What I Wish You Knew About Parenting a Non-verbal Autistic Child

What I Wish You Knew About Parenting a Non-verbal Autistic Child

Parenting is not easy, that much is true. Add in the additional challenges of parenting an autistic child, and you may be stretched to your limits. But there are a few things that I would love for you to know about parenting a nonverbal autistic child. Our story is just one of many. There are ups and downs, there are good times and there are some pretty crappy times. Nothing could have ever prepared me for this. But I wouldn’t change a thing. My Reality as a Parent of an Autistic Child If there’s anything that we can all agree on, it’s this: parenting is tough. We weren’t given manuals and sure, there might be books. But no amount of reading will ever fully prepare you…

The Importance of Visual Schedules for Non Verbal Autistic Children
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The Importance of Visual Schedules for Non Verbal Autistic Children

How to Help Non Speaking Autistic Children with Visual Schedules In the past, I’ve talked about the importance of having routines for autistic children. The predictability and structure is beneficial to them and it may help with their existing anxiety issues. It can also help with the transition back to school or between the school year and extended school year. But how do you go about setting up a daily routine? And how do you do this for a non-speaking autistic child? While I would love to tell you that it’s simple, sometimes it’s not. You can try printable visual schedules created from my free printables for autistic children or you can try an app. You can use something like PECS to start with or…

4 Tips for What to do After You Receive an Autism Diagnosis for your Child
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4 Tips for What to do After You Receive an Autism Diagnosis for your Child

Dear mom or dad who has just received an autism diagnosis for their child- yes, navigating this initial autism diagnosis process can be emotionally taxing. Do not give up. Love your child because they are still your child. Always remember that. For right now? Take a deep breath. There is a light, this is not the end. Don’t feel defeated because this not something that will defeat you. This not something to be down about. I get it, this is not the best time of your life right now. Or maybe it is. And that’s great. We all react and deal with things in different ways. As we should. You may also wonder on how you’re going to survive. At this point, my best piece…

9 Tips from Moms for How to Plan a Birthday Party for an Autistic Child

9 Tips from Moms for How to Plan a Birthday Party for an Autistic Child

Are in need of birthday party ideas for your autistic child? I’ll be the first to admit that planning a birthday party was never my strong suit. Sure, I love to plan, but a birthday party was just a little bit out of my league. I can remember the birthday parties my mom planned for me and it struck me- I would likely never plan an autism birthday party. Part of it has to do with when my daughter’s birthday is, but then there are other factors like friends and locations. Turns out that I wasn’t alone in this struggle. The autism birthday party Sweet B’s birthday is in July, so I attribute that to one reason why I never really planned a big birthday party…

The Importance of Respite Services for Parents of Autistic Kids

The Importance of Respite Services for Parents of Autistic Kids

As a parent, you need to take a break every so often. You cannot pour from an empty cup. That’s when you should start considering respite care for your autistic child. Trust me on this, you will be grateful.  What is respite care for autism Have you ever heard of respite services? One of the ways that parents can find some relief, is through respite services. Caregiver burn out is bound to happen to anyone. But for parents of special needs kids, it may sneak up on you faster than you realize. That’s not to say that we’re ready to just give in and call it quits; but even we reach the end of our rope from time to time. The problem? We’re all too…

Sensory Friendly Birthday Party Activities for Children with Autism

Sensory Friendly Birthday Party Activities for Children with Autism

Birthday parties are usually a source of disdain when it comes to my autistic child. She hasn’t attended many, aside from parties for family members, and to be perfectly honest; I’ve never really gone out of my way to host a birthday party for her. Or at least not in the sense of: theme, inviting classmates, planning kids party activities, etc. And it’s mostly because of her birthday being in the summer (and the day before the 4th of July) and well, birthday parties are draining for this introverted mom. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t plan for a fun birthday party for your autistic child, nor should you rule it out completely. Instead consider a sensory friendly birthday party to make it more…