Month: June 2014

Single Blind

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I’ve been very big about the fact that I’m not willing to do things without decent scientific evidence.  Our kids are vaccinated, for instance, because the overwhelming evidence is that it’s what is best for them (and that it doesn’t cause Autism).  We haven’t gone GFCF because there’s no evidence that the diet does anything to help with the symptoms of the Monster’s Autism.

But there are things where there’s a suggestion from a few decently-done studies that indicates that something might work… and you just have to try it. Continue reading →

Planning an Escape

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I’m fortunate enough to work for a large company that has one of the biggest, rarest perks in the business world – a paid sabbatical program.  Once every five years, I get a four-week paid sabbatical from the office (besides all of my copious PTO)… and my fifth year anniversary with my company passed in November.  It’s time for me to take the break.

My wife and I are planning for an actual “adults” vacation – we’re going away without the kids. Continue reading →

Autism at the Ballpark: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

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If it’s summer, it must be time to go catch a ballgame.

As I mentioned multiple times last season, I do love baseball.  I grew up mostly listening to baseball on the radio – I still don’t exactly “get into” watching it on television – but there’s still just one real way to experience the game, and that’s at the ballpark. Continue reading →

Where is Abba?

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So, as I mentioned on my tweet feed, I’m on a business trip this week.  I don’t travel often for work – perhaps two or three times a year – and it’s as disruptive as you can imagine.

As I write this, I’m looking out my hotel window at La Vista, Nebraska… and the mostly empty terrain around my hotel.  (Apparently there was supposed to be a shopping district put in here, but it fell through.)  I’d be out doing something else, but I’m more than a little tired due to the hour I had to get up so I could get here, so I’ll be going to bed shortly to try to get myself reset for tomorrow. Continue reading →

But They Mean Well

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Hopefully, this is my last IEP-related post for a while.  🙂

As most parents of special needs children with IEPs know, the process can either be very easy or very tiring, with most tending towards the latter rather than the former.  It’s the reading over the reports before showing up at the meetings, figuring out what the reports are missing and where you have documentation to fill those gaps, where you have evidence to contradict the reports from the teachers, where you have doubts… and then showing up for the meeting to slug it out and sure that you’re writing a document that has the child’s best interest involved in it. Continue reading →

Something to Hide

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Tomorrow is yet another IEP meeting, to discuss the fact that we think there are additional adjustments that need to be made to the Monster’s IEP for the 2014-2015 school year.

In the current IEP, the Monster is being transitioned back to his home school – Mount Washington – and put into a mainstreamed first grade class with some push-in and pull-out services specified.  There’s a nice list of the supports he needs for success in class… but one that’s not included in the document is an aide. Continue reading →

No More Teachers…

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Next Monday is the last day of this school year.

I don’t know that either of us has tried to explain yet to the Monster that he’s not going to school for a few weeks, after Monday morning.  It’s a kind of abstract concept anyway, and besides, the week after, he’ll start summer camp, which will also involve his riding a bus each day. Continue reading →

Growing Options

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Yesterday, my family went to the “Rock the Block” party over at the JCC of Greater Baltimore.  It was advertised as a “community block party”, featuring inflatables, art projects for the kids, games, shopping and booths from community partners.

To us, the more important thing was getting out into the sun and enjoying the weather with the kids.  But the interesting surprise to us was the number of booths dedicated to services for children with disabilities. Continue reading →