In her first guest blog for us, Stacy Baugh shares about her daughter's very first sleepover. So many parts of Stacy's post ring very true for me; I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have and find many things with which you can relate, too. Please help me in welcoming Stacy as our newest Guest Blogger! ~Leigh
TO PREPARE, OR NOT TO PREPARE
By Stacy Baugh
Recently our 7 1/2 year old daughter, Emily, had an opportunity to have a sleepover with a friend. It would be her first one ever. I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of the idea of sleepovers that are held away from our own house, but this was with some very dear friends who we knew well and who we completely trusted with our precious child. I wasn’t nervous about her safety, but I was incredibly nervous about how she would handle such a new and different situation. Emily has Asperger’s & Sensory Processing Disorder and is a true creature of habit. She likes to do things a certain way and do them the same way every time. She’s not a fan of unexpected changes, and when she’s out of sync her SPD is more pronounced. It’s one thing to go to someone’s house to play for a few hours, but to spend the night?

Today I'm pleased to share a fun and humorous yet informative and helpful guest post from Maureen Bordelon, who, througout the month of April is sharing installments from her Autism Hat Rack about rasing a child with autism. Last week's post - The Siblings' Hat - and her first post with us, The Good Luck Hat are well worth reading if you haven't yet. I hope you enjoy reading Maureen's post today about how and why her Wonder Woman "hat" has been a vital part of her wardrobe since she became an autism Mama! Leave us a comment to let us know which part of Wonder Woman's uniform YOU most use (or could use) in your day-to-day adventures with autism. ~Leigh
THE "WONDER WOMAN HEADBAND" - Cuffs, Lasso, Boots, Airplane - It Takes the Whole Outfit!
By Maureen Bordelon
Technically, Wonder Woman wears a metal headband/crown on her head, but since I find myself transforming into Wonder Woman to play an occasional Super Hero for all 3 of our kids…it is a definite “Hat” on My Autism Hat Rack.
Wonder Woman uses her pair of indestructible bracelet cuffs, an invisible airplane, a Lasso of Truth (which forces those bound by it to tell the truth), Rockin’ Red Boots, and a Golden Headband which serves as a tiara.

If you missed Part1 or Part 2 of my interview with Virgina G. Breen, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read them before reading the final installment of our conversation about the book she co-wrote with her daughter, Elizabeth M. Bonker. I AM IN HERE: The Jouney of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice is one of my favorite books about autism and hope! I want to extend my appreciation to Virgina & Elizabeth for working with me on this interview and for sharing their wonderful story with the world. ~Leigh
LAW: Finding joy is something you write about eloquently in the book. Raising a child with autism is not easy. It can be downright painful to watch our children suffer, and like in Elizabeth’s case, to watch them physically harm themselves. Would you share a little about how you work to find joy rather than dwelling in dark moments and depression?

This guest blog, written by Nicole Wallace, shares information about autism as a complex medical issue as viewed by the Stop Calling It Autism! (SCIA) organization. SCIA believes that children with ASD can recover and offer a treatment protocol for parents and doctors to utilize!
STOP CALLING IT AUTISM
By Nicole Wallace
Autism is diagnosed based on a set of symptoms. It is considered a mental illness caused by moms being too fat, dads being too old, both parents being geeks, having kids too close together, living too close to a freeway, or watching too much TV. At least that what you'd assume if you read the latest studies. There is no blood test to determine if a child has autism. The Stop Calling It Autism! (SCIA) organization wants to change the way the public and doctors look at autism.

In honor of the month of April, long-time AutismSpot friend and cheerleader, Maureen Bordelon, has offered to share some guest blog posts with us from her Autism Hat Rack. Last week, Maureen's Good Luck Hat post about receiving a diagnosis and a little "good luck" as she was pushed out the door of the pediatrician's office, really hit home with many of our readers; I encourage you to read it if you haven't yet. Today, I'm pleased to share another amazing guest post from Maureen - this one about siblings and how their lives are changed as they grow up with affected siblings. Enjoy!
The Siblings' Hat
By Maureen Bordelon
This is not a Hat I wear, but hats our children wear for their little brother. I could go on and on about how proud I am of our children - all three, but things are best said in the words of a child.
A few years back, Kent Potter, founder of AutismSpot.com, interviewed our two older kids on camera, Gregory (age 12 at the time) and Danielle (age 6 at the time) for the site. (Note: Both kids have asked me to clarify that this video took place before braces and retainers!) Kent asked the kids about having a brother with Autism and what is was like. The goal was to share with other Autism siblings so they could relate to each other.

If you missed Part 1 of my interview with Virginia G. Breen last week, you can read it HERE. The book she wrote with her daughter, Elizabeth M. Bonker, I AM IN HERE is a must read! I hope you enjoy Part 2 of our interview below. ~Leigh
LAW: You state in the book that it isn’t enough to be a persistent parent when raising a child with autism…that instead you’ve found that being relentless is a must. I adore the 10 Rules you created for yourself. Can you share a little about that thought process so that other parents might create their own “rules” to live by?
VGB: I really appreciate how you understand that these are my Rules and how we each have to make our own. For me, it’s important to recognize upfront that being a parent of a special needs child is hard (Rule #1: Survive) but also full of joy (Rule #9: Celebrate Your Victories) if you make the right choices (Rule #10: Be a Victor, Not a Victim). I just tried to think about what was important to Elizabeth’s success and what it means to be a relentless parent including being upbeat (Rule #8) and keeping her dreams alive (Rule #7). Elizabeth says it more poetically:

Almost two weeks ago I previewed a documentary set to hit theaters this Friday. BULLY, a documentary by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Lee Hirshman, is a film every parent needs to see. It is also a film I believe most teens need to see, too.
Many of us raising children with special needs experience sleepless nights worrying about how our kids are treated by peers and even other adults while at school and other activities…about how it will affect them – physically and mentally. This film addresses the toll bullying takes on children, teens and families by following three kids over the course of a school year (Alex, Kelby & Ja’Meya), but it doesn’t stop there.

With this post, I am thrilled to bring you a brief book review and Part 1 of an interview series with Virgina G. Breen who co-wrote I AM IN HERE: The Journey of a Child with Autism Who Cannot Speak but Finds Her Voice with her daughter Elizabeth M. Bonker.