“Well, of course growth spurts are good things,” you might say, if you don’t know what they look or feel like. I’ll let you in on the number one secret that throws off autistic progress: Growth spurts will produce feelings and behaviors appropriate to the developmental age at which a neurotypical person usually meets the milestone. That means that if you have an autistic preteen making strides in therapy, he can suddenly have what looks like a psychotic episode to the uninitiated, or to the hyper-observant and autistically in the know, a growth spurt that looks exactly like the disregulation that happens in a typically developing two year old. Remember the terrible twos and threes? They have a reputation because the brain connections formed…
writing, autism, & theology as a mother of joy
Posts from the “special needs child” Category
Autistic Brain Owner’s Manual Lesson 3: The Early Nerve Gets the Attention
Summer Kinard
Posted on May 19, 2018
Our brains starting at the brainstem work from the inside out. There are some types of experience that we process before we even think about them. These include first emotions and then visual input. Language and other higher thought comes later. What this means is that your nervous system (and everyone’s nervous system) feels first, sees second, and thinks third. For autistic people, language processing can sometimes be a challenge. It’s important to know how the brain works so that you can build on what’s already working. Feelings First In every human being, no matter their cognitive level, emotions are functional. Emotions are precognitive. That means they are processed in the spinal cord, the brain stem, and the deep brain before they reach the…
For those of us who ask the help of saints in our daily lives, one of the first questions that comes along with an autism diagnosis/recognition is, “Who is the patron saint of autism?” As far as I know, there are no official patron saints of autism. Yet, I can attest to the help and intervention of several saints in our autistic lives. Here are some of the saints that have made themselves known to us as helpers for autistic Christians. Holy Theotokos. Sometimes it’s easy to read past important parts of scripture, like when the educated people of the time were surprised at how much Jesus knew when he had not studied in the temple or gotten the best education of his day.…
Our family prayer corner is filled with gilded handwritten icons that catch the eye, but today I want to talk about a small icon that hangs in the living room near our dining/library table. Its blue background settles in with the deep teal-blue of our walls, and you might miss it if you don’t know it’s there. It’s a holy icon of The Wedding at Cana. Most Christians are familiar with the story depicted. Jesus and his mother are at a wedding when the wine runs out. His mother tells the servants to do whatever they ask. He tells them to fill up 6 big stone water jars and draw some out for the steward of the feast. When they do, it’s not just…
Categories: autism, christian, conversation, encouragement, faith, family, Friday Faith Talk, instruction manual for my family, Messy Parenting, Orthodox Faith, special needs child, Uncategorized, vintage faith
Tagged: actually autistic family, autism, parenting
It’s been several months since my last church bag post. One of my children has started exhibiting strong sensory needs in church combined with an ability to be redirected. I made a new church bag set for her that I describe in the video below. Scroll down for free printables to make your own focus board. You can also use the free printables from my other Special Needs Resources. Cut out the images that you wish to use and arrange them on cardstock for use in directing focus. Church Focus Printables: Holy Week Focus Board 1 Holy Week Focus Board 2 Print these and cut out the ones that are part of your church tradition. Mount them using tape, glue, or laminate onto a piece of…
Over the past couple of years, I have had the joy of seeing the visual schedule I made for the Orthodox Liturgy in use. Since I made the original version with the goal of avoiding the standard visual schedule need for cutting out squares, laminating, and using velcro, it lacked the flexibility to work perfectly across local customs. Taking into account my experience and conversations, I have made a new, flexible version of the visual schedule for the Orthodox Liturgy. To use this schedule, print out the blank, numbered pages where you will attach the squares you need. You will find that the schedule works best when printed on cardstock or on paper that is laminated. If you choose to laminate, you will need…
Categories: autism, christian, concrete thinking, encouragement, faith, family, free giveaway, Orthodox Faith, special needs child, spiritual formation, Uncategorized
Tagged: AAC, accessible, adhd, american orthodoxy, ancient Christianity, antiochian orthodox, asd, attention in liturgy, autism, concrete thinking, focus, free printable, Greek Orthodox, intervention, learning disability, Make your church accessible, oca, occupational therapy, orthodox church, rocor, self regulation, trouble with transitions, visual schedule
How the Murry Family Taught Me to Parent My Children with Autism The gift of great stories is that they are there when you reach for them, laying a bedrock of trust in an uncertain world. When I first read A Wrinkle in Time, I gaped in disbelief at the kindness, competence, and acceptance displayed by Meg’s mother. Though I thought at the time that she was more fairy tale than role model, Mrs. Murry quietly took up residence in my aspirations. Here was a brilliant woman who was also a dazzling mother, never giving into the temptations to let the children fall prey to their weaknesses or to let them hide or waste their strengths. Parenting was Mrs. Murry’s heart work as much…
