~ So there I was with a plate (and a mouth) full of pie, choking back some of the emotions that the holiday season is always sure to sweep in. This year, my baker’s therapy was recreating a family tradition (from my husband’s family), Oats ‘N Honey Granola Pie. The “real” recipe called for a full cup of corn syrup, ½ cup of brown sugar, chocolate chips, and the star of the show – honey & oat granola bars (which contain canola oil, corn flour, brown sugar syrup, soy flour, and soy lecithin – all ingredients that we no longer call “safe” for our Molly).

Such a cliché – “When it rains, it pours!” But, sometimes there is no better way to describe life.
We’ve had a lot going on lately and have had a lot of stress in our lives as a result. For the most part I’m good with stress; I can typically roll with the punches, maintain a positive attitude and keep marching forward - usually with a smile. The bottom line is that I know everything is cyclical and that this, too, shall pass. In the past month, though, amidst the rain, it began to pour in the Wilcox household and instead of singing and dancing in the rain – I’m admittedly sloshing a bit, mindfully trying to hum my way through it.
Most impactful, my mother-in-law passed away two days after Christmas. While it wasn’t a total surprise as we watched her health slowly decline over the past few years, it wasn’t necessarily “expected” either and it has been devastating on many levels.

Last year I wrote about what I refer to as our diagnosis anniversary and all of the emotions it brings with it each year for me…right around Christmastime. This year, marks 5 years since our lives changed drastically - when we entered the community caring for and serving children and individuals with ASD; our 5-year diagnosis anniversary.
Ethan doesn’t really know I have these bitter-sweet moments every December and I plan to keep it that way, at least for now…He LOVES the joys Christmas brings and I adore watching the joy unfold around him. Spending time with our extended family makes him happy from the tips of his toes to the ends of the hairs on his head. He now shops for our family members – spending his own money – and helps wrap each gift. Ethan helped prepare gifts for the teachers and administrators he adores at his school. He understands why our family celebrates with gift giving and loves to hear the story of the Three Wise Men bringing gifts from afar to the Baby Jesus. Someday maybe I’ll share with him about my conflicting emotions at this time of year, but only when he’s an adult, and only if he is able to comprehend and filter such information to benefit his life and outlook; otherwise – I’ll keep it to myself.

KidSpeak is taking a break from blogging to spend the holidays with our families, to wrap up the rest of the year and prepare for the spring semester! We will be back in mid-January with lots of new ideas and specific ways to work on social communication with your child.

Having your child involved with the gift shopping and present wrapping will provide an endless amount of language, cognitive, fine motor and creative learning opportunities this holiday season. This is a huge Theory of Mind skill…..understanding that giving a gift to a person will make them feel loved and happy, which in turn will help your child create a meaningful relationship with the person. My action affects how another person perceives me.

The holidays are a busy time, filled with running errands, shopping and making plans. Take a break from all the hustle and bustle for an easy to do holiday project with your child! This reindeer art is sure to help spread some holiday cheer and will provide your child with many language learning opportunities!
Materials:

Easter is this weekend! All your hard work this month is about to pay off. Here are the three most important tips we can give you:

Four years ago, just before Christmas, we received the preliminary results of our son’s evaluation for ASD through our local school district. While I went in with plenty of knowledge and even suggested to the evaluation team that I suspected Asperger’s Syndrome, somehow it didn’t make it hurt less to see the results on paper. I remember reading the 20+ page document while extended family members visited and laughed with my husband in the next room. Ethan was tucked safe and sound in his warm bed for the night, but I was flooded with emotion. I’ll never forget that night. And while I love Christmas and all the blessings it brings, I will admit that this time of year tends to leave me feeling a bit overwhelmed. Truly a bitter-sweet time of year for me.

Guess who’s coming to town……the Holidays! As adults, Holidays seem to always be around the corner and life always seems to be hectic around the Holidays with people coming and going, decorations going up and coming down, presents being bought and exchanged and so much more.
Now try to think of Holidays through your child’s eyes. Some holidays may be exciting and some may be a little scary. With each holiday brings a great opportunity as parents and teachers, to not only teach our children about each specific holidays but also the social implications of each holiday.

It’s TURKEY TIME! Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, food and traditions. What do all these things have in common? Socialization! Thanksgiving Day and the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving provide us with wonderful natural language and social learning opportunities. We want to start helping you prepare your child for Thanksgiving now. The more familiar they are with Thanksgiving and the people that they will see, the more likely they will want to participate and interact with others on the actual day.