Did you know that October is National Bullying Prevention Month in the US? Sad, really, that as a nation we have such a problem with bullying we have to designate one month a year as “prevention month.” The bottom line is that prevention needs to be occurring every single month, but if one month each year more people are focused on making that happen due to a distinction like this, I’ll take it; after all it gives me an excuse to share some tremendous resources on the topic.
Last spring I shared an interview series about bullying with Dr. Lisa Elliot called “Bullying is a BIG Deal.” Click to read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Plus, we got such great responses to the series that Dr. Elliott agreed to address the topic of Adults Who Bully after it was brought up in the comments section by one of our readers. Very important because it isn’t always kids bullying kids we need to worry about in this world. Sadly, sometimes the bullies are indeed grownups who should know better.

Last month we packed up and left Texas for an adventure on the West Coast. I have an aunt and uncle who live in Orange County who offered to let us stay with them while we visited Disneyland Resort and other tourist attractions in the LA area. Fortunately for us, they live about 20 minutes away from Disneyland. We were very thankful to be welcomed into their home and probably wouldn't have been able to afford the trip otherwise. Needless to say, our “accommodations” were perfect; my aunt is on a gluten-free diet herself and was very careful when shopping and cooking with all of Ethan’s additional dietary restrictions in mind.
Speaking of dietary restrictions, Disneyland was also super accommodating. If you missed Kendra’s excellent post about dining with allergies in Disney World, it is a MUST READ! We had a very similar experience in Disneyland…the staff were accustomed to hearing the words “gluten free” and “special diet.” How refreshing!
Another bonus about visiting Disneyland is that they offer a “Guest Assistance Card” for individuals with disabilities.

Book available now for purchase. Great reviews so far: "valuable to teachers and therapists", "great resources", "loved the honesty and vulnerability this mom shares". Great book for parents, families, teachers, therapists, and anyone wanting to learn more about what a family goes through when they hear "your child has autism". This book has been permanently placed in the Florida Governor's Mansion. Patty Corrigan Myers and her son Charlie have been featured on national syndicated radio talk shows and television interviews. Go to www.autismblessing.com to learn more.

I do this because I have to. It is not a trial I would have chosen. Too much heartache and too many unknowns.
There are blessing, absolutely. Without this trial I'd be a lesser person. The attributes that make me a good mother to this individuals special needs are qualities I have of because of Jacob.