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

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….

Figuring out the best autism treatment options can be one of the most overwhelming things following an autism diagnosis.

Treatment Options for Children with Autism

Perhaps one of the more overwhelming things after receiving Sweet B’s diagnosis, was figuring out the best possible ways to help her. At the time, she was already receiving special education services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy at home. But, it was also evident that she needed more support. As her mom, of course, I felt that I was more than qualified to help her in whatever way possible but I also realized that I was limited in my abilities. That’s not to say that I couldn’t have learned or that I couldn’t have prepared the type of environment that she needed. But what she needed was also beyond my own ability to provide. So it was at that time that I started…

Benefits of Crafts for Autistic Children

Benefits of Crafts for Autistic Children

Though I’ve probably done more crafts and activities with Squeaker, I’ve wanted to try more crafts with Sweet B. She does projects at school that seem simple enough to expand on at home. I’ve also thought of going with an easier route and buying kits to do projects with her instead. This seems to be easier, on both her and me, so when I had the opportunity to try out two products from Cool Brands, I was pretty excited. One of the main reasons that I want to do more crafts and projects with her, aside from spending time together, is to work on her fine motor skills. I think that arts and crafts are of great benefit for any child, but especially for someone…

To assist with handling meltdowns, I created this printable set of my calming strategies for my autistic daughter.
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Printable Self Calming Strategies Cards for Autism Meltdowns

One of the things that we’ve had to deal with when it comes to Sweet B’s autism is the occasional meltdown. She does have certain calming strategies in place and I’ve also learned to recognize her triggers. At school, she prefers to use her PECS book to communicate her preferred strategy, but we don’t have that at home. Rather, it’s up to me to watch and realize what’s going on. And while this method does work, sometimes I think it would be great to have a similar system here at home. To help us with that, I created a printable set of my calming strategies for her and since I like to share, I’m offering it up for free to share with you all. This…

Helping Kids Identify Moods

One of the things that Sweet B has consistently struggled with are abstract concepts such as moods. She’s done somewhat okay with concrete concepts such as colors, numbers, foods, or anything else that has some sort of association with the senses. If she can feel it, see it, taste, smell it, or touch it- she’s more likely to remember what it is and have an easier time with learning it. Of course it still takes repetition, but that’s just how she learns. With abstract concepts, on the other hand, it’s definitely been more of a struggle. But, I’ve also learned (through trial and error, and a lot of assistance from her team of teachers and therapists) that visual representations do a world of good. By…

Top Ten Books about Autism for New Parents

If you are a new parent to the world of autism spectrum disorder, let me be among the first to bid you welcome. This diagnosis is not an easy one to deal with at first but it will get better. It may not seem like it right now, but in time, you’ll start seeing some bright spots. If you need it, take a moment and read some of these encouraging quotes for autism moms. I’m not suggesting that you go out and celebrate your child’s newfound diagnosis, but for right now- take a deep breath, count to ten, have some coffee (with some Bailey’s if you need it), and relax. You’ve got this. My daughter was diagnosed in 2004 and one of the first things…