So often, we adults become so wrapped up in the stress of our daily lives that we have forgotten how to play and are only able to let loose in a way that leaves us with a hangover! Do you remember how you used to play as a child? This month our compass is designed [...]
The first poem that I ever wrote, I copied out of the back pages of a magazine for teens. I was in 6th grade and already a felon. Sitting in the locked bathroom, I read through the dozen or so poems submitted by other teens and painstakingly searched for the one that “sounded like me.” [...]
Learning to read can begin with play. “What kind of play?” you may be wondering. Phoneme play! Teaching reading is as simple as understanding that there are two distinct parts to literacy − the auditory and the visual. Each part must be developed to allow for automaticity. Louisa Moats’ research suggests that reading has been [...]
The morning began standing in a circle with about 15 grimacing faces with heads hanging low to the ground. Interspersed among these glum beings were about five overly positive adult volunteers excited to get an early 8 am start in the garden. What a combination of folks; those who were forced to be here by [...]
When I envisioned my maternity leave, I thought that I would be able to balance caregiving and playtime with my daughter with projects of my own on the side. I pictured myself doing “grown up” stuff, like reading or even working, while my baby played in her playpen. Ha ha ha! Really?! I can barely [...]
I leaned back against the wall, quietly watching while Amy and Julie cut the tomato, spinach and goat cheese frittata into four-inch squares and arranged them onto a large white platter. Amy leaned over and whispered excitingly into Julie’s ear, “This is like a ladies’ lunch. I never get to do this!” The girls giggled. [...]
The sunlight streaming through the window tickles her little face as she lies sleeping in bed. The warmth cajoles her out of her slumber and her eyes flutter open. A sense of excitement embraces her and lifts her out of bed. She hears mama in the kitchen but she’s not ready to open that door [...]
So often, we adults become so wrapped up in the stress of our daily lives that we have forgotten how to play and are only able to let loose in a way that leaves us with a hangover! Do you remember how you used to play as a child? This month our compass is designed [...]
Most of us take our senses for granted. Our eyes, ears, mouths, nose and skin provide much needed information about what is going on around us and we use this information constantly throughout the day to navigate our lives; however, for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, input from the senses can be a source of [...]
Spring is a season of planting and blossoming. What you tend to in your garden in the early months of spring, will grow and be harvested throughout the year. This month we use this metaphor as a way to guide you in your personal growth and development as we shed the layers of winter and [...]
When we are speaking to someone we love and trying to express something that may be difficult for the other person to hear, it can often be challenging to clearly express our message without negative feelings drowning the connection or the subject changing. This month’s compass guides you in expressing your matters of the heart effectively. [...]
The morning began standing in a circle with about 15 grimacing faces with heads hanging low to the ground. Interspersed among these glum beings were about five overly positive adult volunteers excited to get an early 8 am start in the garden. What a combination of folks; those who were forced to be here by [...]
Autism Spectrum Disorders are on the rise. According to a recent report from the CDC, one in 88 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This is partly related to an increased understanding of the symptoms of ASD and diagnosis at earlier ages. April is National Autism Awareness Month and we [...]
This month I am writing in response to my dear friend, Dr. Narayan’s request for me to share my experience of guiding a young woman toward a new beginning. This woman had some previous involvement with the juvenile justice system, but this was the least of her problems considering her time behind bars was probably [...]
An adolescent in jail develops a keen awareness of her life as her passage to success narrows with each day spent in her stagnant cell. Jail successfully opened her eyes to the severity of her actions and made her desperate for change, but jail was also simultaneously making the path to change treacherous. It was [...]
When I envisioned my maternity leave, I thought that I would be able to balance caregiving and playtime with my daughter with projects of my own on the side. I pictured myself doing “grown up” stuff, like reading or even working, while my baby played in her playpen. Ha ha ha! Really?! I can barely [...]
Our family loves Disney so much that we belong to the Disney Vacation Club and visit Disney World every 1 to 2 years. One of our favorite routines is to have a late lunch at Tony’s Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom and time the lunch so we can watch the afternoon parade from our table. [...]
I have always dreamt of being a mother. Literally. But despite those countless hours I spent dreaming about this moment, I never imagined the incredible magnitude of becoming a parent and how it would change my life. Two weeks after I started my career I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. When the [...]
By Joel Telford The only constant in life is change, this I know; however, I find myself ignoring or neglecting to accept the fact that the most rapidly changing person in my life is my son. I have to sometimes catch myself and realize that he is physically expanding at a rate I will never [...]
Learning to read can begin with play. “What kind of play?” you may be wondering. Phoneme play! Teaching reading is as simple as understanding that there are two distinct parts to literacy − the auditory and the visual. Each part must be developed to allow for automaticity. Louisa Moats’ research suggests that reading has been [...]
Since I began working in an education setting with children with Autism and their families, I have grown so much as a psychologist and as a person. I have been humbled by the extraordinary courage it takes for parents to take steps on the bumpy road of diagnosis, treatment and taking in the complexities of [...]
March is the time of year for planting seeds and getting out in the Life Lab to watch the sleeping winter world come alive with the warmth of spring. The seeds I planted in the classroom for learning to read had sprouted and were in full abundance for most of my students, but there were [...]
Ricardo, in 4th grade, already looked like he could be a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, but he had the heart and needs of a 10-year-old boy. Ricardo was intelligent; however, he lacked motivation. He could have been my class screw-up or my class leader. It was my job to have him recognize his [...]
I leaned back against the wall, quietly watching while Amy and Julie cut the tomato, spinach and goat cheese frittata into four-inch squares and arranged them onto a large white platter. Amy leaned over and whispered excitingly into Julie’s ear, “This is like a ladies’ lunch. I never get to do this!” The girls giggled. [...]
“Naima, I wish you could just sit down with my son and talk to him about nutrition.” I was on the phone with a friend. He was sharing with me how hard it was to get his son to eat different foods. “All he eats is macaroni and cheese and hot dogs!” I could tell [...]
One day, while pulling weeds in a far corner of my garden, I noticed some plants that looked out of place. Curious, I rubbed their feathery green leaves between my thumb and index finger, releasing a sweet familiar scent. These were tomato seedlings. I had grown a few varieties of tomatoes the year before. Somehow [...]
This month, we are celebrating love, and when it comes to food, there is no greater love than the love of chocolate. At first, I had planned on writing about discovering love for oneself, one’s body, as is often my way. I wanted to write about both the importance and the challenge of accepting one’s [...]
The sunlight streaming through the window tickles her little face as she lies sleeping in bed. The warmth cajoles her out of her slumber and her eyes flutter open. A sense of excitement embraces her and lifts her out of bed. She hears mama in the kitchen but she’s not ready to open that door [...]
When a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is initially made, a referral for a genetic consultation is commonly one stop in the line of specialists to which a family is sent. In the United States, ASD is estimated to affect approximately 1% of children and least 10% of ASD has a known etiology, which [...]
If you have read any of my other articles, then you know that I work with “highly behavioral” children, or least that’s what they are often labeled at my place of work. Having a behavioral disorder has a very negative stigma and is associated with unpredictability, chaos, and sadly, poor outcomes. Through my work with [...]
Recently, a newly divorced father, Matt, requested information from us about whether it was a good idea for his 18-month-old girl to have overnight visits. He was worried that his daughter spending a night away from the usual home would affect her sense of security. This is a sensitive matter of the heart and [...]
In my fifteen years of working with young children with special needs and their families I have worn a variety of hats. I’ve donned teacher, behaviorist, socialization coach, language builder, social worker, counselor, art instructor and toileting trainer. The hat I love most of all, is most definitely playmate and friend. The role of playmate [...]
I’ve been a painter now for seventeen years. Through the years, I have developed a unique style that is intuitive, bold, layered and full of soul. As a rule, I never know what I’m going to paint before I start—allowing my paintings to emerge naturally and on their own time is an important part of [...]
My two young sons and I were a tight trio, especially after a long and difficult split with their father, and we were ready for an adventure. We left California, drove across the country, and moved into a ramshackle farmhouse deep in the woods of Vermont, three miles up an old logging road, with very [...]
I have found it incredibly helpful as an artist, as a truth seeker, and as an evolving and expanding being, to really listen to my heart. I’m continually learning and relearning the importance of trusting the vision and the process, whether it be art or some other aspect of my life. We all have our own personal [...]
While your family is receiving guidance from our organization, we ask that you consider paying it forward to less fortunate families by donating to Create A Path, a non-profit organization that will help troubled adolescent girls and their families (www.Createapath.org). Mission Create A Path strives to develop stronger family and community support networks for adolescents [...]
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