A few weeks ago I did part 1 of this blog to bring awareness to parents with special needs children and the importance of getting guidance. So, lets dive in and answer these questions so you can get started tomorrow.
Does the type of testing matter?
Each doctor has a toolbox of testing they do and all are not equal, neither is the interpretation of the results. I will touch on this more next month but in the mean time find someone that treats and sees children with special needs and make sure they have the knowledge in functional medicine (treating the core issues) to treat your child.

Raising a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, I’ve learned to take nothing for granted and I’ve found myself grateful for experiences which might be commonplace for my friends raising neurotypical kids.
This past weekend, my niece was in town playing in a volleyball tournament at the Dallas Convention Center. Ethan was thrilled to have an excuse to ride the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Train into downtown. I was excited, but also a little hesitant, because we would be in a new environment with potentially challenging sensory input and no car to “escape” to if things took a turn for the worse.
As it turns out, Ethan did beautifully during our day trip into Dallas and even made a new friend!

It is Autism Awareness month and it makes me think most about those parents and families that are without guidance on their journey. In a blink of an eye your life changes and your child is diagnosed, this overwhelms every family and most all have little guidance. The maze of the internet becomes the constant as you search online for hope. Some parents get the care they need and others spend 10 years following dead ends. It is my mission to see parents get ALL their options for treatment. I cannot count the number of parents that have cried in frustration and in joy.

While this series was initially going to be three parts, it has become five as we explore how some adults can be bullies, too. If you missed Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 with Dr. Lisa M. Elliott from Cook Children’s Medical Center, be sure to click over and read them. If you missed Craig Gibson’s powerful response, make sure to read it, too. Directly below, Dr. Elliott shares her take on "Adults Who Bully." Following her response, look for a few additional thoughts and questions from me.
Dr. Elliott: You would certainly like to think that children and teens outgrow bullying however there is ample evidence and research that supports adults often employ bullying tactics as well. It is not uncommon for childhood bullies to become adult bullies, which is frequently discussed and reported in workplace bully literature. Bottom line, bullying is absolutely wrong regardless of the age of the person who is bullying and every single person is responsible for how they choose to treat others.

Scavenger hunts are a great way to keep your child engaged while having fun! Here are a few ideas to help your child participate within scavenger hunts while working on increasing their language skills and social skills.
If your child is non-verbal, here are a few ideas:

The Single Parent Three Ring Circus