M is for Medicaid and Mental Health

Originally, I was thinking of having this as M is for Meltdown, but I’ve already posted something similar within 5 calming strategies for meltdowns. So instead, M is for Medicaid and Mental Health in our next part of the Autism A to Z series. And can you believe we’re halfway through? There are a few that I already know what to post and others that I’m coming up blank. Hopefully I’ll have something by that time though. And since we’re midway through the week, I’m also starting to think of a new printable pack for Friday! What Is Medicaid?  If you are a low income family and/or your child receives SSI (Supplemental Security Income), chances are that you should also qualify for medicaid. In New…

L is for Language

For the next part of the Autism A to Z series, L is for Language. Now, this could mean any number of things I know. It could mean the language of autism or the language of special education. But for purposes of this post, I want to use language in the sense of functional language and communication. In particular, I’ll talk about the language systems that Sweet B uses for her communication as she is non-verbal. I’ll also talk about language impairments. Above, Sweet B is using the tablet to watch Elmo. She does have a communication app on there as well, but the tablet is mostly for recreational purposes. At school, however, she does use an iPad as part of her communication. She is…

K is for Kinesthetic

Welcome back to another day in our Autism A to Z series! Today was another that I initially struggled with and then I finally had to go back to my daycare roots and what I had learned in Early Childhood Education classes. So for us, K is for Kinesthetic. Most of the time, you’ll associate kinesthetic with a learning style and it is one of many learning styles. While Sweet B has a mixture of learning styles, her main two are Visual and Kinesthetic. First, let’s start by defining Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic is the adjective form of the word kinesthia. And according to Miriam Webster, Kinesthia is as follows: a sense mediated by receptors located in muscles, tendons, and joints and stimulated by bodily movements and…

J is for Jobs

This was another one that I had some difficulty with in terms of figuring out what to post, but it’s another issue that’s relevant for when your child with autism becomes an adult with autism. So for our next letter in the Autism A to Z series, J is for Jobs. One question that might run through a parent’s mind: What will happen when my child becomes an adult? Now this is something that all parents ask themselves but for parents of a child with autism- well, we’re just not always certain. Before her autism diagnosis, I had big dreams for my Sweet B. I had her future envisioned. And then that all changed. Will she go to college? Probably not. Could she live independently?…

I is for Intervention

When it comes to autism, early intervention is key. That’s why, for our next part of the Autism A to Z series, I is for Intervention. I was debating if this should be about integration or intervention or IEP or IFSP, and I think that they’re all important to know.   So after we talk about intervention, we’ll also talk about integration in another post. IEP and IFSP will also be covered in another post though I’m not exactly sure when these posts will happen. But rest assured that they will happen. And if you’ve missed any part of this series so far, please be sure to check out Autism A to Z.     Our Early Intervention Journey   Sweet B was diagnosed with…

Going Gluten Free: Is it necessary?

Thank you for joining us for another day of Autism A to Z! This one had me stumped for a bit (though not quite as much as the letter Q will, I’m sure… already trying to think of something for that day) until I looked inward. Going gluten free has been one of those things that I’ve been debating for quite some time for Sweet B’s sake. And I’ve always had my doubts and hesitations about doing so. Partially because of the cost and partially because I didn’t know where to start. It’s still something that I’m considering so that leads me to wonder: is going gluten free necessary for autism? The other reason this question came up is after a brief discussion with Kyle….