Author: MomtoMax-Teacher, freelance writer, and mother to a teen with autism
Welcome!
We are just getting started with this site and wanted to send out a warm welcome to all who stumble upon our humble bloggy abode. Please make yourself at home.
We realize that there are hundreds of thousands of blogs out there and many are about parenting children with special needs. So what makes this blog so darn special? I am glad you asked. :>)
1. We love to explore our children's special interests.
If your child has a special interest we would love to hear about it. Other people might tell you that they can't stand to hear another word about your child's fascination with Thomas the Tank or the eating habits of squids. But we do want to hear about the things your child enjoys. We can also tell you how to turn these special interests (what others may label as an obsession) into a learning experience, a hobby, or even a career.
2. We are taking this journey with you.
There will be no preaching on a pulpit here. My co-authors and I do have a lot of experience under our belt of teaching and parenting a child with special needs. But we do not claim to know all the answers. Our journey has not ended by a long shot. We are still learning along the way just as you are. And we welcome your input, ideas, and stories.
3. Our site represents a variety of diverse perspectives, experiences, and viewpoints.
The one thing we will not be doing here is to tell you that there is ONE way to help your child. In fact, we will be presenting a wide variety of opinions on everything from how to toilet train to how to prepare your child for leaving home. We believe in the power of choice. It is your choice as to how to raise, parent, and teach your child. We will assist in the process by giving you a ton of information so that you can make an educated choice.
4. This isn't just another "mommy blog."
There are many people who are involved in the caretaking of your child. It isn't just moms out there who care for children. There are dads, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. who may be involved in your child's life and well being. On this blog will be hearing from a wide assortment of caretakers including men. Dads, grand-dads, and brothers are under-represented in the blog world when it comes to the topic of caregiving. The male role is quite often minimized or even ridiculed when it comes to parenting or taking care of kids. Good parenting/caregiving has nothing to do with whether you are a man or a woman. On NotYourTypicalKid, we are going to get away from sexist stereotypes by discussing good parenting techniques from both the female and male perspective.
5. We are not about to cure your child.
Okay so maybe this a reason you may want to skip reading our blog. In the world of autism there are folks known as "curebies." I didn't come up with the name, they did. No judgement here. But yes there are some parents who have a goal of curing their child's autism or other neurological, mental, or developmental disorders. It is my humble opinion that this usually is not possible with most of the disorders we are going to discuss. Yet there are some blogs that offer up some sort of cure, whether it be a special type of therapy, supplement, or medication. This is definitely not that sort of blog. There are no miracle cures here to be found, just real life experience and support.
6. We aim to give you information you can actually use.
Have you ever bought a book, read a blog, or went to a conference to learn more about your child's condition? How many times have you walked or clicked away feeling disappointed? You hear or read a bunch of generic stuff you have heard before or none of it really pertains to your situation. For me personally, this has happened quite often over the years I have been researching my son's condition. Some of the best and most useful information comes from other parents who have been there and done that. Another great resource comes from individuals who have the condition themselves and who can articulate what life is like for them. Teachers, therapists, and doctors also have a lot of in depth information to offer. However, it is very hard work for the average caregiver to sort through all the lengthy forums and generic medical sites to get to the good stuff. That is what we are here for. We want to save you the trouble of scouring the Internet for a few nuggets of useful wisdom. We will do the work for you. On this blog you will find resources and information that you can use to help your child in an immediate way.
7. You won't find any political agendas here.
We aren't part of a cause, cure, or political agenda. If you are weary of how special needs have seemingly been taken over by celebrities on a crusade then you are not alone. If you are tired of the endless controversies which plague parent support forums (such as the vaccine/autism debate) then you will find respite from the madness here. There are plenty of other sites for these sorts of discussions (or as I see it...pointless shouting matches). Life is stressful enough. We want to help you to focus on the important aspects of caring for your child in the day to day.
8. We will be talking about teens and adults with special needs (in addition to the wee ones).
There seems to be a myth that children with special needs never grow up. There are tons of books and blogs about the preschool set and early intervention. By comparison there is very little information about teens and young adults who have special needs. Many of the popular books out there about this age group are autobiographies written by individuals who are considered the "success story" of someone who has overcome their disability. But there isn't much out there to help the adult with special needs who will require extensive care, possibly for the rest of their life. In a fantasy world these individuals are supposed to be "cured" by adulthood and blend seamlessly into society. Let's just suppose that doesn't happen. Then what? We are going to help answer this question in a realistic and honest way. We are going to be talking to parents who have helped their special needs children transition into adulthood and hear about the many hurdles families may encounter along the way.
9. This blog is more than a blog, it is a community.
I believe in the shared experience. And for this reason I am not going solo in writing posts for this site. If you look over on our side-bar you will see a list of contributors. In addition, if you take a look at our Guest Blogger page, you will see bios of some of the folk who have graciously agreed to write on selected topics and/or be interviewed for their particular expertise. As we grow this site we will be adding more guest bloggers including doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, parents, teachers, therapists, as well as individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental, neurological, or developmental disorder. We also want you, the reader, to become part of this community blog by sharing your story. There will be multiple opportunities and venues for you to become involved on this site including community discussions, guest posting, and a forum (soon to be created).
10. We are real.
Some blogs you read...you might think....are these people for real? I think this is especially true for some of the parenting blogs in that there may be some embellishment going on. You know the ones...they have clean houses (even the garage), never watch TV, make all their own clothes, and have cured all three of their children with a supplement made from organic eggplant extract that they grow from home. Oh and of course positive affirmations. If your child still has (name of their condition) then you just aren't thinking enough good thoughts.
Uh huh...sure.
Let's get real.
We are imperfect parents who have imperfect children. We are going to give you the real deal here in sharing our experience. We won't sugar coat things but neither will we paint a picture of gloom and doom. We are simply going to tell it like it is. And we hope that you do too. Sometimes it helps to know that there is some other parent out there trying to get the finger paint stains out of the carpet while you child is throwing gluten-free cookies at the dog (that you just spent over an hour to make). Sometimes it helps to know that there is another parent who wants to cry along with their child when they have a meltdown. Sometimes it helps to feel joy when another parent talks about the seemingly small but real victories of their child's first spoken word, a day without seizures, or a first birthday party invitation.
Real people. Real stories. Real support.
Stick around. I promise you that it will be worth your while.
Love the pebbles backdrop! As for special interests, currently we're into Pikmin but expanded from playing the game into making the figures out of airdry clay - unfortunately they cannot be purchased [except on EBay] or very expensive sites, so this is a whole new tactile experience.
ReplyDeleteHi there Maddy!
ReplyDeleteI had to look up what Pikmin is...and the figures are adorable. I bet my Max would love this game. He is hooked on Zelda right now.
Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you come back to visit again.