The Ostrich, Or At Least That's What My Mom Calls Me

Yes, my mom calls me an ostrich, referring to the fact that I like to stick my head in the sand and ignore things. I like to call it my thinking time. I need to think about how to deal with issues and what to do next. I mean , it's hard to hear that your babies aren't perfect and that they will have life long challenges. Any parent who has been through any sort of medical or psychological assessment with a child can tell you about the challenges of the processes and the outcomes. Let me say that I know the diagnosis my boys have, could have been a lot worse and I count my blessings every single day. I just pray that we can do everything we need, to help them reach their potential.

When the boys were first diagnosed, one with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Delays Not Otherwise Specified) and one on the Autism Spectrum, I was completely caught off guard by the grieving process. It was sad to think that they wouldn't be the perfect little boys, I had dreamed they would be. So, what happened? The grieving process blindsided me. First there was shock and denial. I stayed in denial for a while, hence my nickname. The anger came in the form of being made at other parents who mistreated their children and the guilt was in thinking I had done something wrong. Depression continues to rear its ugly head from time to time and I like to eat that one. I have come to accept my beautiful boys just the way they are and support them through their challegnes and celebrate their joys. I continue to grow right along with my whole family, especially spiritually, and I count among my greatest blessings my husband and our two wonderful boys!

A few years ago, I participated in a parent focus group that was part of a research project and I did find comfort in hearing other parents share similar experiences with the grieving process. The best part of sharing with other parents was the hope and that's what I'll hang onto for now!

It's a dyslexic thing...the time issue!

Recently one of Marshall's teachers asked me when he was having surgery. She said that he had asked her to pray for him. I was a little surprised because he just had oral surgery three weeks ago. When I told her that, we had a good laugh because this was just another example of the time issue with which dyslexics often struggle.

At one of the Woodland Hall parent seminars, we learned that dyslexics often get confused with time. I was happy to learn this because one time I thought Marshall was lying to me or being a little smarty pants. Turns out he was just confused on time. He said he had brushed his teeth when I knew he hadn't. Now that I think about it, he had brushed his teeth....the day before.

Better Brain Care – A Great Resource in Tally

I’m always amazed when prayers are answered before you even know there is a need. Better Brain Care was just one of those answers for us.

A friend shared the website with me because she knew that as a teacher educator I am interested in the latest research on the brain and learning. I took a look at the site and was amazed at what I learned about neurotherapy, a non-medication way to assist people with ADHD and many other issues. The following day I got a call from Marshall’s teacher all but stating that he needed something to help him (reading between the lines it sounded like medication...teachers can’t say that, but I got the idea). The something we choose was Better Brain Care. So, off we went for Marshall’s evaluation.

At this point, he is close to half way through the treatment. We have seen positive changes in his behavior and other issues that are beyond his control, like wetting the bed at night. The challenging part about neurotherapy is that insurance doesn’t cover it and think of all the money our insurance company is saving because our boys aren’t on medication.

Marshall loves it because he gets to play games just using his brain. The therapist attaches a few little “thingies” to his ears and tapes some other “thingies” to his head. (Don’t you just love my terminology? Obviously, I’m not the expert here.) As long as Marshall concentrates, the game works. There are quite a variety of games and he has many choices. Is it worth it? We think so! I continue to be amazed by the resources we have here in little old Tallahassee.

Visit the EEG Institute for more information and to locate a practitioner near you, if you are not in the Tallahassee area.

A Difference not a Disability

So what is this thing called dyslexia anyway. My mom has it so I have heard a lot about it over the years but, like most people, I just thought it was a reading problem where the person saw letters backwards. Actually, dyslexia is a processing issue and neurological in nature. So, my boys' brains are wired a little differently, but once we get the information in their little brains, it sticks. Fortunately, the school my boys attend has a great slogan to help students and others understand how successful people with dyslexia can be and that slogan is "where dyslexia becomes a learning difference not a learning disability". What a great way to think about it!

The International Dyslexia Association has some great facts sheets about dsylexia. Oh the things we are learning about dyslexia!!!!

Exploding with Info!

Today was the first day of summer school for the boys! Jensen went last year and he was happy to return to Woodland Hall Academy to catch up with his old friends and make new ones. For Marshall, it was his first experience. After school, I called to see how it all went and Marshall said that his "brain was just exploding with information". He sure says the funniest things and always with lots of enthusiasm. Jensen was happy that his brother wasn't in the same classes with him, but he is happy to have his little brother at the same school. What a great first day of summer school!

Starting Early

We have two beautiful boys and we've known they have had issues since they were very young...babies We had no idea what the issues were just that they had developmental issues of some sort. The journey has been long, but I'm happy to say we are fortunate to be in Tallahasse and have access to wonderful resources, which I will share more about latter. For the time being, I'm happy to say that the boys are drug free. To get started, I'd love to hear from others who are moms and dads of dyslexic children so we can share the joys, challenges and resources for helping our children reach their full potential.