April 6th, 2008
April is Autism Awareness Month, and as Jeff said to Jill, “What the hell do we need this for? I’m always aware of autism!” Then an old friend of Jeff’s sent him an email saying, “I searched in vain for a Happy Autism Awareness Day card to send you.” Jill and Jeff, whose 9-year-old son Alex has PDD-NOS, then wondered what message these cards could carry. Would they be humorous or heartfelt? Caring or callous? They discuss some possibilities and the idea of caring for someone who is going through something you just don’t understand.
| Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Frustration, Parenting, PDD-NOS, developmental disabilities, greeting cards | Comments (0) » |
February 29th, 2008
In a perfect world, parents of autistic kids would have every need met.
But Jill and Jeff don’t live in a perfect world, and in this cast they
talk about what they’d like to see available for services to autistic kids
and their families, with ideas — playgrounds, insurance, rec programs,
tax breaks — ranging from the fantastic to the commonsense.
| Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, financial planning, therapy, medical, PDD-NOS, school, developmental disabilities, sleep problems | Comments (0) » |
January 12th, 2008
In this very special cast, Alex’s typically-developing little brother Ned, 7, offers his insights into what life is like with Alex, and, perhaps more important, what he thinks that life will be like in the future.
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December 12th, 2007
As 2007 ends, Jill and Jeff look back at Alex’s accomplishments through the year — overnight camp for a week, eating bananas and drinking milk, among others — and look at what they’d like to see happen for him in 2008.
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November 18th, 2007
Holidays mean special times: dinners, presents, heartwarming moments with family and friends that can in turn can mean sheer exhaustion when Alex gets rambunctious. Jill and Jeff share some of their experiences from past years, strategies for this year, and gift ideas for their autistic son. (Sneak away and listen in if you get sick of your family over Thanksgiving weekend.) This podcast is now available in our archives.
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November 7th, 2007
Scads of movies and TV shows have featured developmentally challenged characters, from “Rain Man” to “Something About Mary” to “The Office.” As parents in the trenches of special-needs, Jill and Jeff offer their insights into some of these portrayals, and recommend what movies to catch, and avoid.
Some movies we mention (but don’t have time to discuss): “Bill,” “Pumpkin,” “I Am Sam,” and “Riding the Bus With My Sister.” Pascal Duquenne is a Belgian (not French) actor with Down Syndrome with roles in “Toto the Hero” and “The Eighth Day.”
| Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Frustration, Parenting, PDD-NOS, movies, family outings, developmental disabilities | Comments (0) » |
October 14th, 2007
Jill and Jeff would love to see Alex start to mainstream with typically developing students. They discuss the pluses and minuses, the worries and hopes of putting him in an unfamiliar situation for a few minutes a day. Will the new teacher accept him? Will the other students? Will it help him learn some social behaviors?
| Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, therapy, PDD-NOS, school | 2 Comments » |
September 20th, 2007
For most people, back to school is a bright fall day filled with the excitement of learning new things. For Jill and Jeff, it’s a time of burning-eyed exhaustion as they readjust their schedules to meet Alex’s bus at (sob!) 7 in the morning. Through their yawns, they also discuss their goals for Alex in this new school year.
| special needs, Autism, Parenting, PDD-NOS, school | Comments (0) » |
August 23rd, 2007
Jill and Jeff’s friend Mindy is the mother of a special-needs child — and a whiz at fashioning devices for him with little more than everyday household materials and a glue gun. In the first interview on “Today’s Special,” Mindy discusses what she’s built for her son, how she got started, where she gets her ideas, and how adaptive devices for special-needs children don’t always have to look so “medical.”
| Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, Early Intervention, therapy, eating, medical, devices | Comments (0) » |
July 29th, 2007
Whether he knows it or not, Alex is having a great summer. For the first time since he started school six years ago, he is not going to the summer school program. He misses school, but thanks to Grandpa’s generosity, he is at a Y day camp with an excellent program for kids with special needs. Jill and Jeff discuss tips for making camp a successful experience, their hopes for next summer, and the advantages of day camp over summer school.
| Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Parenting, therapy, PDD-NOS | Comments (0) » |
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