Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this?
I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.
Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?
It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.
While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, children with special needs can safely join in the fun, too. So what are some of the things about Halloween that children with additional needs can find hard?
Assistive communication technology was a big help for our son through school and his past 15-year work experience. Having limited speech until he was 12, our now 41-year-old son has found that sign language and this simple technology have aided him in better expressing himself. Each individual affected by special needs has various and different needs, abilities, and disabilities. By getting creative, you can tailor solutions specifically for your child to help them express their needs.
Special needs may put a particular challenge on travel, depending on our child’s needs. While there are places many of us can take our kids, there is the realization that sometimes we might have to say no to a lot of things we wish we could do. For those who can’t travel with your child or loved one with special needs (for whatever reason), I have another idea. The possibilities are endless if you begin to think outside the travel box.
Summer with my family is a nice break from all the school year hustle and bustle. It’s a time to slow down and enjoy more family time. Then again, summer brings its own challenges. Here are some tricks I’ve learned in the past few years that help me stay mentally in a better place for a peaceful summer day.
