My family LOVES board games – we’ve played them for years. Now, I understand the therapeutic benefits games have for my daughter with disabilities. Looking back, I can see how playing games helped my daughter in various ways. For example, she is a pro at adding up scores in Farkle, and when she was young, Candy Land helped her identify colors. Understanding winning strategy, good sportsmanship and taking turns are important skills that playing games helped to foster. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Introduction Games play a crucial role in the development and well-being of children with disabi ..read more

I am thrilled to share a guest post from Jo Ashline, an award-winning writer who chronicles her family’s journey through life’s ups and downs, including the realities of raising a child with disabilities. I feel a connection to this article, aptly titled From Autism to Rare Disease: One Family’s Journey to an Unexpected Diagnosis. It resonates because I have looked to the medical community to understand some of the co-morbid conditions that my daughter lives with, often (and most frustratingly) simplified and chalked up to “Autism,” even when the condition doesn’t align with Autism at all. She ..read more

tVNS stands for Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation. tVNS is non-invasive electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve by clipping electrodes to the tragus region of the ear. tVNS device on ear Vagus Nerve The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and connects the brain with all the major organs in the body, including the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. The vagus nerve has important physical and emotional effects in the body and helps the body to achieve balance between states of stress (“fight or flight”) and states of relaxation (“rest and digest”). Connection to Gut Health If yo ..read more

Anyone else experiencing back to school COVID-19 trauma? 2020 presented a myriad of challenges often lumped together under the nauseatingly overused word, “unprecedented.” [I will even go as far to say that hearing the word unprecedented is traumatic.] Photo by Liza Summer on Pexels.com I’ve been on a bit of a writing hiatus, spending quality time with family before moving into the new school year. I have to be honest, I’m always a bit sad when summer ends, but this year, I dread the new school year. COVID-19 is a dark cloud just hovering over me. Using the word trauma Honestly, I feel a littl ..read more

One of the things I discovered early on with my autistic daughter was a communication roadblock when I used phrases that we all say without thinking about them – because we inherently know what they mean.  Yes, I’m talking about idioms: a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not understood from those of the individual words. Like the phrase getting a second wind – something I’m all too familiar with as it relates to my kids and our established bedtime. Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com Idioms and Figurative Language They are ingrained in our everyday language.&nb ..read more

Today’s story is about pool passes and summer swimming. It’s also about growing up and an overly cautious special needs mama who is learning to let go. Kids at the swimming pool Summer is our family’s favorite time of year. It’s a time to slow the pace and unplug: Vacation, camping, s’mores, and swimming to name a few favorite activities. A rite of passage for many kids during the summer is getting a community pool pass.  It means spending long, slow days in the sun, splashing around with friends.  It’s a slice of independence.  We are fortunate to live within a block of a commu ..read more

Every year during strawberry season I make strawberry jam that has less sugar, is gluten and dye-free. This recipe is for canning jam, and is a cooked method. Homemade Strawberry Jam I just love strawberry season! After my latest post about making homemade fruit popsicles, I thought I’d write about making jam, another favorite strawberry season recipe. Since my kids were little they’ve enjoyed fresh strawberries. Here’s a picture of my oldest the first time we went – the evidence is clear that there was a lot of eating going on. Strawberry picking Why canNING? You might ask why one would go to ..read more

It’s nearly summer, and what better to signal summer than ice cold homemade dye-free berry popsicles! My girls love popsicles! When I’m at the store, there are all kinds of box-to-freezer style on sale, however, the ingredients have made me shy away from buying. homemade strawberry popsicle Check ingredients in store-bought varieties Most include high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and dyes like red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1. Although the research isn’t conclusive that dyes cause ADHD, there is evidence to show that it could worsen symptoms, as noted in this NIH article.    Or, per ..read more

There’s a treasure trove of research to show the benefits of taking fish oil for Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Among them is brain health, because fatty acids are important for optimal brain functioning. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Since they are not produced by the body, essential fatty acids must come from the foods we eat.  Moreover, they are “essential,” because these fatty acids have a major impact on the neurons and nerve cells in the brain. Importance of Omega-3 and Omega-6  There are two main essential fatty acids:  Omega-3 and Omega-6.  The best source of Omega ..read more

I’ve learned a lot about choosing the right olive oil over the last couple of years. Our family follows the Nemechek protocol, which calls for the use of quality, certified extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). However, EVOO has incredible anti-inflammatory goodness – which is why many people choose to incorporate it into their everyday diets. Photo by Mareefe on Pexels.com Why Use Olive Oil The health benefits of olive oil are well documented, especially extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined, so it contains important antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. &n ..read more