Month: December 2015

Thought I would just post a couple of pictures taken from the very top of the property showing the valley with the fog rolling in and out but for some reason it will not allow me to. So I think I need to share something about myself. Hopefully, it will wake a few people up and help them share themselves with at least one other person but first I would like everyone to check out website called: “Operation Meaningful Life”. It could help with raising your child and it was developed by a very caring parent of an autistic child. So please check this site out.

Christmas time was never one of my favorite times of the year while growing up and it still isn’t. I grew up with very caring parents who worked hard to provide for their family. My father was a Washington DC police officer who, unlike what the news portrays police to be now, he was a well-respected officer to those in the community he served. I remember going down to his precient when I was around 8 yrs old and people and shop owners would ask me if officer Bean was my father. When I said yes, they told me what a great friend he was to everyone from children to the elderly. My father was blind to people’s color as well as social status and he taught me to accept people for what they were. To treat people with respect until they lost your respect and I have tried to live up to this. Every life matters. I have never let too many people get close to me and now that I am ancient, I wish I had. I lost my father a few years age to alzheimer’s and now it’s my mothers time. My daughter and I took a trip back up to DC to see her a few weeks ago because we wanted to see her again while she might still know us. It was well worth the trip.
Christmas time seems to make people think of others and wanting to help change their lives for the better. Each of us has the ability to change at least one person’s life in some way. There is a tv commercial showing now that I think is great and I hope everyone sees it over and over again. It shows a young girl with some help from others putting up a Christmas tree on a neighbor’s front yard and then on Christmas the kids find presents under that tree for them while the old man (neighbor) looks out the window smiling at the girl. It is one of the few commercials that are worth anything. Small things can have a very large impact on someones life.

I guess this old man should stop rambling on. The point I was trying to make is, please if you are able to show someone that you care about them please do. And don’t limit this just to this time of the year, let the child within you come out everyday and always see just the good in others. All life matters Look at life through your child-like eyes. Happy Holidays!!!!!!!

Oh! Will someone please send a comment to our web page. We were hacked by overseas websites and I think that I have stopped it. What I don’t know is, that after blocking a number of IP address, did I mistakenly block out people here in the States. We haven’t had any comments left on our website since the blocks.

Thanks again and hug your children every chance you get, whether they are one or eighty because that will be the memory that they will carry with them throughout their life.

I have recently talked with a few parents with younger autistic children and they asked how I handled IEP’s and teachers that were not informed about autism. Another topic that interested them was my experience with my daughters fixations, desires and wants. So I guess I’ll try to explain what my daughter’s mother and I tried to do for her.

Remember one very important thing and that is that all children are different, so as parents we try different things all the time. As far as the IEP’s go, learn what the federal government requires the school system to provide and also what your state and county require. But you as a parent, you know what your child needs. If you have a connection with your child’s current teacher ask her or him to be at your next IEP meeting and ask them to recommend a teacher for the next school year. That helped us out a lot, because we needed a teacher that would work with us and let us know what we needed to do to help our daughter at home. Her mom did a great job at home.

My daughter has had, and still has, her fixations which change from time to time. They were used to help her learn. We would take her to the library and get as many books that covered that subject and early on read them to her. When she was able to read, she did so. She has become my source of many different topics and has now become my teacher (I have hated reading all my life, but know how important it is to learning). Use their fixations to help them learn.

Most importantly, never tell a child or let anyone else tell them that they can not achieve something they want to do.My daughter was always told that she could accomplish anything she wanted but she needed to know that she might not be able to do it as good, or as easy, or as quickly as someone else. Because we are individuals and as such do things and accomplished things differently. If you tell someone over and over that they can’t do something, sooner or later they will believe it and stop trying. That applies to handicapped and non-handicapped individuals. Encourage, guide and assist them in whatever way you can.

Your child will find out on their own what they can or can’t do, so let them. One example that I’ll share with you: my daughter wanted to learn to drive and that one was hard for me. I told her that I would teach her, if and only if, she was able to focus totally on driving. Whenever she was with me, I would point out other drivers mistakes and what could happen in an accident. I would also teach her to drive on the property to be used for the group home, I had already cut in some roads although rough, they would do. I have to say that on days that she was able to stay focused, she did rather well. But when she could not focus, she didn’t. After almost two years, she told me that she didn’t want to drive because she knew that she couldn’t stay focused all the time. She said that she didn’t want to hurt anyone while driving unfocused. She is a great kid (almost 31).

One last thing, You are your child’s best teacher but also they can be your best teacher. Learn from each other and teach each other. Have fun and enjoy whatever you do together.