It's been a while since I've written a digest. Between taking some time off over New Year's and rearranging my writing schedule a bit it just hasn't fallen into the rotation, but here we are...the first Sunday Digest of 2011. Given the gap I should have plenty of material to choose from.
1) I wanted to start off with a moving video posted by our new friend, Justin Buzzard. We met Justin because he has spoken several times at our church while we are seeking a new pastor. Justin is an excellent preacher, and is starting a church in the San Jose area...in case you're looking. He is also the uncle of Brody, who is affected by autism. Brody's parents took some photos of him at a recent beach outing and overlaid "10 Things Every Child with Autism Wants You to Know..." If you've been looking for a good way to pass this information on to someone, well here it is.
2) Here the inimitable Varda explains why we need to keep telling people how to understand and help our children reach their full potential, regardless of what their challenges and needs might be. It wasn't that long ago that children with special needs were sent off to institutions without question, or worse.
3) Ever have one of those moments when your temper gets the best of you and you can't seem to get a grip on your anger? Please don't tell me I'm the only one...My fellow 5 Minutes for Special Needs contributor, Laurie, shared some of the secrets she's learned over the years to get a grip on her anger. Fake swearing...love it!
4) I've been attending some IEP meetings with a friend. Perhaps that's one reason this piece, sort of retrospectively viewing the IEP track of education over the long haul jumped out at me. The analogy at the end is powerful.
5) Last but not least, we've been encountering lots of situations lately where I wish I knew better how to support my daughter's social skills. Hartley shared some of the things she's learned here. I definitely need to try a couple of these to see if they will help in our scenarios.
