Parenting an Autistic Child

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…

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…

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…