Lessons Learned from Parenting an Autistic Child

Lessons Learned from Parenting an Autistic Child

ByKori
0 Comments

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…

Dealing with Guilt as the Parent of an Autistic Child

Dealing with Guilt as the Parent of an Autistic Child

ByKori
26 Comments

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…

Treatment Options for Children with Autism

Treatment Options for Children with Autism

ByKori
0 Comments

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…

Best Parenting Tips and Posts from Kori at Home

Best Parenting Tips and Posts from Kori at Home

ByKori
1 Comment

I am proud to be participating in the Top Parenting Posts series with The Jenny Evolution! This is a great group of bloggers who have teamed up to bring you their best parenting tips from the past year. Going through the top posts for my blog was the fun part. It really gave me a good idea of what you all are looking for and why you visited Just Another Mom last year. This year, with Kori at Home, I plan on bringing you more of that! So let’s get to that top Ten shall we? Last year, I was intentional about stepping up my game and posting more about Autism. It really resonated with you all as well! Three of my posts featuring tips…

Benefits of Crafts for Autistic Children

Benefits of Crafts for Autistic Children

ByKori
0 Comments

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…

Helping Kids Identify Moods

ByKori
2 Comments

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…