Archive for the 'Autism' Category
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Waiver Woes
Alex, being forever autistic, has a Medicaid waiver, which opens the door to funding for a variety of services, from dental insurance to payment for recreation camps and activities. The social services people, however, keep sending us the wrong forms year after year. We dutifully fill them out, his waiver gets axed, and Jill has to go stand in line in an office neither of us ever dreamed she’d see the inside of. Here’s how we intend to attack this problem, and tips for special-needs parents wrangling in their own version of this growing problem.
Posted in special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, financial planning, therapy, medical, PDD-NOS, developmental disabilities, services, service coordination, bureaucracy | No Comments »
Sunday, 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.
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Frustration, Parenting, PDD-NOS, developmental disabilities, greeting cards | No Comments »
Friday, 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.
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, financial planning, therapy, medical, PDD-NOS, school, developmental disabilities, sleep problems | No Comments »
Wednesday, 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.”
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Frustration, Parenting, PDD-NOS, movies, family outings, developmental disabilities | No Comments »
Sunday, 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?
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, therapy, PDD-NOS, school | 2 Comments »
Thursday, 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.
Posted in special needs, Autism, Parenting, PDD-NOS, school | No Comments »
Thursday, 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.”
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, Early Intervention, therapy, eating, medical, devices | No Comments »
Sunday, 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.
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, holidays, Parenting, therapy, PDD-NOS | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 12th, 2007
For autistic kids, learning how to go to the dentist can be at least as critical as toilet training, but the visit can be a real trial: screeching, squirming, bolting, and an almost unbelievably tight clamping shut of Alex’s mouth. His latest visit went well, and Jill and Jeff share their thoughts on getting him both through this appointment and comfortable with this vital and lifelong part of health.
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, Frustration, Parenting, therapy, eating, medical, dentist, PDD-NOS | No Comments »
Monday, May 21st, 2007
Alex’s eating has been a challenge for years, but lately bananas and malted milk have made their way onto his “Yea!” list. Here’s how we did it, along with some thoughts on camping with Alex, and how everyone survives when Jeff has to travel and leave Jill alone and in charge of the kids — or the kids in charge of Jill. This podcast is now available on our archives.
Posted in Family, special needs, Autism, eating | 1 Comment »
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