Dear My Puzzling Piece Family:
Dear My Puzzling Piece Family, I cannot believe it, but it has been a whole year since I last posted. I left the website up and available for those of […]
So, I’m Dying. Again. [Warning, this post is not autism-related, more of a heads-up]
Many of you know that I’ve been sick for several years, this is an update. The news is not good news, so please understand that this may sound angry, which is simply because… I am angry. I also include the medical plan, and the
Anxiety: Avoid or Enable? By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
So much preparation and thought goes into your child when you have a child with special needs but it is well worth the effort. I feel that my children are better off with all the support and professional advice that we have received and continue to receive and apply as a result of their respective diagnoses than they would have been if they were any other child because it has forced me to be a more informed and conscious parent. Any of the things that I do with my boys are applicable to any other child for supporting, encouraging and helping them be the best that they can be (with vulnerabilities that they are not ashamed of).
Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
The best advice I can give is to recommend that you make sure you understand how any particular treatment is meant to work. If a treatment doesn’t make sense, sounds like a fad diet or sounds too good to be true, ask for clarification and evidence of it's effectiveness and don’t be afraid to do some research on it yourself. Don't sign up to or pay for anything until you have looked into it further.
Strategies: Communication and Behaviour By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
Strategies: Communication and Behaviour By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara I started this blog 6 months ago. Over that time the way I write has changed. I decided to look though […]
Shame and the Unwanted Identity by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
"…I do not exist without autism, neither do my boys. The way my brain thinks is who I am and autism is the way my brain thinks…."
“You Are More Affected By Autism Than Me,” by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
My teenage cousin Lucy (not her real name) randomly said to me one day “I think you are more affected by autism than me.” Her socially inappropriate remark made me want to laugh. My immediate unconsidered thought was that Lucy was definitely more autistic than I was….
To Label or Not to Label By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
To Label or Not To Label By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara Soon after the day that my husband made the ground breaking revelation that my son Jeremy was “just odd […]
No One Deserves to Be Bullied
Originally posted on Emelie's Voice:
There comes a point in time where sometimes we have to step up and say the things we never want to say. We address…
On Middle School Follies and Mean Girls: Portia and Cassius Speak Out
I will admit, that I am quite fond of Emelie. Her book has inspired both me and Cassius. So it is possible that I am not the best person to respond to this post, but reading the post brought up all my feelings of helplessness and frustration that I experienced over the past school year with Cassius: watching him be bullied, and not be protected by the school that was supposed to protect him. Reading that another child was experiencing something similar just absolutely breaks my heart. This is our letter to Emelie.
Little One, By Kevin Legge
Little One by Kevin Legge Why do you fear? What thoughts race through your mind? What terrors cause you to tremble, Oh sad, little one? Lift up your head, Gaze […]
Flight of A Dove by Kevin Legge
Flight Of A Dove by Kevin Legge Thoughts race through your head Try to stop the pain Struggle to belong Crying, gentle rain. Sadness fills your days Wakefulness, your nights […]
Autism and Sensitivity, By Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
After writing my last post on autism stigma and Autism Speaks and commenting on the posts of others on the same topic, I began to feel anxious, depressed, faint and nauseous. These are feelings that I am accustomed to having before, during and after many social interactions in person and online, whenever they extend past pleasantries and into the murky territory of feelings…
Puzzled Soul
Puzzled Soul by Kevin Legge Try to hide from the World,But the Darkness will not cover.Hands flapping,A semaphore of my Anguish.Why can’t I Belong?Why do they Judge?I am only […]
Friendship Of A Gentle Soul
“He sits and stares at the wall,
His mind so very afraid,
Casts a dark and gloomy pall,
Of this shadows are made…”
Be True Little One
"…To sit and rock,
With racing mind,
How to unlock,
How to find.
What is the key,
To open his soul,
What would we see,.."
The Stigma of Parenting by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
Advice is wonderful; pick and choose which strategies you and your family feels most comfortable with but avoid sources of advice that suggest that their way is the best way for everyone and/or that you will be a ‘bad’ parent or ‘practice bad parenting’ if you choose to do things differently.
There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ parenting, just different parenting styles and different choices by different parents under different circumstances for different children.
An Analysis of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy, By Guest Blogger Jenn Dirks, Author of Emelie’s Voice
There is a lot of discussion out there about ABA Therapy. I often get asked my views on it and whether or not we used it with Emelie. Both of those questions lead to some complicated answers. So, I thought, I’d address it and spend more time on it.
Emotional Stimming Hangovers
Originally posted on Emelie's Voice:
Oh goodness. I feel today got off on the wrong foot with Miss Em. So I wanted to talk about the emotional and stimming…
An Em Post About Medicine: A friends’ response to Cassius’s Concerns about Medications
Originally posted on Emelie's Voice:
I sometimes get asked about Em’s thoughts on taking medicines. I’ve fielded that question so often, I decided tonight’s blog is from Em. We…
I Like People by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara
I Like People by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara I like people. Liking people doesn’t mean that I won’t disagree with a person’s opinion or dislike some of their choices. For me, liking someone […]
From One Parent to Another — Emeliesvoice.wordpress.com
Originally posted on Emelie's Voice:
Parenting is exhausting. No one ever questions that. You pour yourself into these little beings hoping and praying you are doing everything right for…
Autistic Traits and Ability, by Rachel McNamara
Autistic Traits and Ability by Guest Blogger Rachel McNamara I have a preference to associate autistic traits with ability rather than disability. An autistic trait is a characteristic that tends to be more […]
For A Special Person by Kevin Legge
Originally posted on My World:
I see the child sitting there, Alone and friendless, sad, Trapped within a racing mind, Looking like he’s mad. All the world thinks he is,…
On Meltdowns & Tantrums: Incredibly Wise Words from Guest Blogger Julia from Autism Thoughts
On Meltdowns & Tantrums: Incredibly Wise Words from Guest Blogger Julia from Autism Thoughts Dear Parent of an autistic individual: if you never read anything else I ever publish, read […]
“Inside My Body While I’m Freaking Out”: A Follow-up Article on Last Weeks Meltdown & Another Life Lesson Brought to us by the Letter “C”
“Inside my body while I’m freaking Out”: A Follow-up Article on Last Weeks Meltdown & Another Life Lesson brought to us by the Letter “C” Okay, so I was wrong: […]
A Bully’s Story: An Open Letter to the Middle Schoolers that Called my Autistic Son a “Faggot” (Full Article)
A Bully’s Story: An Open Letter to the Middle Schoolers that Called my Autistic Son a ‘Faggot’ Dear Middle Schoolers who have bullied Cassius throughout the past school year; I […]
179 Miles to Somewhere in Georgia: A Brutally Honest Look at Yesterday’s Battle and another Life-Lesson Brought to us by the Letter “C”
179 Miles to Somewhere in Georgia: A Brutally Honest Reflection on Yesterday’s Battle and Another Life-Lesson Brought to us by the Letter “C” [For an update on this story, please […]
On Losing My Toddler in Tokyo: Moms, Dads, and Caregivers Everwhere, You Need to Read This! New Program Helps Keep your Loved Ones Safe!
On Losing My Toddler in Tokyo: Moms, Dads, and Caregivers Everywhere, You Need to Read This! New Program Helps keep your Loved Ones Safe! You know those people that see […]
Treading on Thin Ice here, About the ‘Greatly Hated Debate’: Is Autism a Disease, and Do We Need to ‘Cure’ it?
Treading on Thin Ice here, About the ‘Greatly Hated Debate’: Is Autism a Disease, and Do We Need to ‘Cure’ it? Dearest Autism Community: If you feel anything like me, […]
My Letter to my Sons’ School Re: the Frequent Bullying that is ongoing at my Childs’ School….Both from Teachers and the students….
To the Principal: Christian has had a really rough school year this year. There has been such severe bullying from his classmates that we are concerned about his psychological […]
My Response to Rep. Candidate Susanne Atanus, who stated that Autism is a punishment from God for the “sins of our country”.
Here is the link to the original article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/susanne-atanus-congress-_n_4993555.html#. The following is an email that I sent to her private and public email addresses, as well as her facebook page. […]
No You Don’t
Powerful and thought-provoking.
Portia Fixes the Picture
Original image reads: “Like IF you love someone with autism.” SO I Fixed it. All better! MUAH!
Meltdowns and Heartache
Originally posted on Emelie's Voice:
Today, I was chatting with another mom. She was struggling and having a tough time. Her child was in full on exhaustive can’t go…
My Puzzling Piece: A Glance Into MY Puzzling Existance 