately follows an autism diagnosis can be some of the most difficult and challenging that a parent may ever have to face. In a previous post, I addressed dealing with autism and grief. In this post, I want to address something equally important- autism and guilt. Specifically, guilt as it comes along with being a parent of an autistic child. This was something I struggled with mightily in the beginning and still struggle with from time to time. After receiving her diagnosis, and wrestling with all of the other emotions that accompanied it, I felt so entirely responsible and guilty for what had happened to B. I’ve learned, over time, how to deal with this. That’s not to say that it’s completely…

Have you heard of leaky gut syndrome and it's possible connection to autism? How do you even begin to treat leaky gut syndrome?

Leaky Gut Syndrome and Autism

ByKori
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Have you ever heard of leaky gut syndrome? Or maybe you’ve heard of the possible connection between leaky gut syndrome and autism and you’re wondering- just what is leaky gut syndrome. I’ve been there. In that almost exact sequence- plugging into trusty Google “leaky gut syndrome and autism” Maybe it was one night reading about possible causes of autism or possible treatments for autism; I’m really not sure how it all came about. I just remember seeing the term and wondering just what the heck it was and how it could possibly be related to my daughter’s autism. Sure, I’d seen quite a bit of research done on gluten and how eliminating gluten and casein from the diet helped. But beyond that I hadn’t looked….