tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10378349686627502912024-03-08T12:12:32.422-08:00The New Face of AutismThe New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-40126270696458416752012-05-24T11:50:00.001-07:002012-05-24T11:50:21.454-07:00Construction ZonesI took a bit of a break from writing, these last few months. I miss it. I miss you, my readers, and appreciate all of you, including those who still check in, from time to time, to see if I have posted anything new. Today, I want to share a bit of Alyssa's success with you. As always, she continues to make us the most proud parents. She is amazing. <br />
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Alyssa communicates very well, but often, more through gestures, than words. I have this feeling, when you talk to her, she takes it all in, but when she wants to reply, her mind gets stuck in a construction zone filled with detours and flagmen. I personally can say, I take my communication for granted. It's easy for me. My mind is going a mile a minute, without the littlest delay, not even a speed bump. We have tried many techniques to bring forward Alyssa's communication. We model the language for her, by having her look at our mouths, as we pronounce each syllable. We use a dry erase board to write down what we think she wants to say, giving her the language, and we have a "new" technique; I will get to in a minute.<br />
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Interestingly, the dry erase board has been a strong point of success for us. Alyssa will come to me, lead me to the kitchen cabinet and throw my hand towards a food item she wants. Her favorite food items are spread around the kitchen, so we know what she is going for. If she leads me to the cabinet by the fridge, she wants crackers. The cabinet by the door has raisins. The refrigerator drawer has cheese. I am sure you get the picture! Alyssa will lead me to what she is seeking and throw my hand towards the item. I grab the dry erase and write, "I want crackers". I put my pointer finger on each word and model the sentence for her 3 to 4 times. Then, I put her pointer finger on the "I" and tell her it's her turn. She will then say, "I want crackers". This can feel like a lot of effort, to get to the language that is, but it's worth it. We can see, she has the language, she just needs a sign on the road to exit and avoid the construction zone ahead, where the language is lost. We go through several of these efforts every day. The other cool thing about the dry erase board, it teaches Alyssa to recognize words, in print. Yes!! She has sight words and is showing evidence of reading. All of this is very exciting. We find encouragement and strength from her successes. It's truly awesome.<br />
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On to her newest communication technique... Recently, I noticed Alyssa sounding out words into her hand. She has her hand wrapped into a fist, like a microphone. She will make sounds to words and feel the sounds and vibrations on her skin. One day, I thought I would use my hand as a microphone. I said something into my microphone, then placed my fist in front of her mouth. She said what I said. Wow! So, I said something else, presented the hand off of the microphone and there were her words, just as quick as could be and clear as day. Wow! I like this new game, so I try a few more times and what happens.... she says everything I say. It is hard for me to express the level of my excitement, without coming out of my chair and dancing about. This is fabulous. Maybe, just maybe, this will help her start accessing her language more freely. I am jumping up and down in my boots and so proud of her newest accomplishment. Woohoo. Go Alyssa. Is this her exit from that construction zone? <br />
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By Alyssa having access to her words more freely, I can see her engaging in her peer group more and more. You can see her excitement, she's beaming. To see the enthusiasm in her own successes fills our hearts with joy. I feel like all the work we have done, for her to be included in a general ed classroom, has been the absolute RIGHT choice. She loves school and her classmates. She has self worth. She has friends. She is learning! All wonderful things, leading her down a path, a future, of possibilities. <br />
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Sometimes, the simplest things, and ideas, lead us to breakthrough successes. My hat is off to Alyssa as she continues to exhibit her abilities. Alyssa continues to inspire us with her knowledge, gift of love, curiosity, efforts, and everything else that makes her who she is. She is the light of our life!<br />
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Thank you for reading and have a great week. Angie<br />
<br />The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-56188247607762075792012-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:002012-01-25T10:17:38.993-08:00Good Changes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Things have not quite been the same, over these last couple of months, but in my heart I know, they are good, maybe working towards being even better than before!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At first, when I came home from the hospital, Alyssa seemed a bit mad at me for my month away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first interaction with her was at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I joined my mother-in-law to pick Alyssa up from school at the end of the day. We had ample time. I couldn't wait for the bell, so <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I went into the school to look for Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There she was, strolling down the hallway, tight to the wall, feeling any and all textures, as she passed them by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went up to her, knelt before her and said, “Hi Alyssa, its mommy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at me and in a real deep tone said, “hi mommy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her grumble told me, I was in big trouble!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gave me a hug and went on her way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night, she was wound up, yet distant, and in her own world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took about three days before she started getting close to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took even longer for the special moments, like sitting on the couch together. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the holiday break from school, when Alyssa did not have her friends to engage with, I noticed she seemed different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was, and still am, on driving restriction, so over the two week break I wasn’t able to take her anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That time was also a time of needed rest and recovery for me, so we didn’t have friends over to our house either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt bad we didn’t do or plan more entertainment during that time, but realized certain limitations applied and those limitations would be temporary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here we are, the end of January, Alyssa had her first opportunity to go to a friend’s house, after school yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last night, there was a change, a good change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alyssa seemed genuinely happy last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She giggled, smiled and was engaged with both mommy and daddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her hour with her friend, made a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of funny because Alyssa and her friend did not sit down and play together, per say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alyssa roamed the environment and explored all the different toys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She went from room to room and scoured each location for desirable items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She found many things, including a necklace that caught her eye and entertained her for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really neat because you could see she was enjoying herself, just by being exposed to all the new and different things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find it interesting how just being in a different environment made such a difference for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only hope we get more of those opportunities, to intrigue and inspire something new, something different. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over these next months, I hope we can reach out more, embracing change, while seeking new good experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, to see Alyssa happy is the best experience ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I have been graced with more time and the chance to see her happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is absolutely beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thank Alyssa’s friend for making it happen this time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-85506869565695872862012-01-18T09:02:00.000-08:002012-01-18T09:02:56.051-08:00Painful Layers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">As you may know, I had a brain aneurism rupture in November 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t been writing much while in recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart wants to share so much, but my mind has difficulty putting together what I might write to you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I find myself feeling incredibly fortunate, yet scared and confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a pain in my body that reminds me, I was in the hospital and had brain surgery, but my real pain is found in my emotional places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Returning from this experience, it took some time for Alyssa to reconnect with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel so bad; there hasn’t been a way to explain all of this to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I could comfort her and she could understand why I was gone for a month and why I have limitations with her now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are times, she will give me a hug and I become emotionally overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My emotions play tricks on me and I can fall into a feeling of what it might be like to not be with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I fall apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize what a gift life is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that I didn’t before, but now, there is a side of me, emotionally feeling the pain, of what it would be like to lose the opportunity to be with those I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think back to the evening this all started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been so many of you have asked about my experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I would share it with you today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Wednesday, November 9<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to take Alyssa upstairs to get her ready for bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the bottom of our stairs, she reached up to be carried up the stairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loving this special moment, I carried her, like I did most nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I approached the top steps, I felt “odd”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew something was significantly wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no denying the feeling; I knew I was going to need medical attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked Alyssa to the bedroom, quickly readied her for bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began to lose my balance, but used my arm like a kickstand to hold myself up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bit foggy if I put Alyssa in bed or if my husband did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember feeling ill and sitting down on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I yelled across the house to my husband to come quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he arrived, everything was very confusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had I fallen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was wrong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He led me down the stairs on my request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called our neighbors to see if they could come over, as we would need to go to the hospital and have someone at the house for Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hear my husband calling the paramedics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leaned over the kitchen sink and became very sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few moments into vomiting, my neck stiffened and I had a wall of shooting pains from the base of my neck, up and over to the front of my forehead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This pain, this awful pain, was worse than anything I have ever felt before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woosh, my head was engulfed… a migraine would be an understatement as to the intensity of the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was more like an explosion inside my skull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember a paramedic arriving and standing behind me offering me relaxation because he had medication to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being placed into the ambulance was my last memory for the next 19 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking back and thinking about this whole experience, I would have thought the woosh, the shooting pains, were the worse thing I could ever feel, but I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waking up from this experience and knowing I could have died and lost the opportunity to be with all of you, my friends, my family, my sweet Alyssa… oh how that pains me more than anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe I can rejoice in my existence!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I have to be honest, I am not relaxed about the rejoicing, I am still scared, frankly scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure this experience is like that onion, peeling off the layers, until the fears are all gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I trust in God and believe there is more I haven’t learned from this yet, so I will do my best to let go for now and try to celebrate, as I have every reason to!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying to enter each day, one day at a time and with an open heart and mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I find myself feeling incredibly fortunate to have Alyssa’s smiles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She guides me into the celebration!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know where we would be without all the wonderful people in our lives that have been helping us through this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only tell you, I am more appreciative than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not have words to express the mountain of our gratitude, but I want everyone to know, your part, no matter how big or small, has been huge to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, thank you for reading and have a GREAT week!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much love, Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-65169358729831315672012-01-04T11:22:00.000-08:002012-01-04T11:22:52.110-08:00Happy New YearI will be the first to say, "yes it is". This is a very happy new year for me. I am incredibly fortunate, blessed and thrilled to be entering into 2012!! <br />
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I am not one to make resolutions at the beginning of each year, rather I like to have ongoing goals throughout the year. I will share, my current goal is to do my best to take it easy and be patient with my recovery from the brain aneurism rupture. I cherish every moment with my family and friends, more than ever!! Again, I feel so blessed!<br />
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For those who have been reading my blog for some time, you must know, Alyssa is our "everything". She is an angel. To start off the new year, I thought I would share some new pictures taken just last week by our talented friend, Kara, from Kara Wright Photography. <br />
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I am full of thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family who have been a part of my recovery. Thank you! THANK YOU!! Much love, Angie The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-52762123531035944812011-12-21T17:07:00.000-08:002011-12-21T17:07:26.604-08:00Merry ChristmasI have been away for the past few weeks because on November 9th, I had an aneurism rupture in my brain. I was transported to Denver for medical treatment and stayed there for 30 days. The doctors performed a brain surgery and successfully "clipped" the aneurism. I can only say, I have received the most beautiful gift, a blessing this holiday.... my life. I am taking it slow, but will hope to resume writing soon. <br />
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For now, I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate you! So many of you looked out for my family and kept us in your prayers. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!! <br />
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Much love, AngieThe New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-13719958401764909552011-11-09T18:24:00.000-08:002011-11-09T18:24:25.054-08:00Breaks and Thanks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">This last month has been wonderful and refreshing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to mention this because there are times I may disclose difficulty, in the blog or otherwise, without the mention, of the other… the magnificent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel the need to tell you about some of the people in our life who have made a difference for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It had been a very long time, since I/we had our last break, so I want to say thanks to some of the loveliest people in our life, as they helped us, and/or me, “break even” in the scheme of daily life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to explain daily life in our home, at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are caught up in all the moments, you can lose track of what is keeping you sustained, happy, healthy and thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only say, all of you, everyone we know, you all ROCK!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approach Thanksgiving, it seems more than appropriate to make sure the “rocks” in our life know they have impacted us…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last month my fabulous, sweet, friend, Hillary, who I love dearly, included me on a girl trip to Santa Fe, NM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had an incredible time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a trip without kids, just moms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would never have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for Hillary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only share my gratitude, as I really needed some down time; the break was golden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband stayed home with Alyssa, so this could happen; so sweet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group of moms on this trip were the best EVER and I hope to be able to encounter them all again; they all made a difference in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great thanks from me, to all of you! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This last Friday, my husband and I scooted away for a night out, while Rachel, one of the most fantastic and wonderful friends in my life, came to my home and hung with Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had received a gift certificate for a one night stay at a local hotel from our friend, Cindy, who is a beautiful lady, with an amazing heart, one of the loveliest people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beyond superb to take a bit of down time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This break was only possible because of these two exceptional ladies!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Breaks can help put us back on top of our game, when everything else happening may feel overwhelming or difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These breaks have helped me, personally, come to a better place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When having a child with special needs, breaks can be rare, even extinct, making my appreciation that much greater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As some of you know, I run a program for families who have children with special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids who participate in this program come and play, while their parents scoot away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love this program even more now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been reminded why I do this program and what a difference it can make to a family, to have a little break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am glad I can do this for others and I am extremely thankful for those who have extended their graciousness to us.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My feeling of thanks isn’t limited to those who have created opportunity for breaks for me and my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My feeling of thanks extends way beyond that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past year has been full of challenges and there are so many people who have helped us through the day, week and year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend Sue is always there to check in and make sure I am not losing my noggin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sue has been there beyond the call of friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has helped us through some of our most difficult challenges, without judgment, full of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, there is our family, who all live in other states, yet they do their best to check in with us, offering a sense of connection and a wishing they could be here more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our connections, near or far, make us more complete.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are so many, so many, exceptional people in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kristina and Brooke sustain my sanity and try to keep me healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both “fill me” with more than I can explain; I am loved and I love them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laura motivates me and nurtures our long friendship, a friendship that runs like a river… It’s deep, real, with life’s most wonderful and difficult moments, enchanting and ever flowing; Laura brings me into my own and reminds me how genuine and beautiful friendship is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joy lives thousands of miles away and doesn’t let space be a barrier to our friendship – she is fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regina makes me laugh a ton and her experiences encourage me to want more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who else, who else?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh yes, all of you! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard doing a writing like this because I could go on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me just say – YOU ALL COMPLETE ME!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you weren’t mentioned, by name, you are not left out, you are the best, for being here for me (us), then and now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not what you do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all about recognizing that you all have taken me (us) through, to here, to now, to a better place and I love you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You all have kept us going and we are not the same without each and every one of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am reminded; we are all in this together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where would we be without each other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For us… nowhere, without you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have stuff – is that fair to say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the extraordinary people in our lives, “stuff” seems a bit easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our love, our thanks!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Thank you for reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</span>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-29619837921071341082011-11-02T15:19:00.000-07:002011-11-02T15:19:21.135-07:00Wonderfully Different<div style="font-family: inherit;">First, check out this link. Two minutes of fabulous!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/iAc4N_drTXU">http://youtu.be/iAc4N_drTXU</a><br />
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I will be the first to admit, I have seen the above link many times. I am sharing it today because the most beautiful message is shared in this clip. It's short, but powerful. Oh yes, it's definitely about autism, but it's about so much more than that to me. Each time I watch the video, my eyes fill with tears and my excitement, my adrenaline, soar. The young man in the video, Jason McElwain, has autism, but doesn’t stop a bit short, with his performance, on the basketball court.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The coach is awesome; from my perspective, he ROCKS! The coach decides for the last game of the season to have Jason suit up for the game, so he can feel what it is like to be in a jersey. Then, surprisingly, the coach takes things one step further and puts Jason in the game. Listen to the coach.... "Dear God, let's just get him a basket." The coach could have left Jason sitting on the sideline, but he took a leap of faith and he wanted Jason to have this experience. I believe this coach changed Jason's life, lifting his spirit, just by giving him these four little minutes!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">There is much to be said for this basketball team too. Did you notice, after Jason missed two baskets, his teammates continued to give him the ball? I believe, the imperfection created an opportunity and showed us the true character of the people, advancing Jason, while changing the lives of everyone there. Jason's teammates and the crowd go completely wild. Jason shares, “he is used to feeling different, but never this different, never this wonderful.”</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Can you remember the last time you felt wonderful? Often, I find myself so caught up in the mission of seeking solutions for Alyssa, I feel more stressed and tired, than wonderful. I might be guilty of taking it all too seriously. You see, the coach could have taken the score of the game so seriously that Jason may not have got this opportunity, this chance of a lifetime, to step into the game and score the way he did. I admire the coach for setting aside all the possible reasons that could have held him back from taking the plunge and putting Jason in the game. We are all on teams, whether it be at our work place, a sport, or even being a family. I would like to say, there might be something wonderful about passing out water bottles and cleaning up the sweat, of whatever team you are on, because later the reward could be something sensational and offer a new outlook on life!</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">In today's society, it seems we can easily get caught up in the details, while missing out on the experience. Just think, by taking a leap, we may all be on the cusp of a "wonderfully different" day. Furthermore, our leaps could change many lives, more than just our own. I would like to use the experience from this video to encourage one another to work more towards lifting each others spirits!! On the same note, I want to help Alyssa enjoy her experiences, while allowing her to be different. I hope Alyssa will get many chances to feel "some kind of wonderful", offered up by the treasured people in her life, those who wish, like we do, for her experiences, and spirit, to blossom, much like the vibrant flower she is! <span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you for reading and have a great week! Angie</span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-64430126721071667132011-10-26T16:15:00.001-07:002011-10-26T16:15:59.894-07:00Special<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">The most special words have come from Alyssa in this last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monday was a very difficult day for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so beautiful to see Alyssa responding to what is happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat on the couch for a little break and she came over, climbed in my lap and gave me snuggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her, “I love you” and she replied clearly, “I know!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her words are often difficult to make out, yet there are times, they are crystal clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder, how long her mind works on processing, what she has to say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, will she speak with the freedom, some of us, “might” easily, take for granted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think… YES!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I could know her every thought, feeling, her desires, likes and even dislikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am encouraged to know from her, she “knows” I love her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means more than everything; it supersedes my wishes to know the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I went into her room this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says to me, “hi mommy!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was so happy to see me and immediately jumped into my arms offering her sweetness, a full wrap hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she went through her morning, she did everything full of language, including counting to 38.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She followed through by saying, “I love you mommy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four huge words, but the best, the most special, of any words she could ever share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, I am wowed by her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it’s all in her, but I don’t always hear the confirmations through her verbal expression, yet have to remain without doubt and give her the time she needs… it’s all coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She needs to know, I believe in her, more than anything!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may even help her along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another hope for me, I hope, one day, I will be able to write about the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to hear all she has to say and be able to share it with the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be interesting to hear her, tell her side, of this beautiful journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then, I will continue to be reminded by her current verbal expression; she is the most special person I have ever known and truly the love of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</span>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-15455548009799128822011-10-20T20:17:00.000-07:002011-10-20T20:17:17.517-07:00Big Ears<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Today, I heard an adult say to an adolescent, “don’t make me say it again!!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My brain raced, what was going to happen if this same adult <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had</i> to “say it again”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It almost sounded like a threat, especially given the tone used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have we become more about being heard, than listening?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only say this because the person being yelled at happened to have a disability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am afraid some of us “might” be guilty of taking our own ability to communicate for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I challenge, what was this young person, the one who doesn’t speak, what was he trying to communicate, and what kind of behavior did he exhibit, to cause such an emotional reaction, from the adult?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As adults, why are we so short fused, requiring demands over negotiation and listening?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last night, I was busy, busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had work, laundry, a friendly meeting, and was feeling kind of icky, on top of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d call that the whole shebang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not complaining, but you could say, I was complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 11pm, I finally laid down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 11:15, Alyssa awakened from her sleep, so I got up reluctantly and gave her a bathroom break, then put her back to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, she wasn’t ready to go back to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was giggling and talking (not understandable, but had a lot to say).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I should go into her room and lay with her for a few minutes to calm her and hopefully help her back to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were both very still and quiet for a bit; we were both awake, but silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, very softly, she said, “I wuv you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said, “I love you too.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, then, once again, very softly, she repeated, “I wuv you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am incredibly thankful for our silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thankful for not becoming frustrated because of how tired I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine… if we didn’t have our special silence, I would have never got to hear what she wanted to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as she said, “I wuv you”, the second time, she went fast to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>A few years ago, I was at a training… wish I could remember what the training was called… Anyhow, the instructor was talking about language use with kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The instructor was orchestrating how we, the adults, say all kinds of things that backfire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out some of those phrases like…. “pay attention”, “listen to me” and “did you hear what I said?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave a beautiful message reminding us parents to recognize, our kids are always listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He encouraged us to leave out those unproductive phrases, in order to achieve better, more effective communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He showed us, this kind of language only manifested things and often was a response to our own frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I AGREE!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not challenging anyone else; I am only challenging myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What good will it do, to get frustrated, and say, “are you hearing me”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine a teenager (not picking on teenagers) hearing every word and shutting down as the words are spoken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here comes the eye roll, in perfect order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the adolescent all wrong?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or could we, the adults, work on listening differently or better?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<br />
Flipping the coin a little, you must know, families who have kids with special needs, often feel unheard by their kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have read about this and live some of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, when you have a child with Autism, there can be noise, there can be sounds, there can be words, but full sentences, describing wants and needs, well, that’s not as easy to come by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can assure you, all children, even with disabilities, are listening, more than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For parents, we don’t always know, what is, or isn’t, getting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can vouch and tell you, it’s all getting in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alyssa hears everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, she understands it too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I ask her to come with me, she usually will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if she doesn’t, there is usually more to the equation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I am even caught not listening to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can stop and take a moment to see what is happening, I may recognize, she is interested in a show and not ready for it to end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, she may be bouncing on her ball and not quite finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bottom line, if I am pulling her my way and she resists, she is telling me something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not easy stopping my mission in some cases, like when we need to be on time for something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, there are other times; I hope to be more flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can honestly share, when Alyssa wants something, if I am not listening to her, I can inadvertently create frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the golden question….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you listen, when someone doesn’t have fluent verbal expression to offer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guess, the other senses have to be challenged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only fair to acknowledge, there is much to share, but more to learn by listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bottom line, I want to have “big ears”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the kind Dumbo flew with, but the listening kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want Alyssa to feel respected for what she wants to say, even if her words are unavailable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will use my senses to listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In return, I hope she will continue to keep me up at night with her “I wuv you’s” that remind me, we are still on track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-13541188780467663612011-10-14T09:46:00.000-07:002011-10-14T09:46:12.310-07:00The Letter<!--[if !mso]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="caption">A friend of mine posted this story on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such a great story; I wanted to share it with my readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I read this story, I was reminded, God is found in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful for the special relationship I have with Alyssa, as she incredibly loves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get so caught up in searching for answers, solutions and for life to come with more ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am reminded; things are okay, just as they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a part of me always wishing for Alyssa to not have Autism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder how much I am wishing for the wrong thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here she is, such a love bug, things could be way different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am blessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just saying!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="caption">The Story:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="caption">Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-ye</span><span class="textexposedshow">ar-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love, Meredith</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Dear Meredith,</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="textexposedshow">Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love, God</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow">Thank you for reading and have a great week. Angie</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="textexposedshow"><br />
</span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-24415875485397211302011-10-05T15:45:00.000-07:002011-10-05T15:45:19.789-07:00Oh Poor Me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I can remember my Aunt’s words, running through my memory, as if she is sitting in front of me now and saying, “Get off the O. P. M.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good advice, in my opinion, but these days, I am not as much feeling sorry for myself, as I am lost in what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have told you before, yet I cannot stop myself from saying again, Alyssa is the most amazing, fun, loving young girl – she’s the best daughter EVER!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These last few weeks, I have seen a different level of frustration in her though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t always portray emotions in a way that is controlled by her knowingness of right and wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her outbursts sound like cries for help to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is desperate to express what she wants and needs, but there is a complexity to this, which doesn’t allow the freedom of her mind to develop language, when, and as, it’s needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if she is clinging to me for help and I am betraying her without a chance of making a difference for what is happening inside of her, which I can only love, but not fix.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past weekend was especially emotionally difficult because I found myself with no answers, no solutions, completely vulnerable and beyond humbled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who know me, you know, I spend my days and nights thinking of plausible solutions for this angel of ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is my world and I want, more than anything, to be able to sit down and talk through how she is feeling and help her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her language is like a pair of shackles, binding her to the floor, with no escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where is the key?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I release her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday, just about the point, I was starting to feel there was no light at the end of this tunnel; Alyssa said to me, “I’m upset.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seemed almost like a breakthrough, without details and explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time, I was feeling pretty upset too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know how to help her, so I hid behind the bathroom door and cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt completely helpless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all the therapy, medicine, and everything else we have tried, this is harder than it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only hug her and hold her, offering comfort in place of what might be an answer or solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, what’s next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“me”</i> well enough, I can assure you (and Alyssa for that matter), I will keep praying and stay off the O.P.M., as best I can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to be that person, sitting around with all the complaints and no inhibition towards taking on the challenge or seeking a solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can only lift her spirit with the joys that come from tickles and the calmness that come from love, than I will allow myself to think, I am right where I need to be, for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will do my best to embrace this as part of the lesson I am learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For those of you who share this blog and continue to offer your love, support, friendship, prayers and everything else….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are amazing to me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s all I have for today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-49842489485942105082011-09-28T12:47:00.000-07:002011-09-28T12:47:20.359-07:00Unspoken<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">At times, Alyssa will look so deeply into my eyes, I feel like I can see the words pressing on her pupils, trying to escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what the words were going to be, but I can see her attempt, her effort and sometimes her frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only it was easier for her!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe her mind works like a computer – highly intelligent, with programming glitches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When asking Alyssa a question, you can almost see the question going into her mind, but then, her mind becomes scrambled, preventing her from being able to produce the words she wants to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe she has the words to express herself; they are just not easily accessible for her.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To be in her world for a day would be so enlightening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes wish I could look at the world through her eyes, so I could understand what she sees and how it feels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the game Pictionary, where you have a team member draw a picture that describes the answer to the Pictionary card?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That game is crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have played before and been so incredibly far from decoding the drawing and at other times had the answer almost the second the drawing began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of what it must be like for Alyssa to communicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine her with no pen to draw the picture and no spoken words to express her desires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes me realize, I am quite blessed to have the ability to write and speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what I would do if those abilities went away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only think how proud I am of Alyssa because she is handling her world better than I would ever be able to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alyssa is genuinely happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, her spirit is delightful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves to be tickled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gives the best hugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These expressions of laughter and love don’t require words, they come from the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unspoken and most beautiful language is what we see coming from the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s honest, natural and pure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am in awe at Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I have shared before, she is a wonderful teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She illustrates what is truly important and keeps me on track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe all the words and all the communication don’t matter so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently, Alyssa has been able to say “I need it open”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of funny because she says it a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has become a universal pathway for her to let me know she wants something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn't necessarily mean that the "something" will need to be "opened", per say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just the words she is able to express to let me know she wants or needs something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part, I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope, as the picture is becoming clearer, this new pathway leads her to opening the flood gates of language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I see her changes, her continued progress, I just have this feeling, from my gut, she is getting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was once unspoken, will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, I am so proud to be Alyssa’s mom and to see how beautiful her heart is!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is truly awesome!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-28322755184786669052011-09-21T14:48:00.000-07:002011-09-21T14:48:00.654-07:00New JobI am excited to share, I have started working a new job. This week is my first week... ya know, the week where you feel like you have been drenched with a fire hose? HA! <br />
<br />
I plan to resume writing next week. Until then, please know, I appreciate you, my readers, more than I can say. If it wasn't for you, I would've lost the confidence to continue writing, a long time ago. <br />
<br />
I also want to tell all those who have helped us over the past few years how incredibly thankful we are. Whether you lent an ear, contributed information, prayed for us, assisted with expenses or were simply our friends, we are ever grateful. We absolutely couldn't have done it with you! You rock!!! You gave us hope, faith, confidence, relief and much, much more! We love and thank you!!!!!<br />
<br />
Have a great week! AngieThe New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-84945912278379432402011-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:58:04.993-07:00Fit or Fits<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I am thinking to myself how I feel when I am in shape, lose weight and eat healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are in shape, we are much more likely to feel good about ourselves, feeling strong in mind, body and spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t this true in all aspects of life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we become stronger, our passion within that strength exudes confidence, security, an overall sense of happiness and accomplishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to say, there isn’t a significant amount of work that goes into getting fit and staying fit, but maybe you could agree… no pain, no gain?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are times I feel overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might not be a particular event that acts as a catalyst to throw me off the train, but maybe an accumulation of my challenges hurls me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I have found, I have to keep my mind in good form and in the right place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, I have some wonderful friends who help me with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I fall into the dumps, I have to get my mind on track again, spiritually, emotionally and physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe it might even be healthy to have these set backs, to remind me, of what is really important, who I am and what I need to do, recognizing, I am called to be and do better!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As an advocate for Alyssa, I haven't sat around eating Bon Bons and feeling sorry for myself because I have a child with differences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to get on the advocacy treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked out my brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned the laws, I went to conferences; I got my mind “fit” for advocacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became enthused to make a difference for Alyssa and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s probably fair, and more honest, for me to tell you, I had my fair share of fits, but I can also say, once you begin to get in shape, the difficulty lessens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still a bit chubby in some areas of advocacy, but I know if I keep working on it, I will do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have ability and believe in my Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is my trainer, yelling for me to do ten more push ups, so I can have the strength to encourage others to advocate for their children too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A couple of years ago, I took a position to coordinate date night opportunities for families who have children with special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom and Dad can scoot away, while their children kick back and play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each year, I have students from the education department, at our local college, come to volunteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am told, over and over, by the students, how wonderful these children with special needs are and how the experience changed their life, in a positive way, forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes wonder what I am doing, running this program, when I could certainly enjoy the break for myself, but then I realize, I am getting more fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My strength grows, as I am able to do something for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find myself feeling excited and motivated to give the volunteers this experience and the families the break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am capable and God has blessed me to be strong enough to not just focus on my needs, but extend and share my strength with others.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past weekend, I went to Telluride, CO for the Imogene Run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not run the race!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I was part of the cheering squad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband ran the race for the seventh time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so impressed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>WOW!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This race is 17 miles of running over a mountain, ten miles up, seven down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am in awe to those who train and complete this task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OUCH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not appeal to me, but watching the faces of the 1300 runners, as they came across the finish line, is incredibly inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The looks of accomplishment, maybe even anguish, pain and difficulty, reminds me how a challenge may give us fits, but in the process, a transformation happens and we can be at the top of our game, in great form, truly fit.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am going to venture to say, it’s okay to have your fits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might even join you for the good ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other side of that, don’t let the fit last too long because your chub will turn into something that you won't want to see in the mirror..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The outcomes are worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Empower yourself to make a difference!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-14689957732669673882011-09-07T15:49:00.000-07:002011-09-07T15:49:09.974-07:00Precious Moments<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Reflecting on when I was a child, in elementary school. I remember, each morning we would say the Pledge of Allegiance and we would have a moment of silence too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Times have changed, but I am hoping, we don’t need a school to remind us to take those moments of silence to heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In just a few days, we will reach the ten year anniversary of the September 11<sup>th</sup> attacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This anniversary is stricken with sadness, heroism, love, loss and so much more. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I wish to take a moment of silence, say a prayer and remember how fortunate I am to have the people I have in my life and the memories of those who are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I count my blessings each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This moment of silence is a precious moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not just recognition of a catastrophic event, but a reminder of how wonderful and beautiful life is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">God bless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for reading and have a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-4236047013569450582011-08-31T11:28:00.000-07:002011-08-31T11:28:14.826-07:00Jigsaw Puzzle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">How long does it take you to complete a jigsaw puzzle?<span> </span>For me, you can say, my jigsaw puzzle has taken five years.<span> </span>My puzzle has been very complicated and I didn’t have a box to guide me on what the picture would look like when completed.<span> </span>I am not the kind of person who likes jigsaw puzzles, but you could say, I feel accomplished in completing my first and know the next one is ready to begin.<span> </span>I am full of excitement, enthusiasm and optimism.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Five years ago, Alyssa started preschool.<span> </span>The preschool she went to is situated at the Elementary she attends.<span> </span>For three years, she attended this preschool, right along with her age appropriate peers.<span> </span>During this time, I began the process of learning how to advocate for her education.<span> </span>I did research, went to trainings offered in our state about inclusion, and learned about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).<span> </span>Those first few years, for me, were much like laying out all the pieces to a jigsaw puzzle… it was totally overwhelming and difficult to know where to begin, not even thinking about the results to come.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The key to putting a jigsaw puzzle together is to jump in and get started.<span> </span>The pieces are not numbered; you just keep making attempts to fit the pieces together, until you are able to successfully find pieces that link.<span> </span><span></span>If you put two pieces together and it doesn’t work, you just keep trying.<span> </span>The final outcome is littered with a feeling of accomplishment and often the picture displayed is incredibly beautiful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two years ago, the hardest part of advocating for Alyssa presented itself.<span> </span>Alyssa was preparing to go into Kindergarten.<span> </span>The school had a program separate from general education, where Kindergarteners through fifth graders, with significant needs, were placed.<span> </span>I knew from the beginning of preschool, Alyssa was not going to be in that separate class.<span> </span>I didn’t know how I was going to make this happen, I just knew, she was meant to be amongst her peers, her future friends, in a regular classroom.<span> </span>At one point, I was told, the separate class was the “best” place for Alyssa.<span> </span>Well, let’s just say, I didn’t agree. (I smiled to myself, as I wrote that last sentence.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At one point last year, the principal shared his view of the future with our team.<span> </span>I wrote down what he said because it was so exciting to me and I didn’t want to get his words wrong later.<span> </span>He shared how much he appreciated our team, as they were all a part of the stepping stones, to a future, where other children, with special learning needs, would be able to follow, in Alyssa’s footsteps.<span> </span>He shared his enthusiasm and his dedication.<span> </span>This day felt like the turning point of our puzzle, where we could see the picture coming together. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had our first meeting of the year just the other day.<span> </span>Puzzle nearly complete!!!<span> </span>I am overjoyed.<span> </span>The goal for the school is to have all the children, who have special needs, be able to participate in their general education classrooms with their age appropriate peers, as much as possible.<span> </span>I am so thankful for the people who “want” to be a part of the change and a part of making a difference for the kids.<span> </span>The pave work is being laid, and it’s only a matter of time before the entire world can start believing in children with disabilities... or as I say... children with abilities.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The final piece to the puzzle was laid over this past weekend.<span> </span>Alyssa was invited to attend, not one, but two birthday parties, for a couple of her friends.<span> </span>She had a blast and she is happy.<span> </span>Her friends rule!<span> </span>We are blessed and thankful.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To all those families who advocate for their children… keep believing, trying and loving.<span> </span>God has a hand in this and He has awesome plans.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week.<span> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-64373621192721623712011-08-24T10:15:00.000-07:002011-08-24T10:15:29.210-07:00Surely Typical<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">As I look at my angel, I see how typical she is, more and more each day.<span> </span>On the first day of school, she fussed over getting up earlier and starting her day in formation; whereas, during the summer, she was able to go at her own pace.<span> </span>It was kind of funny.<span> </span>I went into her room and said, “It’s time to get up sleepy head, time to get ready for school.”<span> </span>She jerked her covers up and over her head in complete objection!<span> </span>I smiled and laughed because years ago I remember waking one of my sisters kids for school and getting much of the same reaction.<span> </span>It took a good solid 10 minutes to coax Alyssa out of her comfy bed and into school clothes.<span> </span>She continued with her objection by pushing her breakfast away, as if she was telling me, “who could eat this early!”<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Parents ask their children to wait, to ask for something, until they are done on the phone.<span> </span>Many parents ask their children not to interrupt, as a lesson of waiting, patience and manners.<span> </span>Funny to me, I am on the phone and Alyssa does the same thing.<span> </span>She will continue to break into my conversations, until she reaches the outcome she desires.<span> </span>She didn’t seem hungry before I got on the phone, but from the second I began to talk, she was starving, just starving.<span> </span>At first, I told her to wait a moment.<span> </span>I was planning to make the call very quick anyhow.<span> </span>She gives me a few moments, and then decides she has to take this matter into her own hands.<span> </span>She uncrosses my legs and pulls me to the fridge.<span> </span>No phone call is going to stop her desire to eat (or for attention).<span> </span>This gives me a good giggle.<span> </span>If anyone has some helpful tips on these types of manner lessons, I am listening!<span> </span><span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we go to the grocery store, Alyssa is not shy about reaching out for the things she likes.<span> </span>Why must they put all the gum near the register?<span> </span>The person who designed check out lines must not have had kids.<span> </span>Haha!<span> </span>It takes a lot of self control in the grocery store, even for me!<span> </span>When I see Alyssa’s eyes light up, I quickly scan to see what she is going for.<span> </span>Sometimes, I can see what she is showing interest in and initiate giving it to her, so it looks like my idea, of course.<span> </span>If she demands it, I am not supposed to give in.<span> </span>If I give it to her before she asks for it, it’s more like a reward for good behavior.<span> </span>Always need to be one step ahead of these kiddos.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">She opens the fridge a million times a day, loves her bath over cleaning up after herself, and wants to watch television, instead of doing her homework.<span> </span>She is determined to get her way, loves to see herself in the mirror all dressed up, and if I say “no”, she acts like she can’t hear me. And my favorite, she gets the giggles and can't stop them once they start.<span> </span>She is so much like all the kids I know.<span> </span>It cracks me up when I recognize it because there have been times in the past where I feared she was different, only to be reminded I am wrong.<span> </span>She communicates differently, but she is nothing less than typical!<span> </span><span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am excited and happy recognizing who Alyssa is and who she is becoming.<span> </span>One of the most beautiful parts to all of this, my life is starting to feel more typical too.<span> </span>For the first time in years, I am seeking employment and excited as could be about gaining it.<span> </span>Those days of the past are truly in the past.<span> </span>Alyssa is transforming, changing, learning, growing, healthy, loving, beautiful, spirited, silly and fun. <span> </span>I am so blessed! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span> </span>Angie<span> </span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-16605442080717515382011-08-18T10:28:00.000-07:002011-08-19T15:25:11.172-07:00Rewarding Solutions<div class="MsoNormal">Oh yes, you caught me Kristina. Maybe you are the only one who noticed… <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span> haha! I am a little late in posting. I watched my friend’s kids Tuesday and Wednesday. I tried to do some fun things with them, since it’s the last week before school starts, but found myself a bit wiped out at the end of the day yesterday. Silly, silly me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For this week, Thursday is the “new” Wednesday. HA!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have a video I want to share. I love it!! It’s about a tortoise, which made an amazing recovery, after needing to have its leg amputated. The solution was creative and ultimately saved its life. It’s only a minute and 40 seconds long. Please watch this… <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ErWsA5guU&feature=player_embedded.">www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ErWsA5guU&feature=player_embedded.</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I love the story about the tortoise mostly because of how simple the solution was. I find myself over thinking at times and miss a solution that could be pretty simple… maybe you can relate? I have a couple of examples to share, not about the over thinking, but more about solutions which made a big difference. These are not all my solutions, so I’d like to thank those wonderful people in our life who have helped us!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At school, Alyssa has a touch screen computer to use for learning. Alyssa’s Occupational Therapist shared with us, Alyssa was struggling with the computer because of the way she would try to manipulate the screen. Alyssa would tap the screen with the tip of her fingernail, unsuccessfully. Our team, at school, came up with a suggestion to try thimble or maybe some gloves. A local knitting shop had both. The knitting glove is Alyssa’s preference and it works great. These do not work on I-Phones, but they do work on the touch screen computer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alyssa had a habit of taking her clothes off through the night. Maybe this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when she would remove all of her clothes, it included her night pant. Often, this would lead to accidents in bed. No fun for mommy. By the way, mommy doesn’t like laundry! I was having coffee with a friend one morning and she suggested I take the blankets away. Score, this totally worked! As long as she has a sheet, she is happy. This is probably more appropriate for summer, anyhow. I am guessing this experience was Alyssa trying to tell us, she was too hot at night. I can’t even tell you how many weeks went by, before having this easy, easy solution, revealed to us. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We can’t have fencing in our neighborhood because of home owners’ association rules. We wanted Alyssa to be able to play in the yard, but wanted her to be able to know her boundaries. Large rocks and grass helped her ascertain her play area. By adding a sprinkler, she is in backyard heaven and loves it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Alyssa is tall, very tall. She used to climb up on our TV stand and sit directly in front of the television. This made me crazy. I didn’t want her to be so close to the screen, not to mention, I didn’t want her climbing on the furniture. A neighbor came by one day and saw Alyssa climb right up. The neighbor asked if this bothered me. I said, “Yes, more than you know!” Our neighbor makes beautiful furniture. As a special gift, he made Alyssa (and us) an absolutely gorgeous wall unit. It’s taller than the one from before and much too narrow for Alyssa to make a seat of. She watches her shows from the couch now. And, this special unit has “trick” latches. The latches help keep the doors closed, so Alyssa isn’t tempted to empty the contents. This solution has been a God send!! If you are in the market for a custom piece of furniture, he’s your guy!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Someone once said to me, “Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest differences.” Yes, yes! I couldn’t agree more. For me, I would bet, my difficulty is simply a circumstance, of sitting in the middle of the forest and having trouble seeing through the trees. I just love the people in our life, which we have been blessed with, for always offering a perspective, from the outside view. It’s so nice, to not have to do all of the thinking, on our own, all the time. And, I find it extremely rewarding to come up with solutions, no matter how big or small, especially when they make a difference for Alyssa. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading and have a great week. Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-64702403041394551122011-08-10T11:43:00.000-07:002011-08-11T16:27:46.021-07:00Home Sweet HomeHome sweet home. We returned, from our trip to Phoenix, late last night. Alyssa had all her blood work done and her treatments went wonderfully! Alyssa should be a model for taking the needle to the arm. She lays her arm out, watches closely, but doesn't make a peep. I feel pretty blessed for this, as I know some children, and adults for that matter, who react wildly. She was four vials into the blood draw before I even realized she had been poked. Amazing. There is a calming that comes over Alyssa after her treatments. It's so nice to see her relax, almost an exhale in her expression, a relief. My thanks to The Center for Autism Research and Education, CARE, for taking such great "care" of my sweet angel. For more information about CARE, go to <a href="http://www.center4autism.org/">www.center4autism.org.</a> <br />
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I intend to resume writing next Wednesday. Today, I will leave you with another writing I wrote early in the year. I hope this will give some of my newer readers a chance to catch up on reading and for others, a chance to share what they have already read. As always, thanks for reading and have a great week! Angie <br />
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<h2>Wednesday, March 2, 2011</h2><h3><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1037834968662750291&postID=6470240304139455112" name="8521465973701460075"></a><a href="http://thenewfaceofautism.blogspot.com/2011/03/fancy-shoes.html">Fancy Shoes</a> </h3><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From the outside perspective, I want to wear your shoes, jump over my fence and roll in your grass, drive your car, wear your perfume, play in your closet and feel what it feels like to be you. I want to escape my world for a day, feel like a queen, walk the red carpet, have your waistline and douse myself in the lifestyle you have. Whoa, whoa, wait a second… your shoes are much like mine, they are dirty, scuffed and worn. They have deep lines and cracks. They are not so fancy, as I thought they were. I get to your backyard and winter has made your grass look just as bad as the grass I have. We are so much alike. But, you say to me, “I don’t know how you do it”. It makes me feel like your situation is much easier than mine. It makes me think, your shoes fit much nicer than my own. I laugh, I realize, I don’t want to wear your shoes after all, you might even have stinky feet, HA.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have been accused of being one of those people where everything looks perfect. Fancy shoes? Not exactly! I can assure you, what you see on the outside is more a reflection of tidiness, than cleanliness or perfection. I have been told my house always looks clean; Thank God for drawers to shove all the clutter into. My closets, cabinets and drawers are a mess. From the outside looking in, you could be lead to think “she has it all together”. Yet, on the inside, it’s a fright. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Years ago, we went to dinner at this very nice restaurant. We went early, since Alyssa was joining us. Soon after being seated, an older couple was seated directly next to us. Oh for the expressions on their face. They grumbled under their breath. “This clearly was NOT an establishment for children”, you could see them say, through their darting looks, hurled our way. I got out the snack pack and started Alyssa’s dining experience. Ravioli’s, yum! She was delightful and happy. She sat quietly, smiling, eating and looking around. By the time her ravioli’s were finished, our food came and her second course began. The evening was perfect. At the end of the meal, the older couple came over to us. They said they owed us an apology. They were sure, from the moment they were seated next to us, their evening was going to be ruined. They were only able to see the outside appearance at first. By spending some time near us, they were able to experience something different, a well-mannered child enjoying her time in the community. Thank you, Alyssa! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Easier to judge, than to be judged, right? As Alyssa got older, her behaviors were not as well-mannered in the restaurant or community setting. I remember someone saying to me, “your child is out of control”. Silly people, it’s not my child who is out of control, it’s me. I cannot control this. Autism is an entirely different world. If you were a Mime, how good would you be at “miming”? What would your expressions and behaviors make people think of you? Alyssa is trapped in herself. Unable to express, the way we do. Unable to say, “I want to eat pizza”. Instead, she points, she pushes, she pulls, and she may even throw what you call “a tantrum”. When you look at her, try to see, the shoes she wears are army boots and she is in a battle called Autism. These boots are too tight on her feet, they are too heavy to carry, uncomfortable, maybe even, unattractive. I believe she may need a foot massage. Sadly, this will not fix her behavior; her behavior is a reflection of what she cannot express. Alyssa was given army boots, to help her with her battle and to protect her from all the bullets that may fly her way. She is a person, much like you, but she is different and it’s apparent. We could all do so much better by finding a place in our hearts for differences, making room to cast a smile, giving one another the feeling of hope and encouragement, a smile that says, “It will all be okay”. When you see a person not acting the way you do, take a second to think to yourself, they just might be wearing army boots and struggling with a battle of their own. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We all have difficulty, hardship, blessings, good, bad and even, ugly. I want to reach out to you. I would like to share what I have been blessed with, share my hope, which feels like my strength. I want to leave my judgment behind. I would like to reach out and make you an offer…. If you are wearing army boots, give them to me, I will help you carry them. I will do my best to help you know, it’s all going to be okay. You are welcome to my shoes; you can have them, in fact. I feel, I am entering a different place in my life and it may be time, for me, to start walking barefoot! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All my love and thanks to those who have helped carry me through!!! You are the world to me!!! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading! Have a great week. Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-31855212522464808782011-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:002011-08-03T15:53:40.826-07:00Visible WallsAlyssa and I will leave tomorrow to go to Phoenix to the Center for Autism Research and Education. This will be our 37th trip for Alyssa's treatments.... who's counting? HA!<br />
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This last week, I took some time to review what I have written so far. While doing this, I noticed, a few of my writings have been quite popular. So, I decided to re-post one of them. For some, who started reading more recently, this post might be new to you, since it was written much earlier this year. If you have read this already, I hope you will enjoy it again or pass it on to your friends.<br />
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As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!! Angie<br />
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title">Visible Walls, FEBRUARY 16, 2011</h3><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2844685021090553666">This past Sunday, I watched a Joel Osteen live church service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spoke of what he called “<u>in</u>visible walls”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of his sermon was about accepting one another for who we are on the inside, not from what we may look like or who we are on the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He encouraged us to recognize diversity, as good and healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shouldn’t think of ourselves as “exclusive”, instead, inclusive, all together in one universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I understand Joel’s message all too well, not because I live a life of indifference towards others; instead, I have a daughter who has differences and she experiences the walls of indifference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walls we build are quite “visible”, from the way I see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often the walls are built out of fear or dislike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We allow the walls to grow big and tall to protect us from all the things we don’t understand or what we clearly object to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The most obvious “visible wall” example I can share with you happened in Alyssa’s pre-school days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A beautiful little girl came running up to me and said “I am having a birthday party this weekend.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said, “you are, how exciting!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gasped, covered her mouth and said, “oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart plummeted into despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The classroom etiquette was this; if you invite one student from the class, all students “should” be invited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This child was unfairly put in the middle of this situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She accidently divulged the news of her celebration, which was clearly a celebration, which would not include Alyssa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize, the little girl was supposed to keep this a secret and was probably instructed to do so by her parent(s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me sad, for the little girl, who had to learn, at such a young age, how to build a wall because her classmate was different from her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fear our children grow up and those early walls become huge dams, permanent obstacles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we come together and stop looking at the outside and embrace the qualities on the inside?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If you look at Alyssa on the inside, (not at the obvious and apparent delays in her development on the outside) you will see Alyssa’s most valuable assets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her heart is beating strong and she is full of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can give you a hug, which will melt your heart. Alyssa is a sweet and silly little girl, much like other children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a disability, but she is so much more than that too! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times, she will repeat herself, over and over, until I am able to say what she is “trying” to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wants to communicate, yet her mind gets in the way, causing her difficulty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we look at this difficulty and build a wall against it, or should we break the wall down and join together to help her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would she be without those individuals who embrace her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would her future hold without relationships?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Unfortunately, this is not the first time Alyssa has been excluded from something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just happens to be one of the times, we found out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like, if I jump into the deepest part of my soul, I can see how someone wouldn’t want to invite Alyssa to their celebration because of their fears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will even say, those fears may come out of someone thinking there is a chance, I may drop Alyssa off at a party and leave her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me laugh because if I manifest these particular thoughts, I can almost envision her as a Godzilla tearing through the inviting family’s home causing mayhem and destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is this; I would never drop her off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would go with her and help her celebrate her friend’s special day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would pray there would be no mayhem!!! </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Today, I hope you will join me, by embracing differences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we all take the time to break down the walls, there is a chance, we will gain from this on our insides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we have blocked out and tried to steer clear from may actually be the best thing that ever happened to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would we ever know, unless we take that chance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I need to follow this story up with some thanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First and foremost, I would like to thank all the families who brought their kids to Alyssa’s first birthday party, which happened this past December, when Alyssa turned 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I am </span>incredibly thankful Alyssa has developed some friendships. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span> would like to thank every parent who has expressed an open heart towards my Alyssa and I admire what you are teaching your children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though my daughter has differences, she has something very special too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, for allowing “different”, to be “okay”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The children who Alyssa has formed relationships with and the friends who continue to support us are absolutely a blessing!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have brought encouragement to us and we couldn’t do it without you!! XO<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Thank you for reading and have a great week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie</div></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-39979088009854092152011-07-27T10:33:00.000-07:002011-07-27T10:33:53.781-07:00Challenging Success<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Lately, I have been working very hard with Alyssa, to help her, become successful, with her bathroom experiences.<span> </span>Let me tell you, she is successful sometimes, meaning she can go to the bathroom, but the challenge here….. She has difficulty communicating, to us, her need to go.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think sometimes when people see an older child needing pull-ups, their natural skepticism, may kick into gear.<span> </span>I can only imagine all the things others must think.<span> </span>I do my best, to offer Alyssa, the most respect around this issue.<span> </span>She is not in pull-ups because of anything, other than, her inability to express her wants and needs.<span> </span>It’s a complex process for her to match feelings, emotions, desires and needs with the words to make it happen.<span> </span>You can see her wheels turning, she’s always thinking, but sometimes it takes a long time for her to say the words, or she won’t say them at all.<span> </span>I don’t want to cause frustration for her, but this is something I feel is very important for her, and for us.<span> </span>We must persevere and press forward with this training.<span> </span>It’s one of the hardest things we are dealing with.<span> </span>I am not worried what others may think!!<span> </span>I know, this is a necessity for Alyssa, to be able to be independent, in this area.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have a schedule I am trying to follow.<span> </span>I set my alarm each night and wake up my sweet angel and take her to the bathroom.<span> </span>We are successful, almost every time.<span> </span>Then, I re-set my alarm for a few hours later and go again.<span> </span>We have a great deal of success, most of the time, during the night.<span> </span>Then, we go into the daytime hours.<span> </span>Daytime is more challenging because there are so many more distractions.<span> </span>Alyssa is successful often, but not as often as, I would hope for.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through all of this, I find myself caught between two dilemmas.<span> </span>One, I am exhausted.<span> </span>Second, I wonder how to get the language to coincide with the experience.<span> </span>Just the other day, I took her into the bathroom and I said, “It’s time to go to the bathroom”.<span> </span>She looked up at me, with sheer frustration, and she said, “It’s time to go to the bathroom, I can’t go!!”<span> </span>WOW!!<span> </span>I was very impressed with her language, but it came out of that frustration.<span> </span>How can I get her to say, “I need to go”, at the other times, the natural times, when there isn’t frustration driving the language?<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is also a part of me that wonders if I am doing the right thing.<span> </span>I feel terrible waking her up every night, disturbing her beautiful and peaceful sleep.<span> </span>But then, I find myself thinking, I have to do this, so she can get the message, it’s not optional.<span> </span>If I create a pattern and enough successful experiences, maybe this will all come together?<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope by sharing this, I can shed a bit of light, on what some of our experiences are like.<span> </span>I wish I could say how easy all of this is, but it’s not.<span> </span>And, we are trying so hard.<span> </span>When we fail, it may mean an entire day of laundry, which only adds to the exhaustion.<span> </span>Yet, when we succeed, we are excited and accomplished.<span> </span>It’s an emotional roller coaster, for sure!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Friends have shared their view on rewarding strategies.<span> </span>I haven’t been quite successful with this because I don’t know how to communicate the reward concept.<span> </span>What do I say?<span> </span>“Good job, here’s a lollipop.”<span> </span>We don’t give Alyssa sugar because it turns her system inside out and makes her cranky.<span> </span>“Good job, we’ll go to the store and get you a present.”<span> </span>She doesn’t like going to the store.<span> </span>Instead, I just say, “I am so proud of you” and I am!!!<span> </span>Is that enough reinforcement?<span> </span>I don’t know, but if anything, at the beginning of the day, or the end of it, I just want her to know, I am proud.<span> </span>I am proud to be her mom, and this whole bathroom thing, is just another “thing”.<span> </span>I do pray, she will become successful, in due time.<span> </span>It’s the hard stuff that makes us stronger, right?<span> </span>HA!<span> </span>I can only be honest and say, I sometimes feel weaker.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I appreciate you, my readers.<span> </span>Thanks for being a part of our journey.<span> </span>Have a great week!!<span> </span>Angie<span> </span></div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-91525678499130214862011-07-20T11:22:00.000-07:002011-07-20T11:22:39.598-07:00Summer Fun<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">A couple of weeks ago, Alyssa was supposed to attend a special rafting trip, through the school.<span> </span>Unfortunately, we hit a bump in the road and Alyssa did not get to go.<span> </span>We’ve probably all heard or used the expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, right?<span> </span>Sometimes life can offer the sweetest things, we just have to find a way to reveal them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I found out Alyssa wouldn’t be able to go on the rafting trip, I almost immediately decided, I would see about taking Alyssa and her friends on a private rafting excursion.<span> </span>Oh for the love of lemonade! <span> </span>That same day, I got a call from a friend, who called to check in on how our summer was going.<span> </span>I shared with her; we were unable to attend the river trip and I was thinking of inviting Alyssa’s friends and setting something up through one of the local companies.<span> </span>She said, her and her husband had a raft and would love to take Alyssa and her friends out on the river.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You have no idea how excited I was! <span> </span>I jumped on the phone and the computer and started making invitations.<span> </span>We had room for up to five children, including Alyssa.<span> </span>The available spots filled up FAST!<span> </span>Within about an hour, we were all set up and on our way to a very special day on the river.<span> </span>The beauty in this opportunity, we were able to invite a few of Alyssa’s closest friends.<span> </span>I am honored to know these children and their families.<span> </span>I am delighted, we were able to do something special for these kiddos because they are so nice to my angel and they deserve some summer fun!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have posted a few pictures. <span> </span>Truly heart warming! <span> </span>I am thankful for this experience, the people who helped make it happen, the kids for participating, the parents for being so awesome and to the school for the original bump in the road.<span> </span>This happened to work out, even better than originally planned, because Alyssa got to share this experience, with a few of her friends, who she adores!<span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ample sugar for the perfect lemonade!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading.<span> </span>Have a great day!<span> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-49377959826670097482011-07-13T14:41:00.000-07:002011-07-13T14:42:25.439-07:00Blind Sight<div class="MsoNormal">My sharing is intended to bring you into the experience, our experience, with all factors. This includes the medical treatments, therapy, social life, educational aspects, etc. Last week, I shared some of the harder stuff we have dealt with. It is very important for you to know…. the hard stuff is directly related to what has brought us to the good stuff!! And, there is more good stuff and success to come!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For years, I have been a person who likes to “wear the blinders”, so to speak. In my younger years, the blinders protected me, by allowing me to ignore and/or avoid certain situations. This can really get a person into trouble. Escaping reality doesn’t help a person deal with life and its issues. When you have a child with Autism, you have to be aware, at all times, and looking in every direction! It’s almost like being on a freeway with no median. You need to develop the peripheral vision, long distance vision and be able to see what is happening right in front of you and side to side. I am quite blessed to have my friend Sue, who for years, has peeled off my blinders, from the second she took sight of them, as I tried to put them on. Who knew, her years of peeling away the blinders, were actually years of preparing me for today? I didn’t used to like taking on the issues head on, but now prefer it. The alternative, when not dealing with things appropriately, always seems to mean, someone is going to sacrifice. If I allow it, Alyssa would be the one to make the sacrifices! As you know, I cannot allow that, now or ever! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At times, it is easier to put the blinders on, than to deal with certain things. Dealing with the truth or reality can sometimes be extremely difficult and painful. When I share the harder side of our life with Alyssa, my intention is nothing more, than to bring honesty in front of my readers, so they too can understand what it is like to have a child with special needs, bringing the blindness to sight. Last week, many people sent me personal emails, Facebook messages and wrote on the blog too. I greatly appreciate your participation and feedback. Thank you! You give me strength!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I intend to continue to share all sides of our experience and I invite you to continue to participate and share this with others. Together, I hope we can all learn from one another and give Alyssa faith, hope, trust, love, encouragement and all the other things she will need to confidently succeed. I enjoy including stories about experiences we have had. Alyssa is so much fun. She smiles constantly. She is genuinely happy. We all impact her. I hope you will join me, encouraging Alyssa, and placing yourself, on the side of impacting her, positively!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week! Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-15659711592567762362011-07-06T15:06:00.000-07:002011-07-06T17:15:08.025-07:00Inconvenient Truth<div class="MsoNormal">During a meeting last year at school, it was revealed to me, certain professionals in the school system were “forewarned” about our family. We were labeled, “adversary”. Since Alyssa began preschool, it was apparent to us, if we wanted Alyssa to be included in a general education setting, with her age appropriate peers, at her home school, it was going take a great deal of effort on our part. In the community we live in, children who have significant needs are often placed in a class, separate from the general education group. The children who have lesser needs are given more opportunities to be amongst the typical children. Just so you know, the law is written to say, all kids, regardless of race, ability, etc., should have the same educational opportunity, as each other, within their public school. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was proposed to us, early on, Alyssa would be placed in the class, away from the typical kids, amongst other children who have special needs. She would be able to participate with the general education kids in specials, like music, art and physical education. We had to say no to this offer. Wouldn’t it be convenient, if we, the parents, would have agreed to this? We didn’t agree to this because the research clearly indicates, children with special needs, who are included with their fellow peers, do better academically and socially, on a long term basis. Looking out for Alyssa’s best interest was, and is, our number one priority. I have always objected to being called adversary, but I am starting to think….. it’s okay. Call me what you will. It really is okay! I am proud to be Alyssa’s mom and making a difference for her will hopefully make her proud of me some day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Countless times, when I have been chatting with other mom’s who have typically developing children, it will come up in conversation, how our family must advocate for Alyssa, in order for her to be able to get what she “gets” at school. My mom friends always seem astonished and will ask “why don’t children with special needs get what they need automatically?” I ask the same question, but I don’t have the answer. I have heard, there are some schools that are mainstreaming children, as a regular practice. The truth, others aren’t. Some are dunking their toes in the water, but hesitate on jumping in the pool. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s very difficult for me because I just want what is best for Alyssa. I don’t want others to try to convince me what they think might be best for her. The tug of war should not exist, but it does. The tug of war looks like adults at each end of the rope and the child in the middle. In our experience, parents must pull hard, very hard, in order for the school to honor a family’s wishes, for their child to be included, with the typical kids, throughout the day and not just for specials. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The part of all of this that really gets to me is how hard it is, overall, to have a child with Autism, in the first place. We have sacrificed everything (and will continue to) in order to try to make differences for Alyssa. We have spent more than we can afford on medical. We’ve spent hours and hours on insurance declines. My husband works very hard, yet I have difficulty drawing an income, while handling the day to day challenges. We put ourselves out there, for Alyssa, with no regret, but plenty of sacrifice. Why, oh why, can’t the education part of this be easier to work with? Why are we called adversary because we want what is best for our daughter? And, last, why is it, what appears to be right, and maybe best for the kids, is not automatic? Somehow, I feel like being an adult isn’t so cool, after all… Especially, if it is us adults making these decisions for children without a voice! I would be ashamed of myself, if I didn’t become adversary enough to give Alyssa her chance at the full educational experience! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Writing about all of this makes me feel nauseous. I realize, Alyssa is only coming into second grade and we will be challenged to continue advocating for her needs for many more years to come. Maybe my tears are just me feeling sorry for myself or maybe they come from how hard it’s already been and knowing there is more hard, yet to come. From the beginning of this blog writing, I told you I wanted you to be able to see all the wonderful things about Alyssa, but how can I do that if I don’t share the other part, the inconvenient truths, that are a part of our journey. This is also an opportunity to reveal two sides to a coin. There is the side we advocate from, and the other side, where she is succeeding!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for being a part of this journey, reading and sharing this blog with others. Have a great week. Angie<br />
<br />
One more thing...... All my thanks to those who believe in Alyssa and have elected to help us pull the rope! Friends, family, therapists, doctors, teachers, administration, parents, children and all those who are part of this journey, pulling, hoping and praying for us and Alyssa, we can't thank you enough. Hugs! Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1037834968662750291.post-39323474020035666192011-06-29T13:14:00.000-07:002011-06-29T13:14:13.215-07:00Generous Love<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">A couple of weeks ago, I posted comments that were expressed, by some of my readers.<span> </span>On that day, I was really struggling.<span> </span>I went to the computer to write, but found myself nearly in tears, just from feeling exhausted.<span> </span>I went to the emails, comments I have collected, and began to read.<span> </span>The greatest thing about all those comments is how much of a difference they all made to me.<span> </span>They picked me up and energized me, when I was feeling quite low.<span> </span>You, my readers, who have said I have made a difference for you, I must say, have made a huge impact on me and I thank you!<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have the most beautiful, loving, incredible daughter.<span> </span>I have the most amazing, caring, spectacular people in my life.<span> </span>I marvel in how fortunate I am.<span> </span>I know there are many people out there who have extremely difficult circumstances, some of which I can deeply relate to, others of which are far harder than what I could ever understand.<span> </span>Yet, I am on top of my game because of those who have picked me up, when I thought I wasn’t able to rise.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am sharing this because the honesty weighs on my heart.<span> </span>I wish I could tell you, everyday was absolutely perfect, but that wouldn’t be quite true.<span> </span>Some days are full of stumbling blocks, but I feel like I am gaining strength.<span> </span>I am sure there is a lesson in all of my experiences; a lesson that teaches me, nothing is more important than love.<span> </span>At the end of the day, this is what truly sustains me and brings me to feeling the depth of my happiness, even though the day may have been muddy.<span> </span>All the little things that happen, they are just the reminder of how blessed I really am.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First thing in the morning yesterday, Alyssa was bouncing on her ball across the room and she simply stated, “I love you mommy, I love you daddy”.<span> </span>The day prior was weighing heavily on my shoulders, but I realized, nothing about the day prior really mattered.<span> </span>My little girl was expressing her love for me and this would certainly wipe away all the silly little things that have felt like road blocks, detours and unsurpassable mountains.<span> </span>All those little things just don’t matter, when it really comes down to it.<span> </span>Children with Autism are often referred to as children with special needs.<span> </span>I can only confirm the special part.<span> </span>She will go out of her way to check on me, to say hello to me and to share her love.<span> </span>She is one of the special children God has brought to our world to show us all what is genuinely important.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We can spend so much of a day in complete frustration and angst.<span> </span>We are so privileged to have our life, to have love, to have one another…<span> </span>It’s all good, maybe even great!!<span> </span>I just want to thank all the people in my life, especially Alyssa, for making me realize, the only thing important here is love.<span> </span>With that love, I truly think, I can conquer the obstacles I will have to encounter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am not sure why I got so lucky.<span> </span>Yes, lucky!<span> </span>I don’t feel lucky to have a child with Autism….. I feel lucky to have a child with a heart of gold who loves me without judgment or condition.<span> </span>She offers her love generously.<span> </span>If only, we could all love that way!<span> </span>Today is a new day…<span> </span>I will keep trying.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you for reading and have a great week!<span> </span>Angie</div>The New Face of Autismhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248593844238608950noreply@blogger.com0