The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We are in the second trimester of our third pregnancy. Sam is eight (almost nine) and Luke is now five years old. It's been almost a decade since our first pregnancy and it is amazing how little has changed. Don't get me wrong, there are all kinds of new contraptions, toys, fancy car seats, websites, and other advances that have occurred in the past ten years. What hasn't changed is the lack of information regarding the causes of Autism.

Thankful
In the spirit of Thanksgiving week, we thought we’d take a step back and share a couple little moments with our kids and families that made us smile the past couple of weeks. We feel very thankful to be involved in the lives of so many amazing parents, children and other professionals.
-Being handed a handmade Thank You card from one incredibly cute 5 year old. This was then followed by the best hug I have gotten in a good while.

The Hardest Job in the World
So it happened. I had to tell a parent that I completely 100% disagree with another professional’s opinion. Yes, this was awkward. No, this was not my idea of a good time.

Important for Me, Important for You
I can’t remember a single class in high school where I had a peer with a disability. I can remember the kid with a disability that was the varsity basketball “manager”. I did not know him. I never talked to him. I never talked to him about how much he loved going to the basketball practices and how much he loved shagging balls for the team. I never asked him what it was like to sit with the team during a pep rally. I was not his friend.

If Only Life Was a Musical……
We challenge you to find one person that doesn’t like music. Seriously…..it’s pretty much impossible. Everyone likes at least one genre of music, if not several. As adults, music can serve many different purposes. It can be for pure enjoyment. Music can help with our emotional states….it can calm us down and decrease our stress. Music can pep us up and get our energy booming. Music can help us focus on important tasks. Music can be a social outlet for us. Music can also help us learn. This is the same for children!

Not Just Play
Don’t let it deceive you. Play isn’t just fun and good times for kiddos. It’s essential for your child’s overall development. ALL children learn through experiencing, seeing, listening and doing…....which is the essence of play. This is true for all children…..typical children and children with disabilities.