Parenting strategies

Holiday tips FOR AUTISM: How to help your child with autism have a great holiday season

If you have a child with autism or on the autism spectrum, you already know that changes in his or her schedule can wreak havoc. And nothing says ‘holiday season’ like a ton of extra obligations, late nights, new events, and family chaos. So how can you have a merry holiday season while respecting the…

punishment

What does it actually mean to have a strong-willed child?

A strong-willed child is spirited and courageous. Strong-willed kids are known for their daring, their desire to test limits and learn things for themselves, and their deep sense of self. They have big, strong feelings and emotions, and tend to be at full-speed in everything they do. Raising a strong-willed child is challenging. Whether you want…

SPD Halloween tips: How to help your kid with SPD or autism

Sensory issues and trick-or-treating? SPD and unfamiliar costumes? Autism and too much candy and stimulation? Can these things go together (or can we at least survive them unscathed)? Yes! SPD Halloween tips are out there, and we’ve collected some of the best, to help you and your child with SPD or autism have a fun-filled…

Tips for SPD parenting

Sensory Processing Disorder is a challenging beast. If your child has signs of SPD, or an SPD diagnosis, you have likely already experienced many battles and frustrating moments, just trying to get through this thing called daily life. Maybe your child can’t stand the feeling of t-shirt tags. Or the sound of a chair scraping…

School morning routine tips for parents

Ah, back to school! We love it and we hate it, right? Because no matter how ready we are to have the kids back on a schedule, that means WE have to be scheduled, too! Morning person or not, working outside the home or not, we have to set that alarm and get going on…

How to support your special needs child without enabling

We want to shield our children from pain, difficulty, and trauma. This is natural. But we do our kids a disservice when we succumb to enabling. What is enabling? This is when we, as parents, inadvertently encourage unwanted behavior. Case in point: when we give in to a tantrum in order to avoid a scene…